This and That Newsletter
A Weekly Publication

 www.OklahomaHistory.net

Vol 20 Issue 1025      Circulation 5,000       September 15, 2016

PO Box 2

Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net

580-490-6823


I am excited to announce a project I started 1 year and 10 months ago came to fruition today at Healdton, Oklahoma. I want to thank 14 T&T Readers in Oklahoma and a Reader in California who made it all happen. Without them it would have never came to be. So what is this announcement? Well, I really can't say right now because it only happened a few hours ago, but I will have photos in next week's newsletter. So stay tuned!

August 1932

Following his custom, established the first year he served as a District Court Judge, John B. Ogden issued a formal order for a grand jury to convene in Carter County. Judge Ogden said he had no special investigation in mind and that it would be his purpose to instruct the grand jury to delve into all departments with an eye to ascertaining if everything was in a healthy condition. I felt and have always felt that a grand jury is a good thing for the general welfare of the county and invariably worth more than the money that is spent.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/JohnOgdenDistrictJudge.jpg

John  B. Ogden 1897-1983

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=69735501

August 1956

A thorough search over an 8 square mile area of rugged Arbuckle Mountain foothills Sunday for a 36 year old Milo Negro woman who disappeared August 5th proved fruitless to Sheriff's posse of 35 persons. Zepheriee Stevenson, Milo, is believed to have wandered into the rock and brush county of northwest Carter County from a car park near Chandler Corners, said Sheriff Enoch Watterson. A larger searching party half on horseback, and half on foot will comb that area again today. Air Force and Army authorities have been asked to join in the search with a plane or helicopter.

Ardmore, Oklahoma
1930 Earl's Cafe, 127 West Main
1932 Earl's Cafe, 205 West Main
1939 Earl's Cafe (Opal) 205 West Main, Earl Kesselring, owner
1939 Duke & Ayers 111 West Main
1939 Ritz Theater 117 West Main
1939 Thompson Cafe, 200 West Main
1939 Reavis-Frame Drug Store, 125 West Main
1941 Earl's Cafe, 205 West Main
1946 Priddy's Fine Foods, 205 West Main

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.  Where is the longest river in Oklahoma?
A.  Oklahoma's longest river is the Beaver/North Canadian River (766 miles). The Red River is the second longest (592 miles).

Q.  What is the origin of the largest ancestry group in Oklahoma?
A.  (answer in next week's T&T)

From This and That newsletter archives of September 7, 2002:

In 1999 we first talked about King's Lake east of Ardmore when a Reader in Florida sent me an email telling about going to picnics around 1905. He also sent me a photo of the shuttle that was used to carry ladies to the picnic area at the lake. Here is that email: "Here's a 1905 Shuttle Service for women, to deliver them to King's Lake for the 4th of July festivities in Ardmore. Men are (L to R) Charles Fraley, lumberman and contractor who built the original 4 grade schools, the Confederate Home, and for whom Fraley Park is named; Dr. Julius Herman Peterman, a homeopathic physician (his wife was Carrie, whom I bet you knew); Henry T. Hunt, planing mill owner and father of Herman Hunt Sr, grandfather of the 5 Hunt boys. The horse is Dolly."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/shuttle5.jpg
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This is a 1908 photo of the old red brick Washington School on 5th Northeast here in Ardmore.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wash1908.jpg
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"Hilltop Cafe was there on South Commerce just out of town on the east side of the road because a "car smoke / whistle" thingamagig was put in Jimmy McNutt's old Model A convertible one night in '56 or '57. It wouldn't start when we were about to leave one weekend night so a bunch of us kids started pushing it and the smoke started pouring out and it was a very loud whistle noise then everybody scattered. That was so funny then! I still get a smile and a chuckle out of it." -Thomas Hardy Murphy - Class of '57
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"Hey, Butch...whoever wrote you this week about the skating rink out Whittington Park didn't go into detail! I remember (I was just a child, you understand) the skating rink upstairs and the swimming pool downstairs (the skating rink was above the dressing rooms). The swimming pool had a big round thing in the center you could get on and sit, jump, whatever. I didn't go to the skating rink much but I did go up there occasionally. Whittington Park was a neat place to go as I recall......gosh, that's a long time ago.......... good work this week on TnT as you do every week."
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"Before the cafe on South Commerce was Hilltop Cafe, it was Evelyn's Chicken In The Rough. From the Livestock sale barn going north there was a truck stop gas station (Bell Gas) , then Evelyn's Chicken In The Rough, Then another truck stop gas station (Phillips Petroleum). This was in the 50's. These were on the East Side Of The Road . Hyw 77. Now known as Commerce. Around 1958 or 59 another Truck stop was built on the west side of the hwy. and it was called the Hilltop Truck Stop. It was some time after that, that the name changed from Evelyn's Chicken In The Rough to Hilltop Cafe. Many Of your readers may never have heard of Bell Gas. The refinery is now the Total Refinery. And by the way their emblem was a Bell seems like it was orange colored. Keep up the good work."
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"Hoffman Arms used to be where Lumberman's Mill is at now."
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"In 1966 we were living in Springer, OK and my dad and I went dove hunting, we were in a Volkswagon and we parked on the side of this gravel road (your Magnetic Hill) and got out to shoot dove and we heard gravel crunching and looked and our car was going backwards up the hill we had to run to catch it, the smaller the car the faster it goes, was very spooky as we were the only two on the road, this brought back a lot of memories."
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"Butch, the man who owned the cannon north of Ardmore on 77, was Mr. Jeffers. I don't know what happened to it."
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"My aunt and her husband, John Jeffrey and Monte Worley Jeffrey, lived in the house during the late 30's and early 40's. My aunt passed away in 1940. The cannon was there then. Uncle John worked for Pure Oil at the refinery. I was told that the cannon was to be used in case of a fire in one of the big oil tanks. They would shoot a hole in the side of the tank to get control of the fire. Perhaps a better technique had been developed and the cannon was no longer needed thus it wound up at the house. It may have been there before my aunt and uncle moved there. After my aunt died uncle John remarried and continued to live there."
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"Butch, this guy in California makes bells from gas cylinders (bottles) that you see in any welding shop. They sound pretty good too. I remember seeing a couple in Ardmore in the fifties around a machine shop, maybe a play called Sies or something like that. Really enjoy your writings, keep up the good work." http://www.ImakeBells.com

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"Butch I was looking in a May 1962 Ardmore telephone book and remembered that the Whitehurst Truck Stop used to be across from the Hilltop Cafe. I too could not find Hilltop Cafe in the same phone book. Whitehurst Truck Stop showed an address of Highway 77 South. The only cafe I could find with same address was Bob's Cafe, Highway 77 South, owner Bob MacManahan, CA3-9193 formerly Evelyn's Chicken In The Rough."
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"Hi Butch, To the person who mentioned Jack's Roller Rink at Whittington Park, operated by Mom and Pop Floyd. I skated at least a few thousand miles there. That is where I met my husband. He put his heels together and skated sideways. On Monday nights if you had your own skates you got in for 20 cents. In the Summer we looked out over the swimming pool. I used a shoe ration stamp to get my skating shoes at Klein's on Main Street. I still had them when I sold my house in Ardmore 10 years ago. Had to replace the wheels a number of times. I skated until I was almost 60 years old. Would not have stopped but I moved to Ada and couldn't find anyone to go with me. Went back to Ardmore and skated a few times. Some of the skate boys in my day were Norman and Rusty Cross, Joe Day, C.C. Wilson and Red Coe. Little Cheryl Cochran performed like a professional. Loved to watch Red Coe skate and liked skating with him even more. Jackie Rawls was also a very good skater. There were lots of good skaters including Rusty and Norman. Wonderful memories. Richie Henry wrote a book about the Floyd family and was kind enough to send one to me. Hi, Rich, I know you are reading this."
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"I still would like information on the roundhouse which was located on Frisco Lane in SW Ardmore. I remember all that was left when I was in junior high was the turn table which the Frisco railroad used to turn their A unit engine around. This was several years after they quit using the steam engines. I do remember their steam engines coming in daily from Madill and later in the evening around 6:00 PM the dinky would come in from the east also. At that time they used the depot on Caddo which was torn down a few years ago. Also regarding rr's the Ringling RR had a roundhouse and turntable where the former Montgomery Ward store is located as well as the other shops."

"I read in the Daily Ardmoreite on Wednesday, 9/11/02, that Basil Moran had passed away. I attended Washington School in the late 50's and early 60's and remember Mr. Moran & his store which was north of the school. During lunch (and sometimes after school) my friends and I would go to the store. At lunch we would order the "lunch special"...a bologna sandwich, chips and a pop, all of which costs about a quarter. Mrs. Moran would slice the meat in the electric slicer, spread mayo on the bread and we would have a delicious, freshly-made sandwich. If I remember correctly, there was a wooden porch at the front of the store and we would sometimes sit there and eat. Those were very happy, secure times for us kids. Some of you readers may remember the red container of peanuts that you could buy, some of which had money in it. One of the kids I knew found a dollar bill in one. The most I ever found was a nickel, which back then would buy me a candy bar or bottle of pop - that is until pop went up to 7 cents. Man, I was about ready to give up soft drinks forever. Imagine, going up 2 WHOLE CENTS a bottle. We also bought Lucky Suckers, which would sometimes have a little white strip of paper stuck to the back of the sucker which said "Winner", then you got a free sucker. The cherry was my favorite but I sometimes would get the grape. I had 3 winners in a row one time and Mr. Moran said he'd never known anyone to be so lucky. We'd buy them and take them to the movies with us. Before we bought our movie tickets, we'd stop at Kress and get a nickel bag of popcorn. We also would buy a pop but am not sure if it was at Kress or another store...just remember that we went into the theater with our movie snacks in hand and no one said anything about it. It was okay to bring stuff in to eat back then. Didn't cost you 3 times the price of a ticket to get a box of popcorn, a drink and maybe some candy, like it does now. Anyway, about Basil Moran. His picture was included with his obituary in the paper and he still looked the same, just older."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/moran.jpg
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"Butch, Lots of queries RE: the Hilltop Cafe on south Commerce. My cousin, Bob McClanahan, owned and operated the Hilltop for several years during the '60's. He and his brother, Louis, had quite a successful business there until age and illness overtook them. Bob's wife, Martha, still lives in Ardmore. Best to you." -Sonny
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"Thanks for all your good work Butch. My Dad was Jim Kendrick in Ardmore, and he was a salesman for the Ardmore Milling Co. for 28 years until he died in 1943. Mr Gwyn was the head of the company, and Mr Maupin and Mr Underwood were in the office. The telephone number was 73. Jim travelled in Carter Co., & in the surrounding towns. When gas was rationed in WW 2, he sometimes had to ride the bus to make his rounds."
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....

Cash Grocery. 425 West Main in Ardmore. Sam Parker, owner. "09/09/16: My great grandfather was Sam Parker and owned the Cash Grocery. Also Sam and his son-in-law, Harry Sharkey, owned the Ardmore Potato Chip Co. Sam was also the County Treasurer in 1918 to the middle 1920?s." -Sandy Walton, Wichita, Kansas This is a photo of the store. Bea Parker and Aquilla were Sam?s sons.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/CashGroceryParker.jpg
Butch, I am not from your area or even Oklahoma but I do know a few folks there. I am the past president of Texoma Hamarama. We moved the hamfest to Ardmore from Texoma Lodge in 2008. I believe you attended the hamfest in 2008. I subscribed to your newsletter at that time. We still come up there every October for the hamfest. The dates for this year are Oct 21 & 22. If you have a chance please stop by and say hello. Have the door people call me and I will get you in as my guest. It would be great to see you again. Keep up the good work.

Not being from the Ardmore I know very little about the history there. I really enjoy "This & That". It is fun to read about Ardmore and the surrounding area.

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!

Thanks & 73
Henry, W5TYD
Caddo Mills, Texas
Home 903-527-4163
Cell 214-673-7942
http://​www.texomahamarama.org
"I have a question for ya. In your research have you ever come across a murder of a man in Love County, Oklahoma in the 1930's- a skeleton found in a field, identified at first with the belt buckle found with him? We have uncovered an interesting family plot twist and can't find any information about this man. He may in fact be my great-grandfather. If you have any information I would so greatly appreciate it!" -Kimberly Coleman
"Butch...help... my brother asked me who the Kaiser Fraiser car dealership owner in Ardmore was around 1951 and also the name of the Studebaker dealership that was on 1st Ave and I can't remember. Maybe a Reader might remember them."
RE: Pumping Water to Texas. "Howdy Butch. Greetings. Reference the article about pumping water from the Red River to Dallas, TX during the dry the 50's. I had returned from an 26 month US Army military tour in Japan that has an abundance of water to Gainesville, TX, my home in the spring of 1955. Texas was suffering from a from a severe drought including "Big D. (Dallas) that desperately needed water. Gainesville, TX is located only 7 miles south of the Red River. Someone came up with the idea to pump water via one of the two creeks that flow through Gainesville. It might have been Elm Creek. Red River was tapped and water began to flow to Dallas through the creek. My home was a short distance from the creek. So I made a trip to observe the pumped red water from the Red River flow to Dallas. Finally the rain came and ended the severe drought. I made a special trip to Oklahoma to observe the flow of water over the dam in Oklahoma. I have forgotten the name of the lake that was built by German prisoners confined at Camp Howse located near Gainesville. After the 7 year drought ended Dallas built several lakes. Gainesville built one too just in case another severe drought should occur again." -Elmer West, an Okie originally from Lawton, Oklahoma but residing in San Antonio, TX
"Tip Jacobsons' best team ever was in 1953. They won state, led by Royce McQueen and a bunch of really good guys. I was not on the team but, a lot of great buddies were."  -Dale Young
I found an article in the Daily Ardmoreite from Nov 8, 1949 about a contest to name a new Kaiser-Frazer automobile... it suggested people contact their local dealer for details on entering... the following info was located at the bottom of the Article. -Dennis Bart
ARDMORE
W. A. Green Motor Co.
318 L Southwest

HEALDTON
Baker Motor Company
106 Eighth Street

At the link below are 10 more scans of old photographs this week including Bob and Lizzie, Ruth and Paul Bogie, Mr and Mrs Bomer, Mary Jane Bradford and 6 unknowns.   -Robert Hensley

http://oklahomahistory.net/postcards



"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

...I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
-Robert Frost, Two Roads

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/

All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website.
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