This and That Newsletter

www.OklahomaHistory.net

Vol 13  Issue 650     Circulation 5,000      July 9, 2009

PO Box 2

Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net

580-657-8616 (not a toll free number)


 

Well, Family and friends our vacation for the most part was a real bust.  Three days after arriving home I was told at Tinker AFB that I had a golf ball size kidney stone that needed to be dissolved and if not, then surgically removed.  I spend the better part of the first two weeks drinking fluids and taking medication that finally dissolved the stone.  For the better part of the first week and half home I was urinating blood - not a great start to our vacation.
 
We were finally able to make it down to Ardmore and Davis to put out flowers at Family graves and have lunch with our Cousin Butch and his lovely wife Jill.
 
That was on the 27th of June.
 
Jennifer's boy-friend called on the 28th of June to inform her that his Grandmother died after being removed from life-support down in Floriday (she had been in the Hospital for over two months from a auto accident).  Needless to day, this spoiled our plans for any upcoming travel and visits we were planning.
 
On the 29th of June, Jennifer's computer crashed and we were the limited to the use of her cell phone only as the telephone company did not come out an install a new phone in the home in a timely manner.
 
We arrived home on Sunday evening to find out that the livingroom floor in our Apartment was about 1/3 flooded from the Typhoon like rains that poured in earlier Sunday morning.  We live on the eight floor and the rain came directly into the livingroom doors from back-up rain fall from the floors above and the winds.
 
We are taking leave the rest of this week in order to have the floor repaired before returning to work on Monday.
 
Of the many folks we wanted to see and visit, we were only able to meet up with three of them, Butch and Jill, Harvey Nichols (who met us at the airport when we arrived and who came over on Friday for lunch before we left on Saturday).  We were able to have dinner with Tom Jamison and his wife Tannie (Thursday evening) before we left as well.
 
For those of you we wanted to see personnaly and talk with, we do apologize as we were really excited about seeing and talking with folks when we arrived home for our vacation.  Guess it was not to be this time around.
 
Love to all,

Poss
 

 

 

This week I have added Volume 7 of Betty Carroll's "Once Upon A Time" audios to the website.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bettycarroll.html

 

 

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/ChickensWatermelon070809a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/ChickensWatermelon070809b.jpg

 

Ten cheapest places to buy gas in the Ardmore area......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html

Q.   What counties were named after Governor William Murray?
A.   Murray and Alfalfa counties

Q.   Who established Ft Sill in 1869?
A.   (answer in next week's T&T)

 

Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....

"Hi Butch, I thought you could mention the 10th Annual Okie Noodling Tournament in your T&T.  A festival unique to central Oklahoma and a lot of fun. Saturday, July 11th at Bob's Pig Shop (BBQ) in Pauls Valley."

http://okienoodling.com/okienoodling2/tournamentnew.html


"Dear Butch, I've been reading with much interest your experience of building a Chicken House and raising your own chickens and getting your own eggs. Brings back a lot of good memories for me when I lived on a large, beautiful farm 2 1/2 miles from Marietta. Our Chicken House was as large as some of the small houses you saw in those days. It had rafters, about 6 ft. tall for the chickens to roost at night. The wooden nests, filled with hay were lined all the way a round the large room, stationed high enough to keep out "the critters." It was my job to "gather up the eggs" each evening. I was told to be sure and watch for snakes, as those ole' chicken snakes sure liked to curl up in the nests while the chickens were out scratching for worms (red ones I expect) in our large back yard. I was only 7 or 8 years of age, and I really dreaded that job. I can still remember how good the eggs looked and tasted. I guess the snakes liked them also. We had Rhode Island Reds Plymouth Rock (white). Dominiques (a fairly rare breed), White Leghorn, Brown Leghorn, New Hampshire Reds & also some Bantams. It's hard to realize that baby chicks were purchased by mail order and delivered in large paste board boxes by our trusty mail man. My Mom would have a time trying to keep those little chicks fed, warm and able to make it on their own in our back yard.

The small Bantam Rooster was really beautiful, and certainly aware of this, was cocky and liked to fight. He knew I was afraid of him and he enjoyed chasing me all over the back yard. I can remember seeing the mother hens spread her wings, covering all her baby chicks when a sudden rain approached. Nature is just awesome, and how God has given all creatures instincts to survive and protect their young.

I hope you continue to have good luck with your Chicken House and all your brood. My husband Bill used to have a worm bed in our back yard after I was married and we moved to town. He had made the bed from an old deep freeze. He told me that he got a start from a Mr. Cathy ( Dr. C.A. Cathy's father.) Mr. Cathy had a Worm Farm West of Marietta in the Meadowbrook area. Bill wanted the worms for fishing bait. This was back in the early 60's, but even then they were fairly expensive. Bill said you could buy a box with about 8 or 10 worms for $2.00. He wanted me to tell you that if you could find them now they would probably be high dollar. There used to be a man here in Marietta who sold them, so we will check this out and see if there are still any around here. Tell Jill I hope she is successful in keeping the critters out and be careful of the Chicken Snakes!!"  -Betty Wolfe

"Butch here are two pictures of one of the veterans sections at the Sulphur cemetery."  -Doug

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SulphurVetCemetery09a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SulphurVetCemetery09b.jpg


Here is a pretty neat thing.  It is Manhattan Island before it was discovered by Henry Hudson.
 
http://themannahattaproject.org/explore/mannahatta-map/
"If you go to Google and type in the names on the graves, you will find some very interesting reading on the Oklahoma Territory days.  This was a rough area.  These pictures were taken at Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie, OK. on July 4, 2009." -Cecil Elliott

Elmer McCurdy.......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09a.jpg

Bill Doolin......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09b.jpg

Boot Hill......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09c.jpg

Tom Capers.......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09d.jpg

Little Dick West......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09e.jpg

Charlie Pearce......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09f.jpg

Bert Casey......

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SummitViewCemetery09g.jpg


"Hi Butch,  Here is a few views of the Guthrie Territorial Jail where some of the outlaws were locked up.  Bill Doolin was in this jail and escaped in 1895.  The jail kind of goes along with markers (see above) at "Boot Hill".  -Cecil

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/GuthrieTerritorialJail09a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/GuthrieTerritorialJail09b.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/GuthrieTerritorialJail09c.jpg


"Last week I was at Winans Funeral Home in Maysville.  John Williams and his wife live in a house attached to the funeral home. In their flower bed in front of the house were two upside down tomato plants.  They had turned the planters upside down and the plants were coming out of the top and hanging down the sides of the planter.  In each planter, a red umbrella handle had been firmly placed in the middle.  This provided shade for the tomatoes.  Very unusual but it made an attractive decoration for their flower beds and was useful as well." -Frances
"Hi Butch: I was fascinated by your article about "Bloody Caddo Street, Ardmore, Oklahoma".  Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of "Reporter's Notebook" by Mac McGalliard, 1973?"  -W. Carey  HardyWHardy7165@aol.com
Willis is/was in Marshall county, Oklahoma I believe the bridge over the Red River on what is now U.S. 377 is known as the Willis bridge.
"Hope you?re staying cool and keeping those chickens cool in this heat. I remember my dad would put a light misting sprinkler in the far end of the chicken yard and those silly birds would actually go play in the water to cool off. He even put a door in either end of the coop and put in a box fan in both holes (after hooking the door open) to blow out the hot air to help keep the chickens cool. If they laid eggs we had to go collect them twice a day?once in the morning and once in the evening. If you let the eggs sit all day in the 100+ heat they would go bad."  -Kathi G. Fayetteville, AR
"Jones Bait Company at Lone Grove, 580-224-9944, open everyday at 7am., closed on Tuesdays."
"Hey Butch, some buddies of mine and I were riding to Meers, Oklahoma to eat when we ran across this critter.  None of us had been drinking and went a mile past it before anyone admitted that they'd seen it at all!  Boy was I glad I wasn't the only one who'd seen it."  -Lynn

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MeersCamel09a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MeersCamel09b.jpg


"Butch,  You have been putting a lot of effort on the chickens.  I ran across this site that might provide you with some entertaining chickens.  Free game based in "Space Invaders" except the ammo is eggs and feathers,  the targets are chickens."  -Ted Edwards

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,22497/description.html


Little Flock Cemetery
South of Elmore City in Garvin County

Sweet Home Cemetery
West of Tatums then North
Carter County

5 Mile Cemetery
East of Hennipen and North
Garvin County

Eola Cemetery
East of Pernell
Garvin County

"BUTCH, HERE'S A STORY ON EARTH WORMS FROM THE GARDEN CLUB BOOK. I'VE BELONGED TO THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HOPE YOU CAN READ IT." -MINNIE LOU WHITTINGTON
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/EarthwormKingdom9a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/EarthwormKingdom9b.jpg


"Butch:  I can remember my father (Ed Guess) and my grandfather (W.E. "Bill" Guess) talking about using a electric probe of sorts to shock the worms to the surface. Never tried it. But maybe there is someone out there that can remember how to set it up." -Randy Guess
"HI BUTCH. HAVE ENJOYED YOUR  NEWSLETTERS FOR SOME TIME. THOUGHT YOU WOULD LAUGH AT OUR SURPRISE WHEN WE RETURNED HOME THIS MORNING FROM OUR DAILY THREE MILE WALK. MY WIFE WENT INTO OUR GARAGE AHEAD OF ME. I HAD STOPPED TO CLEAN UP THE TRASH FROM TACO BELL. I HEARD HER SCREAM. I RUSHED IN AND SHE WAS PRETTY SHOOK UP. I CALMED HER DOWN A LITTLE AND SHE SHOWED ME A SNAKE BY THE DOOR GOING INTO HOUSE. I HAD NEVER SEEN ONE THIS LARGE. WE CALLED ANIMAL CONTROL. HE DIDN'T GET HERE SOON ENOUGH TO PLEASE MY WIFE. I WAS TRYING TO ACT BRAVE. WE CALLED STEVEN HARRIS AT JERRY'S GUN SHOP. HE WAS HERE IN MINUTES. THE CONTROL OFFICER ARRIVED AT SAME TIME. WE DECIDED NOT TO KILL IT FOR SOME REASON. WE GOT IT OUTSIDE AND FOUND IT TO BE A BOA CONSTRICTOR. ABOUT THREE FOOT LONG AND THE SIZE OF YOUR ARM. I GUESS IT WAS SOME ONES PET. BUT MY WIFE SAID IT WAS NOT HER PET. I DONT KNOW WHERE HE TOOK HIM  AFTER I PUT HIM IN BUCKET WITH AIR HOLES. THAT IS HOW OUR MORNING STARTED."
"Here is our statute. It does not reference breed, but enables prosecution of owners of any breed. I understand it is virtually impossibly to pass a statute regarding a specific breed. I am retired, live in a middle class suburb, walk my small Cain Terrier daily. At least once a month, I run into people with Pit Bulls either off the leash or not under control. I have a concealed carry permit, and have, unfortunately, found it necessary to carry a gun, just to walk my dog."  -Larry
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stustx822_001.htm

"Regarding your comment about pit bull attacks: Check out the attached article below referencing the conviction of a couple in Stevens County, Texas, who were the first sentenced under a new Dangerous Dog statute in Texas. The article also gives links to several other attacks in the Dallas Ft Worth area.

This statute was passed after the unsuccessful prosecution of a man in central Texas who was prosecuted for the death of an elderly lady who was killed by his dogs, after being dragged off her mower in her front yard. If Oklahoma does have such a statute, possibly your legislator could introduce such a bill. Unfortunately, this does not ban such dangerous dogs, but enables the prosecution of their owner. I doubt that either Oklahoma or Texas will ban pit bulls, but this will help punish the owners."  -Mesquite, Texas
http://cbs11tv.com/local/dog.attack.conviction.2.840464.html

"For older cemeteries around Fox, the old Frio Cemetery was the earliest around the area and it is on private property; it was still used in the 1920's. There is also the old Chagris/Chagger Cemetery southwest of Fox which is private property. There are a few family cemeteries scattered."  -Scott

Jot and tittle - Every minor detail. A jot is the horizontal mark on the
letter "t", and a tittle is the dot above an "i" or a "j".

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

http://www.OklahomaHistory.net

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