This and That Newsletter
Vol 21 Issue 1,082 Circulation 5,000 October 19, 2017
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-490-6823
April 2002 Issue: "There are a couple of hand dug water wells in Healdton, Oklahoma. One of the wells was recently discovered when workers were building the Nature Trail that's being prepared on the north side of town. It was right in the middle of trail, so its going to be preserved for walkers to see. I bet it turns into a wishing well! The second well is located in front of a house on the south side of Main street just west of the nursing home in Healdton."
I remember Senator Ernest Martin telling me that he and a friend hand dug a well at South Meridian and Myall Road in south Lone Grove when they were very young. I believe he said it was in the SE corner of that intersection. I notice a month ago the property owners at the intersection were clearing of the lot next door to the south, and I have wondered if they ran across anything that looked like an old water well. I need to stop and find out. Maybe some of the bricks are still there as remnants.
October 1962
There are still some moonshine stills operating in Carter County. If you don't believe it at some local constables including Lone Grove Constable Robert Denny. Denny and others discovered 250-gallon still in operation in the wild horse bottom area. Water to operate the stills was obtained from muddy sloughs nearby. The still operators were not found.October 1989
The Golf Depot, a driving range, was recently opened in Long Grove by Tommy and Sharon Pittman.October 1989
Johnny Denny was stricken in August with what later was diagnosed as pyoderma gangrenosom. According to a doctor in Oklahoma City, he is one of only 28 people to contact disease in the world. It is thought Denny contacted the disease from mosquitoes during a camping trip.A couple of the pavers I sandblasted this week.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/JimGravesPaver1.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BlackjackDogPaver.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. Oklahoma born Woody Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter who is regarded as one of the most significant figures in American folk music; his songs, including social justice songs, such as "This Land Is Your Land", have inspired several generations both politically and musically. Where in Oklahoma stands a life size bronze statue of Woody Guthrie?
A. Okemah, Oklahoma
https://roadtrippers.com/us/okemah-ok/points-of-interest/woody-guthrie-statueQ. Where in Oklahoma is a museum with bubble top cars of the future on display?
A. Answer in next week's newsletterBelow is from This and That newsletter archives of October 21, 2005
I stopped in a week ago last Monday around 10am and bought a Steak Sandwich from Ernie's Meat Market at 410 South Washington here in Ardmore. Ounce for ounce, this has to be one of the best deals in Ardmore at $2.99 each. I'm here to tell you this is not just a sandwich, but a manwich. Its big enough to cut in half and share, and both be full. Sure was tasty!
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/SteakSandwich101005.jpg
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RE: Pauls Valley - It wasn't just the pecan pie store, it was a full service restaurant that we stopped at many times for lunch or dinner. Very good food--and they did have the pies for sale. The Field pie factory still exists in the south part of Pauls Valley, on or near Airport Road, and has a sales kiosk where they sell frozen Field's pies. I think it may be under other ownership now. For a while the factory had several other flavors, but they apparently were not as successful and they now appear to make just the pecan pies, which are indeed superior. Their web site is www.fieldspies.comOld Field's store in downtown Pauls Valley.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/FieldsBrosPaulsValley.jpgNote: When I look at the above Field's website, I see Field Spies. lol
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"True, the welders caused a blaze at the old Ardmore Hotel but it wasn't as drastic as reported. Welders, in the process of cutting up and removing the hotel's main water tank (a huge steel gravity tank housed in its separate blockhouse in the top of the building), accidentally ignited some of the wood bracing used to support this tank. The tank's steel plates were being cut up to facilitate removal. The resulting fire, while hot and smoky, was limited to this only and was in a small area of the top floor. It was extinguished without much fanfare. It was not a threatening fire. This occurred in 1963, at the beginning of the renovation of the hotel into Lincoln Center...not in the 1980's as mentioned. Lincoln Bank opened the following February, 1964, upon completion of this remodeling/renovation. Prior to that time, during its life as a hotel, no major changes were made to the structure other than the drilling of a private water well in the basement of the hotel in 1956 during the severe summer drought. It is still there and operable as far as I know."
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"here is the West Side Garage in Sulphur, Oklahoma."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WestSideGarageSulphur.jpg
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"Was looking through your emails and when I saw the email about the railroad I thought I would post a question for all of your readers. I just turned 57 years old and up until I was in my mid 20's I always thought I had some exotic first name. My aunt Juanita was half Cherokee Indian and look full blood. She named me Tarva my mom added Annette. When I finally asked her one day what my name meant in Indian she was quite amused and proceeded to tell the story of my name. She said originally the name would have been for her daughter but she and my uncle only had one son. I was the next to come along and she and my mom were close so my first name became Tarva and mom named me Annette. My aunt told me one evening while on the way home in Miami, Oklahoma they had to stop for the train to pass. She said she counted almost 100 cars that day. One of the cars had the initials T.A.R.V.A. on the side and she liked it. So my dreams of being named after some wonderful Indian princess were pretty much squashed the day she told me I was named after an acronym. Box car Annie I was called...HA! My question to all of you out there is (drum roll): Do any of you know what it stands for? What rail company might have had it on their cars? I wrote a couple of places but no one ever wrote me back. I would really like to know what my name means...hope to hear from someone." -Annette Nickles
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-----------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"I was on South Commerce when I saw, what looked like cars coming down a mountain but, there was no mountain. I stopped and got out of my car, watching these lights going north. I waited to hear their motors, thinking they were helicopters but, no sound was ever heard. 2 or 3 others had pulled over to witness these unusual lights. As they passed overhead, we all kind of looked at each other with befuddled looks on our faces....This was the lights seen in the sky in 1965... My only encounter with the 3rd kind." -Dale
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ufo.html
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"Ref: Your article Ardmoreites Spot Flying objects in Sky Monday, August 2, 1965. During the Korean War I was stationed at Perrin AFB, Austin, Texas. One fall work day I and several other airmen were working outside on the air base. For an unknown reason I looked up into the sky that morning and saw a silvery colored disked shape object flying back and forth right and left in a straight line very rapidly. I learned later it was identified as a UFO. Then it flew to my left. The local paper reported that it flew to the Austin city dump and hovered over it. It was reported by the Austin newspaper that people in the city dump observed it hovering over them. It hovered for a short time. Then suddenly moved to the right and sped very fast out of sight. Every once in while a UFO would be spotted by radar and a standby Air force Jet would chase after it but never could catch up with it due to its tremendous speed. After the cease fire between southern and northern Korea the US Air force ceased chasing UFOs. If someone else remembers this episode let me know." -Elmer
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"This cotton was bought Feb. 27, 1914 by W. R. Flack, Milburn, Oklahoma. Flack store background right. Ellen, present day Milburn in Johnston county Oklahoma. Post office established January 18, 1900 named for Ellen Chapman daughter of prominent resident. On August 17, 1901 name changed to Milburn after W. J. Milburn early day prominent resident." -Robert Hensley
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/MilburnOk1914.jpg
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Old 1914 photograph of New Wilson, Oklahoma (present day Wilson, Oklahoma). -Robert Hensley
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/NewWilsonOK1914.jpg
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Postmarked 1933, writing reads: This is really the results of a great fault when the earth buckled. You can see all stratas to oil bearing sands exposed. The, lowest now on surface is found usually at 3900' here. -Robert Hensley
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/IndianCemeteryArbuckleMountains1933.jpg
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Butch- Regarding a Colvert’s dairy salesman named “Mac”. I went to school with a Jim McGinnis, whose father operated a Colvert’s milk route, when the milk was delivered by a horse and wagon. This would have been in about 1944-1948. It seems to me his father went by the name “Mac” Jesse McGinnis. -Keith Read
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Dear Butch, Attached are three photos I took of the train wreck outside of Ardmore about June 25, 1950. Boy Scouts from Ardmore area were on the train heading to the National Jamboree in Valley Force, PA (June 27-July 4, 1950). The train hit a cow, knocking it ahead where it struck a switch, which partially moved the tracks causing the wreck. Seems Ben Franklin Refinery in the background. I have search for any stories about this on internet and could find nothing. (Note, possibly taken mid July 1953 as Boy Scouts also heading to National Jamboree, Irvine Ranch, CA (July 17-23, 1953).http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/TrainWreck1950a.jpg
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/TrainWreck1950a.jpg
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/TrainWreck1950c.jpg
Emil Levine
Captain, USNR, RET
Kampfeldsiedlung 3
Krumau am Kamp
3543 Austria
43 676 454 4448
emil.levine@a1.net
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." -William Jennings Bryan
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
"Friends Make Life Worth Living"
PO Box 2
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
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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