It has been hotter than Hades out the past few days. Over 100. Of course it depends on what weather channel you're listening to, and what your home thermometer reading is, and usually the two are not the same. Use to years ago when you listened to the weatherman on TV, you knew your local temp was coming from the fire station in Ardmore. They took the daily readings, recorded it, and that's where the news channel got their info. But with the advent of electronics and all, who knows where the reading is coming from, and the weatherman never states on air where he got his information. I find that strange.
Anyway, a funny thing happened yesterday. I bought a loaf of bread at Walmart and by the time I got home it was toast. That's how hot it is in Oklahoma.
June 1932
Mrs. Emma Coburn says there is no use for people to go hungry. She purchased 5
cents worth of bean seeds, her table has been supplied everyday, and 13 quarts
have been canned.
June 1932
DB Stokes planted one bushel of Irish potatoes and gathered 35 bushels and 1
peck. He planted certified seed and used barnyard fertilizer.
June 1932
Graham Township Precinct 2, Clemscott, has been closed in the name of efficiency
and economy. The voters of Clemscott will cast their ballots with the residents
of Old Graham.
June 1932
After telling people to bring their own food to the annual candidate speaking at
Newport, some candidates stepped up and donated 9 beeves and 400 loaves of
bread. The free food help attract a crowd of 5,000 to the political gathering. A
picnic atmosphere prevailed all along the way, even to the brush arbor, the red
lemonade stands, and the picture taking machines. All that was lacking was hot
July weather, and a merry-go-round. There was plenty of old-fashioned
mudslinging, and high-sounding oratory of the pre-war days flowed freely.
June 1956
Don Kinsey is chief operator at the Grimes Refinery south of Lone Grove and
lives in a company house near the business. He and his wife, Peggy, have a pair
of little daughters, Mary and Donna, who are real beauties.
June 1956
Dr. W. G. Hathaway was presented with a lifetime membership in the Carter, Love
and Marshall County Medical Society in honor of 50 years of practice in the
field of medicine in Lone Grove.
June 1963
A bill to allow Oklahoma cities and towns to levy municipal taxes upon approval
by voters, was signed into law by Governor Henry Bellmon. Under the act, cities
and towns can allow almost any type of tax except ad valorem and sales taxes.
Just to reiterate my comments in last week's newsletter, after nearly two months of use, I've decided the Adware Removal Tool is the best I've ran across to keep your computer clean of adware, spyware, trojans, etc., and keep it running faster and smoother by cleaning the junk files removed. Better than my CCleaner and SuperAntiSpyware programs. The only exception is MalwareBytes but it is not freeware, it's $29.95 a year for the Pro version, but worth it. It automatically, by running in the background, keeps the spyware and malware off your computer.
http://www.adwareremovaltool.org/
A few brick pavers I sandblasted this week
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BSASteveDelcoMillerPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/SampsonPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BSAJakobiJohnsonPaver.jpg
I've had a couple of people ask me if my Okie Power Saver will protect the electronics in campers and RVs. The answer is yes. Let's see, there might be a TV, satellite dish, refrigerator, stereo system, air conditioner, and other items that add up to big bucks if hit by a power surge. My Okie Power Saver will protect all those from surges when plugged into the campsite's electricity. And anyone who does a lot of camping knows the electricity at campsite if iffy, it can blink Off and On a lot in the span of a few days of camping. Lots of things to go wrong in those campsite. Hit me up if you have an RV or camper and want more info.
My friends on Facebook never cease to amaze me, and humble me at the same time. My birthday was Monday July 18th and I received well over 1,000 happy birthday wishes. Thanks everyone!
You can find current gas prices for a particular Oklahoma town by entering the name or zip code in the GasBuddy search box.
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/
Q. What festival is Jay,
Oklahoma famous for?
A. On July the 2nd Jay, Oklahoma held it's 49th annual Huckleberry
Festival as it has done since 1967.
Q. What is Oklahoma's largest
lake?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of July 20, 2002:
"Hi Butch, Thanks for keeping up the good
work with T&T each week. We wouldn't dream of missing it out here in Nevada.
Just wanted to get in a good word for an old grocery store we use to visit
before we milk this subject to death. It belonged to Clyde Minter and it was
located just west of Ardmore on Highway 70 and I think it was right across from
where the Ford -Lincoln-Mercury place is located. It burned down years ago
(sorry to say), and many is the time when his letting us have credit to buy
groceries kept us from going hungry for the week. He had a big heart and he and
his wife were grand people. Of course I might be prejudiced because he was my
husband's distant cousin. Just had to give them honorable mention and God rest
their souls."
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I remember that American Flyers
Cafe. It was the old NCO Club when the Air Base was there. Then American Flyers
used it for their Cafeteria. My aunt Arzula Crawford worked there as a cook. We
would go there every Sunday and we would either eat there or eat at her house.
My uncle Charles was a Fireman there at the Air Base of course he passed away
before the Plane Crash. I still remember that plane crash too! That was awful.
After the Cafe closed down my aunt went to work at Memorial Hospital as one of
the cooks. I think Aunt Arzula could cook anything good. I also seen that you
were talking about old Store. I remember two in Healdton that was quite popular.
One was Shorty Claxton's Store located south of the High School. He operated
that before he became a Deputy for Robert Denny. Then there was the North Side
Grocery owned and operated by Ralph Armstrong. It was a small store but you
could find anything in the world in that little store. He had the coldest soda
pop in Healdton and the best meat on that side of the county. If he have not
bought the pop bottles that we sold to him, (My brother, my cousin, and I ) we
would have missed a lot of those Saturday Picture Shows that we saw for 15
cents, a nickel coke and a bag of pop corn for a nickel. Saturday was a big day
at the old Thompson Theater. He used to give away door prizes to during
intermission. Never did win anything though."
----------------------------------------------------
"I've had a connection with Pettijohn
Springs over the years since it was donated for a christian camp and used by
members of the Church of Christ from all over. My father, Cole Tidwell, was one
of the original group that helped with the construction of the camp and served
as Camp manager years later for a few years. I found some history on the
internet: "In the mid-1800's a Chickasaw Indian Chief, settled his
followers at the springs due to the abundance of water as well as good grazing
and hunting areas. In 1924 the property was developed into a spa and resort
which was popular until 1939 when it was virtually abandoned after a fire.
During the following three decades the property changed hands several times
until the estate of the late Earl E. Ayers and his widow, Sylvia G. Ayers
donated the approximately 60 acres of land to a project to be know as Pettijohn
Springs Christian Camp. On December 26, 1968 the Madill record declared, "Pettijohn
Springs is coming back to life...The surroundings will ring with the sound of
happy children.""
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I have truly enjoyed the
correspondence about the grocery stores. My Grandfather, WG Lamb and my Daddy,
Don Lamb ran one in Ardmore for many years. The first store was over at E St. SE
and Lake Murray Drive and I believe that Mr. Christy had a little store right
across the street. The next store was at the corner of l2th and E. Street, NW.
It was heaven. My sister and I loved getting to go on deliveries and eating
bologna, cheese and crackers out of the case on Saturday evenings. I remember
that Mr. Lloyd Noble was a great customer and would often come, in his khaki
pants and sit on the "pop box" and drink a Coke and visit. My Daddy had a an
outstanding meat market and often had to get an order of KC Strip steaks ready
for the Nobles to serve up at the cabin and Daddy worked alot with the Noble's
housekeeper, Hattie, getting big grocery orders ready. Daddy had a Deli, long
before they were fashionable in Ardmore. He baked hams, made his own Pimento
Cheese, and potato salad, and often, my mother made banana nut cakes, and the
store could not keep it all, it went out of the store so fast. I also remember
when Matt Berryhill first opened the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, making hot tamales,
and Matt would send several dozen to Ardmore on the bus and Daddy would go pick
them up and sell them with his home brick Chili, and reservations were made for
them and again, he could not keep enough in the store. Those were the days when
Daddy made stands for the real Christmas trees, and he would plug a Watermelon
for you. I have stood for hours and watched him cut up chickens, with the pulley
bone, make groundbeef, cut pork chops, and put that plus much more in his
perfect meat case. You could also go in and charge your groceries. Oh what
wonderful times~~growing up in a grocery store and as far as I knew, there was
only one in Ardmore, so it has been interesting to recall all the other ones."
"Butch, I have one more thought on the grocery stores. I remember back during
the WW2 and I was a very small girl, at the Lake Murray store, Papa and Daddy
would get in just 1 box of Fleer's Double Bubble gum and Daddy would portion out
in a little penny sacks. He would see that my cousins, Jo Lynne and Marlane
Jones, and Maryann Parker, and my step aunt, Frances Lamb would get a little
sack and then he would keep it under the counter for just regular customers to
have. Occasionally, he would get in a box of Hershey Bars and he had the same
routine with those. Everynight when he would come home, we were so excited to
see him, hoping that he would have a little treat for us. I still think of that
when I see ALL of the candy that is at our disposal today. I always remember
that a bottle of Welch's Grape Juice was rare and a real treat and we usually
only got that if we were sick. My how times have changed." -Linda Lamb Smith
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, My husband worked for Beetle
Plastics in the Industrial Airpark for 30 years. He ate many meals at the
American Airline cafe. Then it was ran by Tiny Welch who also lived across the
street from us. Then Preston Palmer ran it for a while. After which Preston went
to work at Beetle Plastics. He lives at Wilson and is retired. The management
for Beetle Plastics would have meetings in the cafe early in the mornings."
----------------------------------------------------
"Charles Evans Eagles was another grade
school team name."
----------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch, One of your readers at the end
of T&T this week mentioned remembering the Franklin Rockets school team. Our
school team was the Washington Huskies and I seem to recall one of our cheers
that we had during the '60's when I was one of a group of girls who got to make
our own homemade orange-and-white streamered pom-poms on a long stick:"
"Hoo-rah for Hus-kies, Hoo-rah for Hus-kies,
Someone's in the kitchen yelling Hoo-rah for Huskies,
1.....2.....3.....4....Who's a gonna yell some more?!
HUS-KIES.....THAT'S WHO!"
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch - I can't stand it any longer! I've
been a fly on the wall too long, reading your stuff, having all kinds of
memories jogged, and not offering anything. The question about the grade school
nicknames just HAS to be answered. I can't do it completely, but I can throw in
the school colors and the coaches.
Franklin: Red/White, Rockets [Askew, Rob], Leonard Bates
Lincoln: Purple/Gold, Comets [Askew, Rob], George Holloway
Washington: Orange/Black until '53 or '54, then Orange/White, Huskies (just like
U of W) [Askew, Rob], Griffin Biles
Charles Evans: Blue/White, Eagles [Askew, Rob], Leroy Ritchey
Jefferson: Green/White, ?? [Askew, Rob], ??
Will Rogers: Green/Gold, ?? [Askew, Rob], Edgar Wallace (Mrs. Wallace was my
homeroom teacher)
I was QB at Franklin in '56, and here is our football schedule, with results:
Evans, W 19-0
Lincoln, W 21-0
Rogers, W 34-0
Jefferson, W 7-6
Washington, L 0-6
Our game with Washington that year was for the city championship, as we both
came in undefeated. George Norris (The Rambling Reporter - remember him?) was at
the game and wrote it up in his column 11/15/56."
-Rob Askew (Washington School '51-'54, Franklin '54-'57, AHS '63)
----------------------------------------------------
"You have a long list of small grocery
stores in and around Ardmore, but I'm amazed that no one has mentioned the
Corner Grocery that was located on the west corner of 2nd and N. Washington
directly across the street from the Mulkey Hotel and diagonally across from the
old Ardmore High school. It was owned and operated by E.D McElreath, his wife
Helen and his Mother in law. I worked there for 2 1/2 years while going to
school (sometimes) and living in an apartment above the store. The building is
still there, but it's all boarded up like so many other places in Ardmore that
were a part of my growing up years. Although I've been gone from Ardmore for
over 48 years it will always be home to me!" -Roy (Buddy) Garnand
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I thought your readers might be
interested to see this old post card that my father wrote to his brother in law
way back then. Marsden used to be a town then. Post office, gin, school and
church etc."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/marscard.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I receive your newsletter. Sure
enjoy it since I grew up in Carter County (Gene Autry and Ardmore). Just wanted
to let you know that the Goat Motel on Tommy Howard Road (Now Happy Trails Road)
is the creation of Kenneth (Butler) Williams. His wife is Joe Williams, my
cousin. Thanks."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/goatmot.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"Bell at the First Baptist Church in Dickson, Oklahoma. Cast by the American
Bell Foundry Company, Northville, Mich. as best I could tell. There are several
coats of paint on it."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dickson7.jpg
More Info: The American Bell Foundry was originated in 1899.
The company made bells of all sizes for churches, schools, farms and factories.
The most popular being the dinner bell. Northville was an industrial mecca for
church and school furniture, butter churns, etc?? The bells were made in
Northville before the Am Bell Foundry was started in 1899. The bells probably
started in 1895 as part of the Globe Furniture Company?s foundry operation. In
1896 the bells were being made under the name of the Am Bell Foundry. In April
of 1899 the Globe was destroyed by fire and the AM Bell Foundry was organized.
The new company manufactured bells and did general foundry and machine business.
The company purchased the foundry buildings together with the old patterns. The
bells were sold to Sears, Montgomery Ward and American Seating Co. By 1902 the
company (30 employees) could not keep up with the demand with orders coming in
from around the world. The company was sold in 1920 to J.B. Foote Foundry of
Ohio and in 1924 it became the Bell Furnace & Manufacturing Co. The bell making
probably ended in 1924.
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Jay, Oklahoma, my second Okie hometown after Ardmore-- The exciting Huckleberry Festival every July4, at Jay, Ok, the Huckleberry Capital of the World!" -SkipHere are 3 more scans of old postcards. -Robert Hensley
"The Cut" in the Arbuckle Mountains, Santa Fe Railroad line.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/SantaFeRRnorthOfArdmoreOKArbuckleMountains.jpg
Rock House at Lake Murray on the east side of the lake. Not longer there.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/RockHouseLakeMurrayArdmoreOK.jpg
The old ME Church (Methodist-Episcopal) of Ardmore. 1908. That is what the United Methodist church was called before it became Methodist then United Methodist. It was located on West Broadway at C Street. My guess is that one of the houses in the picture is the church parsonage.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/MEChurchSouthArdmoreOK.jpg
Re: July 14 newsletter.
The old postcard from the Ardmore Mill caught my attention. I have been a
railroad fan all of my life, hanging out at the train station in Ardmore most
days of my teenage years. The boxcar in that postcard caught my attention
-Choctaw Oklahoma and Gulf. That's a new one for me. I knew the Santa Fe and
Rock Island (which later became Frisco) in Ardmore and most other railroads that
ran in Oklahoma but never heard of that railroad. After doing a bit of research
it seems it was originally in Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Looks like the Rock
Island Railroad bought it in 1902. That would be when Rock Island still had
their line into Ardmore -- hence one of the CO&G cars would wind up here. The
main passenger station (which most people called the Santa Fe Station) is still
standing and was built sometime around 1916. On the opposite side of Santa Fe
side the Rock Island logo is still on the side of the building. The tracks have
long since been removed. Santa Fe did a swap for the Frisco tracks in Ardmore
sometime around the 80's. In return for the Ardmore property, Santa Fe gave
Frisco their tracks and station in Ada. Any idea on the year of that postcard?"
-John Bagwell
A. 1902 - 1907
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/ArdmoreMillAndElevatorCo.jpg
"This is a picture of a Wilson elementary school group of children approximately 8 years old between the years 1931 - 1933. If anyone recognizes any of the children in this picture, please contact me." -Mindy Taylor mindyltaylor@att.net
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/WilsonSchoolsAround1932.jpg
The Daily Ardmoreite
April 27, 1972
EARLY DAY PHONE SERVICE IS RECALLED
Mrs. Foy Heron of Ardmore, the former Ruby Ball, sent in for our Ardmore history files two old photos showing her father, the late John A. Ball, working as an early days telephone service man. He apparently was among the first, if not the one first, telephone worker here. He retired in 1936 with credit for 40 years of service, and this would date his beginning in the phone business back to 1896. He started with Ardmore's infant independent phone company and stayed on when Southwestern Bell took over late on. The old photos are printed with this Notebook, one showing that the first service vehicle was a horse and buggy, and that a few years later they had one of the first motorized vehicles. We don't have actual date of either photo, but the time would be early 1900's.
After foy Heron, who brought in the old photos, mentioned that John Ball was a longtime friend of John Gauntt who developed the Lone Grove Telephone Company in early days, we called Royce Gauntt, head to today's Independent Chickasaw Telephone Company which has headquarters on corner of Grand Boulevard and G. Street NW. Royce remembered some of the facts, having been around the local telephone business almost all his life, and he contacted the telephone association offices in Oklahoma City for more information.
What we found out was that Ardmore's first telephone system began service in 1898. It was called the Interstate Telephone Co., and it was owned by Dr. A. J. Wolverton and Clarence A. Ross. Before that fist year was over, the name was changed to the Ardmore Electric Co. In 1900, the name was changed to the Chickasaw Telephone Co. as shown on the back of the service buggy in the old photo. In 1911, the Chickasaw Co. was absorbed into the Pioneer Telephone and Telegraph Co. one of the predecessors of Southwestern Bell in Oklahoma. Then in 1917, Pioneer and Southwestern Bell merged and Ardmore has been a "Ma Bell" town ever since.
Royce doesn't know the year that Lone Grove, nine miles west of Ardmore and older than Ardmore, got its first phones, but his father, John Gauntt, traded for the little company in 1910. Before 1910, the Lone Grove Telephone Company was owned by the late Cole Johnson. It was in 1909 that John Gauntt said Cole Johnson a team of mules on credit to be paid for the following year. There was a crop failure or something that year and Johnson didn't have the money to pay, and gave Gauntt the telephone company for the team of mules. The company was operating 35 phones at that time. Royce said his father operated the phone system out of his farm home north of Lone Grove for many years. The little Oil City Telephone Co. to the west was combined with the Lone Grove system.
Royce changed the name and established the present Chickasaw Telephone Co. In 1956, and has expanded it until it now serves in seven Southern Oklahoma counties. These counties are Carter, Love, Stephens, Murray, Johnston, McClain and Garvin. The investment of a team of mules in 1910 has led to far bigger business than John Gauntt could have imagined back then.
Our thanks to Foy and Ruby Heron for the old photos and to Royce Gauntt for help on the telephone history.
(There are two pictures included with this article that printed out to dark to see very well. If you would like to see the pictures you can pull up microfilm and look at it. I wonder where these old pictures are now.)
Museum Memories
Compiled by Melinda Taylor
The Wilson News
February 2, 1917
NEW MANAGEMENT FOR YALE THEATER AIRDOME MAY BE ERECTED FOR SUMMER PATRONS
The Yale Theater is to have a new manager, Adolph Honegger, of Adolph and Raymond, the high-class acrobatic team that played here last November, will take charge of the playhouse in March. For the summer months a ventilating system will be put in or an airdome erected for the convenience of his summer patrons. Later a modern and up-to-date theater will be built that will accommodate all kinds of shows.
Mr. Honegger began his career as a show man when quite young. His first work was with a circus, where he soon developed into one of the best ground acrobats in the country. Then going into vaudeville he appeared in the largest theaters in America, Europe and Australia. Mr. Honegger's work brought him to New Wilson and being favorably impressed with the town he decided to locate here.
Mr. Honegger has one year lease on the theater with the privilege of renewal. Many surprises are promised the amusement seeking people of New Wilson.
POWER HOUSE BEING BUILT
Carter Oil Company is building a power house and other buildings to house their
supplies on the Rogers' farm. They are also erecting a number of tenant houses
for their employees.
WHM - Wilson Historical Museum
http://www.wilsonhistoricalmuseum.org/
In 1978 when I was working at the
ambulance service here in Ardmore, I met a patient whose words have been with me
all these years. He was a local businessman diagnosed with cancer. As the months
went by his condition worsened. His family had heard about some miracle drug
derived from apricot seeds, and as a last resort decided to try it. Once a week
for several weeks one of his employees would make the 1,400 mile round-trip
drive to Mexico to buy this miracle drug. It didn't help, and he soon lapsed
into a coma. In this comatose state I transported him in the ambulance to the
hospital one evening about 8pm. At this particular evening the ER was very busy.
Every room had a patient waiting to see the doctors and people were even
standing in the waiting room for lack of a place to sit. I pulled up at the ER
door, and as we started through those automatic doors, all of a sudden he raised
up from the stretcher and with a voice so loud it could be heard all over the
floors and said "God, the eternal circle". His voice echoed down the hallways,
and startling everyone. People stopped whatever they were doing, nurses and even
doctors came out of the emergency rooms to look, others emerged from the
doorways, and for a moment you could hear a pin drop in that emergency room. I
do not know the reason, but maybe this businessman had a message for someone.
When You Come Back To Me by Garth Brooks 2000
"There's a ship out, on the ocean
At the mercy of the sea
It's been tossed about, lost and broken
Wandering aimlessly
And God somehow you know that ship is me
'Cause there's a lighthouse, in the harbor
Shining faithfully
Pouring its light out, across the water
For this sinking soul to see
That someone out there still believes in me
There's a moment we all come to
In our own time and our own space
Where all that we've done, we can undo
If our heart's in the right place
On a prayer, in a song
I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on
Raining down, against the wind
I'm reaching out 'til we reach the circle's end
When you come back to me again"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES2EoVBx9G4
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Bells of Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells:
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm's Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
American Flyers Memorial
Fund - Administration Webpage
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/crash66.html
Official American Flyers
Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force
Base Website
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/airbase/
Carter County
Government Website
http://cartercountyOK.us/
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