This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 22  Issue 1,106     Circulation 5,000      April 5, 2018
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-490-6823

 

About 12 years ago I received an interesting email about a lady named Ethel Hindman, the wild woman of the Arbuckle Mountains, and the reason for the name Wild Woman Cave near Turner Falls. Ethel's niece lives in Montana and stumbled across what little info we had on Ethel Hindman and emailed me to share more information on Ethel and the rest of the story:

"Butch, in your story about Ethel Hindman, you said no one knew what happened to her. I know; I’m her niece. She lived well into her nineties and was very active for most of that time. Most of her adult life was lived in Pawhuska, OK, as Ethel Buck. She was widowed at a young age, but raised a son, Jack Buck, by herself. She also helped to raise four of her younger sisters.

 

Aunt Ethel did many other dare devil stunts. She dived off the top of Turner Falls and another falls near Ardmore. She dived off the wing of an airplane into the Ardmore reservoir—twice. A Hollywood producer asked her to come to California to do the stunt for the movies, but she refused. Another woman took her place (and name) and was killed in the dive. That caused a lot of confusion in Ardmore when Ethel visited there later on. People thought she’d risen from the dead.

Her brother produced rodeos, and she often rode broncs. At one rodeo, the story goes, the cowboys were complaining about the viciousness of a particular bull. Lee told them that the bull was so tame that even his sister could ride it. He then rigged the draw so that she’d get that bull, and he bet on her with the other cowboys. Ethel rode the bull, but broke her jaw and lost most of her front teeth in the process. She almost killed her brother when she found out what he’d done.

When she was seventy, she camped at Turner Falls with many of her nieces and nephews. She led us on a long hike to the old home place, worrying the whole time about whether she was tiring us out. That afternoon, we swam in the Blue Hole, downstream on Honey Creek from Turner Falls. While there, she did a number of trick dives from the diving board. Needless to say, everyone in the pool stopped what they were doing to watch her.

Aunt Ethel was a wonderful woman, and we all adored her. I have a newspaper article about her, written by Mac McGalliard, framed and hung on my office wall." -Belva Jones, Frenchtown, Montana

 

Additional info: In Ardmore, Oklahoma, one Ethel Hindman, ranchman's daughter, at the request of cinema photographers and before the marveling gaze of 4,000 yokels admitted at 25 cents each, stood up on the wing of an airplane, leaped into space, curved down 40 feet to cleave the waters of the city lake. The force of the impact split her bathing cap.

 

February 1934

Bessie Oldham, Betty's Funeral Home employee, charged with larceny of $5,500 from that institution, is in the county jail.

February 1958
Lim Roberts says Carl Barrentine is right in his assertion that the famous "last bear killed in southern Oklahoma" was killed in Marshall County, but a Love County man did the killing, and Carter county citizens were witnesses. Lim said the bear likely escaped from a circus or carnival as there was indication it had worn a collar.

February 1958

189 tornadoes reported in Oklahoma last year in what is the greatest number on record. They took 22 lives and injured 55 persons. The Gans, Oklahoma tornado (10 miles west of Ft Smith, AR) which struck January 22nd took the greatest number of lives last year, 10.

Last week I posted a digital recording of a record in the display case at the Michelin Plant. I now have Side A and Side B of the record for listening to. Michelin (Uniroyal back in 1981) gave all the employees the record for Christmas. The songwriter/singer's name is not on the label. Maybe someone out there will remember who sang the song???

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/TheArdmoreWayUniroyal1981.mp4

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/OklahomaCarterCountySong1981.mp4

A granite grave marker I sandblasted last week. Turned out beautiful.

http://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BrettRadfordPaver.jpg

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. No wait, that was another guy. Below is Greg Piper removing about 40 stumps from my property. Did a fantastic job, quick and very reasonable. If you want stumps removed, and no magic wand, then Greg can get'er done.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/PipersLawnCare033018.jpg

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/PipersLawnBusinessCard.jpg

Q.  Where in Oklahoma is a Kayak Park hiding?
A.  RiverSport in Oklahoma City
https://www.riversportokc.org/boathouse-district/adventures/whitewater-rafting/

Q.  In what Oklahoma ghost town can one find the Bond of Friendship monument?
A.  Answer in next week's newsletter

Below is from This and That newsletter archives of April 13, 2006

We had a BBQ lunch at the courthouse this week with the proceeds going to the March of Dimes. The 3 Carter county commissioners provided the meat plus Commissioner Dale Ott smoked the meats in his commercial smoker. Boy, you talk about some good BBQ. Some of the employees provided the condiments and all that made up the BBQ sandwich. Everyone had a great time on their lunch hour and the BBQ was completely sold out before 1pm. It was that delicious!"
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/CourthouseBBQ6a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/CourthouseBBQ6b.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/CourthouseBBQ6c.jpg
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Some of you will remember Bill Uhles of Sulphur giving me a few weeks ago 130 red bricks from the old Sulphur High School after it was torn down. These old red bricks are the right texture and composition to make beautiful pavers or whatever. I tried several kinds of bricks and these from Bill are prefect for sandblasting. Here are 4 brick pavers I made for Bill as a thank you for the bricks. Thanks Bill.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/BillUhlesBrick.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/NovelineNortonBrick.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/KennethSamplesBrick.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/OtisShieldsBrick.jpg
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"Butch, I was raised at 226 7th NW and during the fifties I spent many hours riding the the hitch on 7th at B. The ring was my saddle and the concrete post was my horse. I rode many miles and chased cattle and caught outlaws right there on that corner. I'm sorry that some creep stole the ring." -Johnny Williams in Grevette, Arkansas
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/HitchingPost6b.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/HitchingPost6a.jpg
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"Davis Grocery WAS on C Street Northwest. Cross Timbers Hospice, 207 C NW, is now in that building."
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Stag Bar has been placed on the Most Endangered Places list for Oklahoma.
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....

"Hi ya Butch. Your write up on the Cookson Hills was good to see. I grew up in those hills as a young boy and have been back many times to visit family there. As a young boy an old Cherokee man would tell us about Pretty Boy Floyd coming by his house and paying him for food and clothing. Don’t really know for sure if this was ever true or not but he kept us interested for a while about it. The Cherokee people are very interesting tribe if you can find the older ones with their stories. I never did meet any one by the last name Cookson but I have seen their names on Facebook and so on. I miss my little store I grew up in on the lake and hills but it is still there and hope to visit again this June." -Billy G McBride Jr.
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From my aunt's Diary: "April 6, 1943 Tues. Me & Mama rode the mail hack to Ardmore. We went out to Gene Autry to see the new Army Air Base. We rode the bus home." -Carol West Wise
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Butch, Reference maps of Carter County question,
https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, is one of the top in the world for
maps.

Also, try the Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/maps/collections/

https://www.loc.gov/maps/?fa=subject:maps&q=oklahoma

Carter County maps
http://www.okhistory.org/

Carter County 1917. CLICK HERE

Emil Levine
AHS 1955
Captain, USNR, RET
Masters Library Science
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Re: Danny Thompson's query about Rocky Point. According to Oklahoma Place Names, "Rocky Point, present Lebanon in Marshall county. Post office established October 22 1878 and name changed to Lebanon, February 17, 1882." -Argus Stilley
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1904 when Oklahoma was Indian Territory....
April 13, 1904 Andrew Hanush hit by train at Durwood, IT
April 20, 1904 Joseph Suddeth of Coweta, IT blown to atoms by bomb planted in field.
April 22, 1904 John See of Healdton, Oklahoma killed by lightning
April 24, 1904 6 killed by cyclone at Prior Creek, IT and 3 Killed at Fairland, IT
May 5, 1904 William Sheffield, wife and two children slain at Valliant, IT
May 10, 1904 Contract let to Fraley Bros for $9,985 to construct a new Ardmore City Hall of brick
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Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen. –Orhan Pamuk

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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