This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 22 Issue 1,094 Circulation 5,000 January 11, 2018
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-490-6823
Here it is Thursday evening and it looks like the bullet missed Ardmore as far as predicted snow/ice. We were supposed to get about 1/2 inch, and sure glad it didn't happen. But we did get another blast of ice cold weather, like 32 degrees this afternoon, after a warm 51 degrees this morning. If I live to be 100 I hope I never see snow again. lol
A friend enquired about the auto racetrack that used to be at the coliseum fairgrounds, here is some info I have on it.
A few years ago Ardmoreite Bob Kerr brought by my office a framed photo he had of the race track at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum Fairgrounds. I believe it was there around 1920.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/ColiseumRaceTrack.jpgIn this 1940 aerial of Ardmore sent in last week by Garth Hoard, this area's unofficial cartographer, a Reader noticed something in the very lower right corner.... an oval circle where the Hardy Murphy coliseum is located. That is the dirt racetrack that was located there and talked about along with a pic in the 1987 Ardmoreite centennial edition.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CFN-10-84c-sm.jpg
December 1957
Allie Gibson, mother of Hoot, Dan and Roy, said she bought a Waterbury clock from R. W. Randall when the family was living in Newport. She says it still keeps good time and alarms on both the hour and half-hour.December 1957
Engineer reported seeing a brilliant colored egg shaped object which stalled automobiles in New Mexico at about the same time the Air Force started an investigation into similar reports. One of the report's involved 10 autos stopped on an isolated desert highway between Whitesands and Alamogordo. The engineer, James Stokes, Air Force Missile Development Center, Holloman Air Force Base, said his auto radio faded and died, then his engine stopped.December 1933
J. P. McAuliffle said today the meteorologist at Rockport, Texas northeast of Corpus Christi the damage to the town and shipping from the local tropical hurricane would reach 1 million dollars. A passenger train left Houston last night and was stop by high water. The number of passengers on the train was unknown.A piece of granite I sandblasted the other day. Turned out beautiful.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/CarlJamesKnightMarker.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. Where in Oklahoma is the Skydance Bridge?
A. Oklahoma City
https://www.okc.gov/departments/public-works/resident-community-resources/skydance-bridgeQ. Dinosaur fossils are found in two places in Oklahoma. Where?
A. Answer in next week's newsletter
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of January 11, 2006
A Reader wrote in this week telling about their black sheep of the family. I am always reminded of a story my mother told me in the 60s of our black sheep. She said her brother, Harry Carmon, was our black sheep. About 1950 or before, he stole a car here in Ardmore, and drove it to Madill. While over there, he stuck out his arm to make a left hand turn, and a car coming the other direction side swiped the car and took his arm off. Harry went to prison for auto theft, and died in 1951 across the street from Washington school at my great grandmother's house on H NE. He tried to convince everyone he got on heroin while in prison, because of the need for pain relief from the arm amputation. But my mother said he got on it when they were in Ardmore high school.... he went across the street to the Mulkey Hotel and bought the dope. But on a positive side, friends told me, including my family members, Harry Carmon could sure play a mean saxophone. Who would have dreamed this little child with his 2 dogs by his side would grow up to be our black sheep of the family. -Butch
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/carmon/CarmonHarry1911.jpgThis is our black sheep probably a few years before his death. He died in 1951.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/carmon/CarmonHarry.jpg
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This week I received a song on CD written by Greg Laumbach of New Mexico and it centers on the 1931 shooting of the nephew of the President of Mexico here in Ardmore. Greg has titled the song "What Almost Caused a War". I have not had time to listen to it or anything, but promised to say more next week, and hopefully let everyone hear it from my website.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/rubio.html
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"I need to ask if you can post a query in your newsletter next time. I am trying to find information on Allen Craighead or Craghead who was suppose to be staying in Carter County around 1890-1900. Or if there is any descendants that know him still in that area. If you can't post a question in your newsletter do you have any suggestions on how to find him? I think I have just about exhausted all my avenues. Thank you for your help." -Helen glswings@pacfier.com
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"Butch, My Mother ( Britta Faye Holley ) who was born on the Holley homestead on " Tater Hill " ( 1915 ) used to walk to Provence and ride the Dinky to Ardmore. She was embarresed being from Tater Hill. I know that my Grandfather, Jiles Vaxter Holley, is buried in Provence cemetary and my grand Mother Maude ( Lassiter ) Holley is buried, I guess across the highway in another cemetary....don't know why. Might be the other way around, but I know they are not together. As I have mentioned before , the old Holley cemetary is about now where the new road runs north-south on the east side of Tater Hill. There is a mobile home right on the corner of that new road and it might even be in the yard of that mobile or under the road. I went there as a kid in the '60s and saw the old Holley cemetary and it was east and barely south of the top of the hill. Hey' to all my Kin there.... Need to hear from Joe K. though." -Kirk Holley Smith
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"Butch, In the 1940's a company came to Ardmore, and made a short movie using local "talent". The movie was shown in Ardmore several times. The film was owned by the Lowensteins, owners of the Tivoli and Ritz theaters. Does anyone have a copy of this movie that one could see and copy? It would be fun to see it again. I was one of the "stars" as many Ardmoreites were." -Bill Spearman
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"In 1903, Buck Colbert Franklin and his wife Mollie Parker Franklin moved to Springer, I.T. Both were teachers, and they also farmed. Mr. Franklin studied law via correspondence courses, passed the bar examination, and opened his Ardmore law office in 1908. The family moved to Rentiesville, Oklahoma, in 1912, and later settled in Tulsa. One of their sons is the noted historian John Hope Franklin, now a professor emeritus at Duke University. The information about the family's Ardmore connection comes from Dr. Franklin's recent autobiography, "Mirror to America". One of the photographs in the book is of the Franklin law office located adjacent to the "Munzesheimer & Daube" general store." -Mark CoeNote: Here is a photo of the old Munzesheimer and Daube General Store on Main Street Ardmore
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/mundaube.jpg
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------------------------------------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
Hi Butch, Here is a picture I took of an old Seagrave fire truck in Chickasha, Oklahoma a while back. -Cecil
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/SeagraveFireTruckChickashaOK.jpg
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Steiger Brothers Garage at Marietta, Oklahoma. Maybe some of your readers remember this garage in Marietta and can add more information.-Robert Hensley
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/SteigerBrothersGarageMariettaOK.jpg
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-----------------------------------------------Old Native American observation: White man build big fire and stand far away. Indian build little fire and stand close!"
Butch and Jill Bridges
"Friends Make Life Worth Living"
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vicious 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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