Interesting email I received
this evening. Maybe some of you have an idea or comment?
"I have been reading your newsletter and note with interest
the move of engine 1108 apparently to the old Santa Fe depot location.
Seems like several years ago
you mentioned the old metal timetable that was on the outside brick wall of the
railroad depot and wondered what happen to it.
I have it.
How that came about is an
interesting story. I grew up in Ardmore and hung around the railroad station in
the late 50s and early 60s. I left Ardmore when I graduated from High School in
1965, but came back from time-to-time.
As it turns out, I was in
Ardmore that afternoon in October 1979 when the last run of Amtrak passenger
service left Ardmore. One of the Santa Fe employees started to unscrew the time
table from the wall and I asked what they were going to do with it.
"Throw it in the junk pile,"
I was told. At that point, I asked if I could have it. To my surprise, it was
given to me.
I stored it my mothers house
on D Street SE for many years. After she died in the mid 80's , I cleared out
her house and moved it to the Dallas area where I kept it in several different
storage spaces, garages and offices.
I had plans to put that up
on a wall in my office, but the dang thing was so heavy I gave up on that
project. I thought I would put it on a wall at my house, but again the weight
and size of made it impossible to display.
It is now in my garage
gathering dust.
It seems like this might be
an appropriate time to get it back to where it belongs. After 37 years, maybe it
is time to bring it home. Any ideas or comments are appreciated." -John
September 1956
A second Carter County Deputy
Sheriff, James Woodley, was fired here Saturday, and charges with embezzlement
of a delinquent tax check following a preliminary state auditor's report of
misuses of county funds. His indictment came close on the heels of another
charge naming former undersheriff Leroy Baker, who was charged with embezzlement
Friday afternoon.
October 1932
Jasper Horton, 25, was charged with
taking Jasper Gettle's horse from its hitching post during the fair last week
and spend a week in the county jail before escaping Saturday night. Horton was
found dead on his mother's farm on Monday. He had a .410 shotgun in his hand.
Burial was in Hennepin.
Big Beaver bridge at Waurika,
Oklahoma.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/BigBeaverBridgeWaurikaOK2.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/BigBeaverBridgeWaurikaOK.jpg
Duncan, Oklahoma high school
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/DuncanHighSchool.jpg
Leon, Oklahoma school
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/LeonOklahomaSchool.jpg
Hobart, Oklahoma 1908
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/HobartOK1908.jpg
One of several bricks I sandblasted this
week.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BootsPaver.jpg
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 is Oklahoma's official
state insect?
A. European honey bee
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/BEES/euro_honey_bee.htm
Q. Where is the oldest burning light bulb in Oklahoma?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That
newsletter archives of November 9, 2002
A couple of weeks ago we talked about U.S.
Deputy Marshal Selden Lindsey (1854-1939) who lived in Ardmore around 1910. I
saw in The Daily Ardmoreite Friday where his daughter, Zoma Lindsey Barricklow,
passed away this week. Zoma Barricklow was 101 years old.
Zoma
on Find A Grave
----------------------------------------------------
"Dear Butch you asked for stories that we
remember about Halloween. Mine is one of the sweetest in memory, not scary at
all. My sister-in-law and I on Halloween night about 1957 I believe took our
children my son and her daughter to trick or treat in the neighborhood. Mike (my
son) was just three years old and since he was so small and the trick or treat
bag was hard for him to carry we gave him a small brown candy sack and I carried
his larger one. We stopped at our first house and the lady leaned over to put
candy in Mike's sack he turned and looked at me standing on the walk in front of
the house and said "My mommie has a sack too!" He is now 48 years old and still
looks out for MOMMIE. What sweet memories. Thanks for letting me share mine."
-Pat
----------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch, Thank you very much for all you
do. Your T&T is a treat. I was raised in the Jones Oil Camp 1 mile east of
Dillard and went to school in Wilson. I remember all my friends from Dillard,
Rexroat and Wilson who are on my mind all the time. I remember all the huge
machinery and old methods used in the oil fields there and memories are
refreshed every week in your T&T. Again thank you and all the folks that write
in. I now live just north of Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and get to "go home
to Oklahoma" every friday night. Best Wishes." -Jack Lake in Missouri
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I do believe Horse apples come
from the tree called Osage Orange. I read an article recently that the Hedge
apples scattered around the foundation of your home would repel scorpions. Now
wouldn't that be great."
----------------------------------------------------
"When you mentioned Halloween stories, I
have one I'll never forget. Living in rural Love county, we knew everyone in the
community, so we really had to "dress-up" to fool anyone. (No store bought
costumes in those days) My mom always dressed up also so my sister and me
wouldn't be recognized and she'd park the car in a dark spot so people couldn't
see it. Well, the time I remember most, Mom dressed as an old woman, with a
nylon stocking pulled over her face which distorted all her features and even
scared us. At one house, the people had no sense of humor and were not always
glad to see trick or treaters, but they did open the door for us and Mom went in
first while my sister and me stayed on the porch watching through the window.
Back then a lot of people had beds in the front room as did these folks. Of
course, they had no idea who Mom was other than some crazy person in their
house. Mom got up on the bed and started jumping up and down and singing some
crazy song. Needless to say the looks on their faces was PRICELESS!!! My sister
and I didn't know whether to die from laughter or embarrassment. It's just one
of those things I'll laugh about forever. Oh, and we had one lady that fixed
popcorn balls every year as you said your mom did. I looked forward to those
more than any other treat." -DDollar
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, some info on the refinery in
Ardmore, the first refinery was called Cameron Refinery, then Wirt Franklin
Refinery, Ben Franklin Refinery, Bell Oil Refining Company, Vickers Refinery,
Total Petroleum Inc., do not know the dates it changed hands each time."
----------------------------------------------------
"Hello Butch, I just wanted to show you
what the cars looked like when I lived at 533 Carter S.E. That's me on the
right." -Lee Wages, Ft Worth, Texas
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/leewas2.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"About those horse apples... Daddy calls
them "Bo-dark" apples and Mother says they keep bugs out of the house. She has
them hidden in corners and around the porch at their lake house at Buncombe
Creek. I was interested in them and did a little research last year. They are
actually from the "Bois d'Ark" tree, which was used to make crossbows - good
flexible wood I suppose. Some people also refer to them as "Osage Oranges". When
we were kids, we used to bean each other with them when we played outside...
OUCH! Once when we were camping out at Lake Murray, Daddy had (finally!) gotten
the tent set up and sat down under a bo-dark tree to rest. The dang horse apples
kept falling on him! So he kept moving his chair, but they kept coming. We
finally saw a squirrel up in the tree THROWING them at Dad! I guess he didn't
like us setting up housekeeping in his back yard. Speaking of squirrels, Daddy
is a fanatic about keeping them out of his birdfeeder. He hates them! He has
taken to shooting them from the house with one of his grandson's paintball guns!
Hahahahaha!! (The "paint" is actually colored, non-toxic soap!) We know it
doesn't hurt them, because they come back for more! Now he has bright orange and
purple squirrels trying to pilfer his birdseed. Speaking of Buncombe Creek,
there is actually a "Bois D'Ark Road" out there. Some of the most beautiful
houses on that road - I've got my eye on one that just makes me cry, I want it
so badly!
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"I have been reading your newsletter and note with interest the
move of engine 1108 apparently to the old Santa Fe depot location. Seems like
several years ago you mentioned the old metal timetable that was on the outside
brick wall of the railroad depot and wondered what happen to it.
I have it.
How that came about is an interesting story. I grew up in
Ardmore and hung around the railroad station in the late 50s and early 60s. I
left Ardmore when I graduated from High School in 1965, but came back from
time-to-time. As it turns out, I was in Ardmore that afternoon in October 1979
when the last run of Amtrak passenger service left Ardmore. One of the Santa Fe
employees started to unscrew the time table from the wall and I asked what they
were going to do with it. "Throw it in the junk pile," I was told. At that
point, I asked if I could have it. To my surprise, it was given to me.
I stored it my mother's house on D Street SE for many years. After
she died in the mid 80's , I cleared out her house and moved it to the Dallas
area where I kept it in several different storage spaces, garages and offices. I
had plans to put that up on a wall in my office, but the dang thing was so heavy
I gave up on that project. I thought I would put it on a wall at my house, but
again the weight and size of made it impossible to display. It is now in my
garage gathering dust. It seems like this might be an appropriate time to get it
back to where it belongs. After 37 years, maybe it is time to bring it home. I
am not sure who to contact. Maybe some Readers have a suggestion or comment?"
-John
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/ArdmoreTimeable1979b.jpg
1931 group photo of the Ardmore High School football team and listing
of names. -Jim Bridges
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/ArdmoreTigersAndListing1931.jpg
"Hi Butch. I read the bit about horse apples. There are two
things you can do with them: If you are a child, you can stick them with
toothpicks and pretend you are giving "shots". The other thing is to slice them
about 1/4" thick and put them in your cabinets to repel pests. Put them on a
piece of foil as the juice is very sticky. As to Turner falls, my great
grandfather either owned or rented one of the cabins. I believe it was near the
low-water crossing. They had a family reunion there every summer. Unfortunately,
before I can remember it. I have photos of my grandfather Samuel Williams
Francis with me and my cousins there. I believe my great grandfather who had the
cabin was D.F. Ellis. He died in 1934, well before I was born. There was no
kitchen as the cabin was only for sleeping. Cooking was over a campfire. We
still went there when I was able to remember (the 1940s) to wade in the creek,
wash the car in the low-water crossing, and to picnic." -Susan Whitten (born
Francis)
"I too am a lifelong hamburger fanatic and I have to say that if
you're looking for the best burger in OKC and possibly Oklahoma, you have to try
the Choice Cafe at 55th and South Shields. Close by I-35 and well the stop. They
close by about 3pm so you'll have to make it for lunch. You will be
impressed." -Benny Hill
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/ChoiceCafeOKC.jpg
John Lafayette Galt, first mayor of Ardmore, IT 1898. Founder and president of
the Veterans home on South Commerce, Ardmore. Born 1849, Died Dec 21, 1923. age
87.
Wife Ora McGhee Galt, Born July 2, 1862, Died November 9, 1936 age 74.
Both are buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Ardmore, Ok.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/postcards/JohnAndOraGalt110816.jpg
Confederate parade in Ardmore 1902
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/postcards/ConfederateVetsParade1902.jpg
At the link below are 10 more scans of old photographs this week.
-Robert Hensley
http://oklahomahistory.net/postcards
November 11, 1918 - Whereas the
legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to
be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of
Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is
requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag
of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the
people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other
suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all
other peoples."
See everyone next
week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443