This and That Newsletter
A Weekly Publication

www.OklahomaHistory.net

Vol 17  Issue 872      Circulation 5,000       October 10, 2013

PO Box 2

Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net

580-657-8616


Mark Freeman Jr. was just across the Kansas line into Osage county, Oklahoma from his 3,500-acre cattle ranch. It was in the early 1950s when he and a fellow rancher were bidding on livestock. ?Look down there, you?ll be interested in this,? the friend said.  Mark brushed him off. ?Son, I?m buying cows.?  ?You see that man talking to that old cowboy?? Mark said yes. ?That?s Bill Hale.?  They both stood and marveled at the man who was never again supposed to see the light of day.

http://thislandpress.com/08/14/2013/terrors-legacy/#sthash.q3lDhc7r.dpuf

Last week I had the 1958 aerial photo of the Ardmore airbase I made a mistake in tagging which direction was north. Thanks to a T&T reader who brought it to my attention I have now corrected the photo and marked each direction.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/ArdmoreAirfieldAerial1958.jpg

Tatums, Oklahoma in the northern part of Carter county now has a website.  Tatums was established as a black community May 9, 1896 and named after Lee B. Tatum, its first postmaster.

http://www.tatums.us/

Springer, Oklahoma. Post office established September 1, 1890. Named for W.A. Springer, pioneer rancher and cattleman.

Last weekend (for the 2nd time) we went camping in our new camper at McGee Lake east of Atoka.  The 60 foot pines are so beautiful. We'd like to own a couple acres in those pines for retirement years.  This pic was taken just as the sunset, the campfire burning.  We really enjoyed it.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/McGeeLakeFire100613.jpg

I can't explain why but bacon and eggs just seems to taste better when camping.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/McGeeLakeEggs100613.jpg

Just as we were getting ready to leave I spotted a "walking stick" Praying Mantis on the side of our truck's door.  I have seen many Praying Mantis before, but I had never seen one of these "walking sticks" versions before that I remember.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/PrayingMantis1.jpg

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/PrayingMantis2.jpg

I snapped this picture just before leaving.  That water is so blue and beautiful.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/McGeeLakePines100613.jpg

It wasn?t until 2006 that the U.S. federal government cut off a phone tax that had been in place for 108 years. Until then, we had a 3% federal excise tax on long-distance calls. The tax was imposed in 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War, which should give you some idea of how long we?ll be paying the 9/11 fee on airline tickets.

Q.  Only one Geronimo automobile still exists. What Oklahoma town made the Geronimo automobiles for a period of time?
A.  Enid, Oklahoma - from 1917 to 1920

Q.  What major event is held at Tumbleweed every year for 22 years?
A.  (answer in next week's T&T)

From This and That newsletter archives of October 9, 1999:

For two weeks I have been wrestling with myself, trying to find the words to tell about something out of the ordinary I've found at Brown's Springs south of Thackerville, Oklahoma. I hate too say too much. We hear on the news all the time now... about kooks... they seem to be coming out of the woodwork, and I don't want to be thrown in that category. I had about a dozen photos taken at Brown Springs and as I started to scan one of the photos I was holding it in my hand, I saw what looks like an image of a child, peeking up from the ground. I just couldn't believe my eyes. Another photo I took was of a cemetery marker there, from the barely visible words, it must have been a child's marker. It started out, "Tis a little grave, but..... hopes one buried... had much..." and I wasn't able to make out the other words. But then I didn't really try. I want to go back and try to decipher each word. Needless to say this whole thing is creepy.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/BrownSpringsChild1999a.jpg

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/BrownSpringsChildText1999.jpg
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"I was so surprised this afternoon to see a story on CNN all about Charlie Wilcox and his phone booth in the high Mojave Desert here in California. Having read about him in your weekly newsletter, I wondered if it was real, or another Internet hoax, since some reader said he tried to call the phone booth and it was busy."
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"...I took a different route this time and passed through a little town called Mead, OK. My mother pointed out the old school gymnasium and told me she remembered playing basketball there. The old gymnasium is in ruins, looks burned-out also, but is made of stone, and is a real GEM. I know the folks of Mead don't have enough money to save that beautiful thing, but you ought to be sure and mention it in your newsletter so more people might slow down and take a look at it. It was on the right-hand side of the road heading from Durant to Kingston. Thanks for your newsletter. I enjoy it so very much. October is the perfect month to visit Oklahoma. Heavenly weather!"
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"I got so excited this morning watching Regis and Kathie Lee. We watch every day and are interested in the "Trivia" question. This morning he called Susan Pruitt in Ardmore, Okla. Well of course that got my attention FAST!! Who is she and are you related. She works at a travel agency there. She won $4,000."
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I received an interesting call this week from a Mr. Charlie Durie of Marietta, Oklahoma. After 10 or 15 years of it not working, Charlie has the tower clock at the Love County courthouse in Marietta working again. In the weeks to come, he hopes to get the clock fine tuned and running near perfect. I've been waiting three years for someone to come forward in Marietta and do just that. Thank you Mr. Durie!
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Gas prices today in the Ardmore area......

http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=152754

Check gas prices by town or zip code anywhere in U.S.

http://www.kmov.com/traffic/gas-buddy

Non-ethanol gas (pure gas) stations in the Ardmore area (updated).

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

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

"when I was a teen going to the lake I remember...shortly after turning onto Elephant Rock Rd. on the south side of that rd back in the woods were 3 grave (if memory serves me) seems as though one was a small child. I often wondered what the story was behind them.." -Tony


Dear Friends: Here is information about two of my upcoming shows.

Spirit of the Cowboy ? McKinney, Texas ? October 11-13, 2013
Chestnut Square ?315 South Chestnut St
My show times: Oct 12 ? 1pm; Oct 13 Noon
For more information: 972-979-2354; http://www.spiritofthecowboy.net

Poncan Theatre ? Ponca City, OK ? October 18, 2013 - New Show
Opening Act ? Ballinger Girls ? Acoustic Bluegrass/Gospel
Showtime 7:30pm ? Tickets Adults $10, Children $5
Information 580-765-0943

Hope to see some of you at one or both shows.

Thanks,

Les Gilliam
?The Oklahoma Balladeer?


"This has to be Ardmore police department after 1949. I sent you a page from "The Peace Officer" magazine dated November 1949 and Don Wallace was not yet hired. He is a Korean war vet and probably hired as he was discharged from the service. If he is still alive, he might be able to give you a year for the photo. I'm guessing '51 or '52. If you recall the photo with the patrol car I sent, it had to be about the same as the magazine page. My guess - magazine, patrol car, group photo in that order."  -T. E. (Thal) McGinness,  Conroe, TX

In the group photo - Left to right:
Howard Sloan, Jess Sloan, Jess McGinness, Matt Alexander, Don Wallace, Wes Henderson, Lawton Smithers, Ernest Holley

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/ArdmorePoliceCirca1950.jpg


Re: Joyce Ragsdale Coe. "Butch, you lost a fan on 9/27/13, our tenth wedding anniversary. No doubt, she is with her Lord & happier than anyone on this planet." -Don Coe

"Over the Rainbow", the iconic ballad from the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz, was almost cut from the movie's score; it went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song and was later recognized by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie song of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKKIVr2eY6g

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ardmorecriterion.com/
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/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com

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