This and That Newsletter

For weeks Chuck Stallcup has been working on the Carter county schools overlay for use in Google Earth. This week the first release is available for download. I can not stress enough the wonderful piece of history Chuck has made available just for the asking. All made possible through this great technology we have at our fingertips today and the many of you out there who responded to Chuck's plea for help. It will be invaluable for generations to come, long after we reading this today are gone from this earth. Thanks Chuck and all who contributed.

Below is an email I received this week from Chuck with some info and basic instructions on the new schools overlay:

When the program and overlay are installed, it will immediately take you to an overview of Carter County with the placemarks for the school visible. On the left side of the screen, you will see a box with a red bar at the top, labeled PLACES. In that box, look for a folder called TEMPORARY PLACES. Just under that you will find "Carter County Schools", with a small arrow (triangle) pointing to the right. Click on that arrow and it will open another line that will also say "Carter County Schools". Then click on that arrow and you will see a list of the schools.

Below is a link to the overlay file, just RIGHT CLICK on this link and save to your computer. If you already have Google Earth installed on your computer, hopefully you can just double click on the file and it will automatically run Google Earth and load the overlay.

Note: if you have problems getting Google Earth setup, or getting the overlay installed, send Chuck or I an email.

To give everyone an idea what the overlay looks like, I made a screen shot using my favorite freeware program Screen Hunter. The pic does not do the overlay justice at all. There is so much more to it..... clicking on the names, reading about the schools, learning about their histories, looking at the photographs and more.

David Cathey (from Pauls Valley) was recently over in Eastern Oklahoma (actually the lodge is located just over into Arkansas) and took some pics where they spent the night at the Wilhelmina State Park. It's where a lot of people travel in the Fall to see the beautiful Fall foliage. The park and lodge are located 13 miles west of Mena, Arkansas.

David Cathey wrote: Butch, been a while since I wrote and shared some photos. I recently did a little honeymooning of my own. The wife and I took a short honeymoon getaway to Queen Wilamina Lodge near Mena, AR. This is an interesting and beautiful place, and a favorite haunt of mine. I've been over to the lodge a number of times over the years for meals, but rarely staying there. This time we spent the night in a gorgeous room. The lodge has an interesting history, first being built in 1898 by the Kansas City and Gulf railroad as a stop over for the high society from the east on the rail line from Kansas City, MO to Port Arthur, TX. Here is a little history I snagged from the park's website:

"The grand opening of the inn came on June 22, 1898. Soon, Wilhelmina Inn became known as the "Castle in the Sky." The grandeur of this renowned mountaintop inn with its breathtaking scenery, fine accommodations and exquisite service, however, was to last only a few short years. Less than three years after the opening of the lodge, the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad, facing enormous financial troubles, was sold to what is now the Kansas City Southern Railroad. With the new owners in place, the lodge was abandoned by its former owners and languished into disrepair. Although the lodge did not close permanently until 1910, its heyday had too quickly come to a close. The building fell into decay."

"By the 1930s, only remnants of the original structure's stone fences and fireplaces remained standing, starkly silhouetted against the sky. The year 1940 brought a brief respite and renewed hope for the now desolate building. Earnest Rolston, a professor from Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, decided to create a summer music school using a portion of the inn. The idea was good, but unfortunately the timing was not. The beginning of World War II in 1941 ended any further attempt to restore the old ruins."

"After the decade of the 40s, the 1950s brought renewal into sight. The war years had brought a travel awareness to the many men and women who had served in the Armed Forces. The growth of America's travel and tourism industry was now on the horizon. In light of this, State Senator Landers Morrow and other community leaders created Resolution 17 to create a new state park on the site where Wilhelmina Inn reigned over the Ouachita Mountains. Act 76 was passed by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1957. Plans were soon underway to construct a new lodge on the site of the original inn."

"Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the second inn opened its doors on June 22, 1963. Although less grand than the original hostelry, this lodge contained 17 guest rooms and a restaurant. Occupying the same site as the first inn, the second structure was built with some the rockwork still remaining from its predecessor. Operated for 10 years by the State of Arkansas as an Arkansas State Parks lodge, the facility was a popular travel attraction until, on the evening of November 10, 1973, a fire that began in the kitchen area destroyed it. Thankfully, there was no loss of life, but the building was totally destroyed."

"To carry on this grand lodging tradition atop Rich Mountain, Arkansas State Parks lost no time in constructing a new lodge on the site, opening a new $3 million dollar state park lodge in 1975. Today, this lodge is the crowning attraction of Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Within walking distance of the lodge are a park amphitheater, playground, campground with 40 sites and a modern bathhouse, and hiking trails. To add to the park's summer season offerings, two private concessions operate a miniature train ride and a rehabilitation center for species native to Arkansas. Queen Wilhelmina State Park remains as it has always been--the crowning glory of the Ouachitas. Come experience this royal retreat high atop Rich Mountain."

The following is a photo of Jefferson School in SE Ardmore taken around 1948. The picture was sent in by Jerry Brown in CA.

I have found a freeware program for the more serious T&T searcher besides the PicoSearch on my website. Its called Harddisksearchandstats. It is a program that you download (no install required) on your computer, a very small program, and it will allow you to search your hard drive or a certain Folder on your hard drive for a word or phrase or group of words. I suggest just creating a Folder on your hard drive called Search, and download the file to there. The file must be unzipped into that folder.

Or two more examples, (enter both words on one line in the search box) your looking where the game mumbly peg was mentioned in a T&T. Since 1997 the search results shows that mumbly peg is only mentioned in one issue, in March 2005. Or a search for Convict Hill on turns up one T&T where its talked about by a Reader...... on October 25, 2003.

What I did on my computer was create a Folder called "Newsletters" and I placed in that Folder all my T&T newsletter files from my website. It is really easy to do this, just go to my website where all the back issues are listed, right-click on one and SAVE it to you computer in a Folder.

I have a fairly new gasoline lawnmower, the push type, and it will only run for a few seconds. Probably needs a diaphragm kit. Does anyone know of a someone in the Ardmore area that repairs lawnmowers? When I was a kid it seemed like there were signs out all around town..... "LAWN MOWER REPAIR". Only two or three now in the phone book. Things change.

Weather permitting, Jill and I are planning to travel west Saturday to Ringling and look around. I've heard they have a 'newspaper' museum on Main Street with all the old newspapers of the Ringling Eagle owner who died a year or are so ago. Also, if anyone knows of where to find a great hamburger in Ringling, let me know.

"Hello, my name is Barry Smith. I grew up at Reck and would love to know any history anyone may have on the area including pics. I was in the Gainesville outlet mall a few years ago and stopped by the store there that sells Indian headdress' and all kinds of Indian artifact, I dont know if that store is even there anymore, but anyway, there was an Indian looking fellow working there that day and I just happened to have an arrow head in my pocket that I had found at Reck. I pulled the arrowhead from my pocket and asked the Indian if he could tell by looking at it which tribe could have made it, he said no and asked me where I had found it. I told him I found it at Reck, Oklahoma, I didnt think he would have any idea where Reck was but he quickly said " Reck?? south of Healdton??" I knew then he must know something... I said yeah thats right and he started naming off Indian tribes that had lived in the area unfortunately I cant remember the names of the tribes but I dont believe they were the five civilized, they were smaller less known tribes. But he said the tribes from that area feuded a lot with tribes near Healdton. It was pretty interesting talking to him. My grandparents moved to Reck in the mid 40's, they bought a two room home from a man named J.E. Edson. I have looked for info on him on the net and have found nothing. My grandparents home, now where my mother lives, is just a little over a mile north of Reck cemetery on the west side. I'm not sure where the school or post office was from there. I would love to know at what time Reck was first settled, I imagine it was late 1800's ?? Any info at all you could send me I would greatly appreciate. I have also been searching the web for Red River history, I go fishing every chance I get at Leon and while I'm waiting for my pole to bob I like to imagine what it must have looked like to see barges passing by, cowboys crossing with a herd of cattle, or even Spaniards and Frenchman marching across. Anyway I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you." -Barry the_rednecks@sbcglobal.net

April 18 - A large audience witnessed the baptizing last Sunday afternoon at Dr. Darling's bathing pool. Those baptized were Mr. and Miss Baker, Eva and Marle DeMent, Mesdames Hill, Van Doren, Dowdy and Gardner. These were converts from the revival meeting recently held at the Methodist church. Mr. Gilliam did the baptizing.

Two history scrapbooks are to be compiled on the ghost towns of Cornish and Hewitt by Mary Wilson and Melinda Taylor. If you would like to contribute, please send us pictures (or good copies of pictures) of the towns, buildings, and people along with newspaper articles, stories or biographies. Please send Cornish items to Mary Wilson P. O. Box 258, Lone Grove, OK 73443 and Hewitt items to Melinda Taylor 723 Hewitt Rd. Wilson, OK 73463 -Submitted by Mindy Taylor

"Met some folks from Ardmore in my hometown of Hope, Arkansas, and I told them I played baseball there in the summer of 1957, under Manager J. C. Dunn. They advised me get in touch with you. I am wondering if you have in your archives anything about the 1957 team. We won the league championship that year, which was the last year of the Sooner State League. I enjoyed Ardmore very much; have not been back since 57 but am thinking about coming your way in the near future. I would appreciate your response on this very much." -Wayne Johns ewj@arkansas.net

"Singing In The Rain" 1952

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feeling
I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
'Cause the sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love

Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face

I'll walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
'Cause I'm singing
Just singing in the rain