This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 11 Issue 545 Circulation 5,000 July 5 , 2007
Ardmore, Oklahoma
I received an interesting email this week from a Terry Witt. Terry was suppose to be on that ill-fated American Airlines plane that crashed NE of Ardmore in 1966, but because of a mix-up in orders, he and some others in the photo below did not fly with the rest of them out of Fort Ord, CA. The photo was taken just a month before the plane left CA for the airbase at Ardmore. On the photo Terry had the following names handwritten in. Not knowing then what he knew today, there may be mispelled names, etc. of the list.
First Row: John Jones, James ------ , Robert Neuman, Lydaln, MickellsonSecond Row: Lewis, Richard Griego, Martinez, Lichman, Lt. Weekly, Corp Spears, Dolecki, William------, Voght, Beltz
Third Row: Padilla, Altman, Brimm, Wooden, Frear, Stallbaum, Garcia, Hilts, Holt, CockranFourth Row: Browen, Terry Witt, Savoie, Zepada, O Hanlon, Anderson, Edwards, Hinebaugh, unk, unk, Mitchell Lindenberg, Akins
Fifth Row: Hawkins, unk, Vaughn, unk, Salbana, Williamson, Santana, Stroud, unk, Lovender, DawkinsSixth Row: Smith, unk, Burns, Cobbel, unk, Lemuel Wills, unk, Boyum, Brakket, Taylor
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/AFgroupMarch_1966b.jpg
Also Gary Simmons ran across a 1975 photo of Reed Pigman, the president of American Flyers and reported pilot of the airplane on April 22, 1966. (see more in the Mailbag below)
Charles Smith sent in a video of Lake Murray's spillway running over last Sunday. I have put the video on my YouTube for viewing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_KnTi-bpck
Oklahoma Centennial......
Oklahoma is not only the home of Ado Annie and Aunt Eller from "Oklahoma!" but of the parking meter (invented in OKC) and the shopping cart (invented in Ardmore).
The electric guitar also was invented in Oklahoma, by a Beggs musician named Bob Dunn. The first "Yield" sign was installed in Tulsa.
Environmental Protection Agency recognizes Oklahoma as having the most diverse terrain of any state in the nation. The state, according to EPA, boasts 11 distinct eco-regions.
The state has more man-made lakes than any other state, which give us more than a million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined.
The Sooner State has produced more astronauts than any other state in the union. Owen Garriott is an Enid boy, of course, while Tom Stafford is from Weatherford, Shannon Lucid from Oklahoma City, William Pogue from Okemah and the late Gordon Cooper from Shawnee.
Oklahoma is home to the Amateur Softball Association and Hall of Fame, and more F4 and F5 tornadoes than any other state.
Oklahoma is the third-largest gas-producing state in the nation and ranks fourth in the production of wheat, cattle and calves, fifth in the production of pecans, sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches.
Oklahomans practice 73 major religions. The largest is the Southern Baptist Convention, with nearly 1,600 churches and more than 960,000 members.
Oklahoma gave birth to Dick Tracy (cartoonist Chester Gould is a native of Pawnee) and Donald Duck (Clarence "Ducky" Nash, the original voice of Walt Disney's Donald, grew up in Watonga).
I haven't spoke about my Tel3 Long Distance in a long time. Just wanted to say its alive and well, and when I don't use my cell phone to make long distance calls, I always use my Tel3 and at 1.9 cents a minute, its a real money saver 24/7. Ardmore has a local access number, 798-4380, which I call first, then dial my long distance number. If you dont have a local access number in your area, its cost 2.9 cents a minute using Tel3's toll free 800 number.
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
MAILBAG
"Wrestler Danny Hodge (mentioned in the T&T vol. 11, issue 544, June 28, 2007) was at OU the one year I attended that University. I did not see it myself, but, it was said that if you handed Danny a new pair of pliers, he could grip them one handed and break off at least one side of the tool. Obviously, a young man of considerable strength." -Harold Burton, Ardmore, OK
"Dear Doug, Hi! Hope all is well. A few years ago you help me with ancestors in Ardmore. Now, I found out I have other ancestors related in another tree to Ardmore. I was hoping you could help me find info on William Riley Archer, he was sometimes known as Riley. I have found out that he was the first Street Commissioner. He was married to Katheine Elizabeth Archer. William died 20 Nov 1911 born Jam 1834. Any info you can find would be great. I appreciate your time. Thank you." -Leni
"This was my first time on youtube but here is a video I sent of water flooding Lawton, Oklahoma last Friday. The water was going under a 12 foot drainage ditch and it could not keep up with the amount coming down stream." -Doug Williams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is54Ba2_UWs
"Hi Butch, Thanks for the pics/website. If you’re ever in Amarillo, go to the Coyote Grill. I believe it’s south of I-40 on Grand. We stopped at the Texas Tourism and asked where to get a good burger. My husband and I love burgers. It’s a dump, but you’ll stand it line. They close around 2 then open again for supper. Hope you can make it." -Joe and Judy, Del City
"The camera was made by the Eastman Kodak Company and I think that you will find a separate opening on the back along with a pointed (like a pencil) scriber to write on the film negative itself to "title" the photo in order to make a picture postcard. The 116 size film was (I think) the same size as the 616 film except for the size of holes in the spools that the roll-film was contained on. I have a similar camera. They were made in the 1920s to '30s era and were quite popular at that time but for the most part were made obsolete with the introduction of the Bantam (using 35mm film) and the Baby Brownie that used 127 size film. All of these were sold as a replacement (or in addition to) the standard "Box Brownie" which also used the 116, 616 film in addition to those that used 120 or 620 size roll film, or a sheet film sold in packs (my dad had one of the latter) and each time a picture was taken, you would pull out a sheet of paper and tear it off which in turn would pull a sheet of film from the picture area and would leave the next sheet ready to be exposed for the next photograph. The original advertising for George Eastman's "Brownie" cameras showed an elf-like creature (known as a "brownie") inside the box painting a picture on the film as you opened the aperture. Eastman's first slogan was "You take the picture.......we'll do the rest" (I think)." -Roy Kendrick
"Butch, That swamp water is Duck Weed." -Grover Wells http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/LoveCountySwamp7a.jpg http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/LoveCountySwamp7b.jpg
"Tell Dwane to go to Dunn's Fish Farm site. He can find out exactly what the plant is. They have a very complete section on water plants with color photos." -Bill
"Butch, The pictures submitted by Dwane Stevens of the growth in the ponds is of Lemna Minor, or Lesser Duckweed. There are several species of duckweeds existing native throughout the world of which this is the most common in North America. It is very useful in nature, a high-protein plant that makes excellent foof for fish, waterfowl and wildlife. It has also proven useful to science for genetic experimentation and for assessing the health or pollution levels of watersheds and other natural environments. The European space program has even experimented with duckweed as a possible food source for extended stays in outer space. It is already being used for organic sewage treatment and purification of agricultural wastewater. Duckweed grown in pools of sewage are not toxic and can be skimmed or processed as food for farmed fish or livestock, or it can be used as fertilizer mixed with soil. Below is a web site about Lesser Duckweed." -Joh Gaineyhttp://www.paghat.com/duckweed.html
"Butch, Today I scanned the places listed in your "Hamburger Highway" and discovered one missing that serves some of the very best hamburgers I've ever eaten. Like you, I love a good hamburger and in fact, often refer to your recommendations when traveling to certain areas. You may or may not want to include this in your list of recommendations but people traveling to the Wichita Falls, (TX) area and wanting a good hamburger will not go wrong by stopping at Pat's Drive Inn, 400 Scott St. Pat's is an institution in Wichita Falls (I think they've existed for about 40 or 50 years. The wife and I discovered them after moving to Henrietta (TX) from Duncan about 17 years ago. Since then, we've often ate there because they serve one of the best burgers around. If I remember, the next time we go into Wichita Falls, I'll take along my digital camera and take pictures to send you." -Jim Bramlett, Henrietta, TX
"Butch- This early picture of the late Reed Pigman, President, American Flyers, appeared in Aviation Quarterly, Volume 1, No. 4, 1975. He is standing beside a Rearwin Instrument Trainer, used in his pilot training school. The Instrument Trainer was basically a modified Rearwin Cloudster with seating in tandem so that student and pilot had a full instrument panel. The Rearwin Aircraft Company was begun in 1928 in Salina, Kansas. They were involved with military gliders early in WWII and sold to Empire Ordinance (Commonwealth Aircraft, Inc.) in 1942. At the time of the publication, several models of Rearwin aircraft could be viewed at the Airpower Museum, Blakesburg (Ottumwa), Iowa. The museum is still active. A fly-in and display of antique aircraft is held each year at the all grass airfield." gsimmons@brightok.net
"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." -Henry Ford
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Oklahoma Bells: http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
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 schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website.
Feel free to forward this free newsletter. Mailouts: over 1,500.
To be removed from my T&T mailings, just send me an email.
I do not sell, trade or give my mailing list to anyone for any reason.
