A Reader gave me this mystery photo of a police department group
photo, probably taken in the 1940s. The photo belonged to her mother. She
thought it may have been taken at Duncan or Chickasha, Oklahoma. Maybe someone
will recognize where this photo was taken or any of the OHP or PD officers in
the photo. If so, let me know.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/MysteryPhoto1940s.jpg
Below is a link to Antelope Springs at
the Chickasaw National Recreation Area (old Platt National Park). It documents
how the park came back to life after several years of drought. The two
springs mentioned in the video are at the east end of the Park, far end of
Perimeter Road. It's a 1/2 mile walk from the road to the springs, but I can
hardly wait to make it back to Sulphur and see the fresh water springs!
http://kfor.com/2015/05/13/great-state-after-more-that-a-year-the-springs-return-to-life-in-sulphur/
The days are running down. As of today
only 9 workdays left before I join the ranks of the unemployed. I'm looking
forward to retirement days. The only bad part is I won't get my first retirement
checks until the middle of August. I guess I'll be eating a lot of
Ramen Noodles during those weeks until my
checks are deposited.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/ButchBridgesParty2015.jpg
The Daily Ardmoreite May 1931
The opinion that future weather prophets may be able to forecast droughts
and wet spells as much as 25 years in advance was expressed before the American
Geophysical Union. Upward and downward trends in rainfall might be detected that
number of years in advance by closer study of sunspots and the output of heat
from the surface of the oceans.
The Daily Ardmoreite June 1931
It is reported the Texas Rangers might be used if necessary to prevent the
opening of the Red River Bridge between Texas and Oklahoma before July 1. It is
said the Texas commission will not inspect the bridge until that date. Oklahoma
rushed work on the structure to embarrass the state of Texas, and worked day
and night to get the bridge open before July 1, says Texas authorities.
The Daily Ardmoreite June 1964
Upwards of 5,000 people are expected June 20 in Sulphur for the
groundbreaking ceremonies at the Lake of the Arbuckles. Residents of Sulphur,
Davis, and Wynnewood, who with the federal government, are paying for the
multi-million lake, will sponsor festivities in conjunction with the ceremony.
The Daily Ardmoreite June 1987
Carter County Commissioners agreed to solicit bids to build the long awaited
county jail. Bid opening is set for June 30.
Someone mentioned to me about a
delicious hamburger being served up at Buddy's located at North Washington and
12th (NE corner of that intersection). I stopped by this week and let me tell
you, it could be one of the best burgers I have ever eaten in a long time. If
you are in the area, drop by. Just remember they open at 11am and stay open until
they run out of food.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/UncleBuddyBurger060915.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/UncleBuddys060915.jpg
A flagstone from Home Grown Stone I
sandblasted last
week that really turned out nice.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/AudreyRainerPaver.jpg
After nearly a month of not losing
any weight with TruVision I decided 2 weeks ago to stop taking it. During the
two weeks I gained back a couple pounds reaching 180 lbs. When I started back I
lost 2 lbs. in a 24 hour period. Plus I could tell my energy level was down too.
Now to see if I can break below that 177 pound plateau I had reached over a month
ago. If anyone wants to try it,
give me a holler. "I'll meet you at the
Walmart mailbox!" Join us and check
it all out at the link below.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/truvision.html
http://butch.truvisionhealth.com/
So you have a swimming pool in the
backyard? My OKie Power Saver
is helping keep my electric bill as low
as possible when I crank up the air conditioning on these hot summer days. The
A/C is probably the most energy hungry appliance for the homeowner. But if you
have a swimming pool that has a pump running 24/7 during the summer months, that
too can run up an electric bill. It could save on your electric bill to install
an OKie Power Saver at the pool pump, especially if that pump motor is more than
30 feet away from the main electric service panel. I guarantee my OKie power
saver to save you money or you get a complete refund. Want to know more, send me
an email or give me a call.
http://www.OKiePowerSaver.com
Q. How many American Indian
tribes are headquartered within the state of Oklahoma?
A. 38 Federally recognized
tribes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federally_recognized_tribes_by_state#Oklahoma
Q. Where is the world's
largest concrete totem pole located?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That
newsletter archives of June 9, 2001:
My cousin Laura Cole in Ft Worth is always
going to garage sales looking for a piece of history at a bargain. This week
she went to one garage sale and found 2 autographed 1985 prints by the artist
Huey Theus. She bought both prints for 25 cents. I looked on the Net and found
them selling for $45 each at several places! Laura gave me the print titled
"School Days" (in the original narrative cover).
http://www.collectible-treasures.com/catalog/items/item224.htm
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Twenty-two of us made it through the Brown Springs tour (south of Thackerville)
last Saturday alive. It was terribly hot and muggy, but everyone had a lot of
fun and some good experiences. Jayson Pruitt had his digital camera with him,
and took lots of photos. He's put them on webshots.com for viewing. Now
don't go looking for dark spirits in those photos. I have already seen some in a
couple, so who knows what's hiding in those photos.
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In September of this year (2009) Walmart is scheduled to open the biggest store
its ever built at Gainesville, Texas (population 15,000). Ground preparation has
begun just north and east from the present Walmart on the north side of Highway
82. I wonder why Walmart would build it's biggest store ever in little
Gainesville, Texas just five miles from the Oklahoma border? Hello?
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"Butch, I can hardly wait from one volume of "This and That" to the next. This
is the most versatile and interesting newsletter I have read. I grew up in
Oklahoma near Comanche, but the newsletter dealing mainly with the Ardmore area
brings back so many wonderful memories of home. I have spent some time in the
Ardmore and Healdton areas; I used to go to Falls Creek Baptist Camp every
summer. You are bringing back happy memories for me of my youth in Oklahoma. The
ONLY thing I do not miss about Oklahoma, now that I live in Arizona, are the
violent thunderstorms and the tornadoes! Thanks for the newsletter. You are
doing a terrific job with it!" -AZ
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"Mr. Richie taught me in Tishomingo in the 7, 8th and 9th grade. He was our
history teacher, and he was, in my opinion, the most wonderful teacher that ever
taught. His wife taught typing and shorthand, and she was my instructor in the
10th and 11th grade. She instilled the two skills that help me perform my jobs
for 25 years. One question? Did Mr. Richie tell your class the story of how he
smuggled a child home from Europe? The story is fascinating.
"Here is the group graduation picture. Mr. Richie is the man with the tie. I
am on the end next to the girl standing. I have on a light colored dress and
dark shoes. The girl to my right is the lady that became Mrs. Ward and taught
school in Ardmore for many years."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/MrRichieTishomingo1951.jpg
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"My wife's grandfather (IRA WOODS) is the one that (blew ARDMORE UP) from a
train explosion of 1915. Her grandmother and great grandmother homesteaded there
in Ardmore. thank you for your site, I know I will enjoy the newsletter."
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"Butch, The Oil Patch Genealogy Society of Healdton, Ok. has published another
Cemetery book. It contains the Graham, Milo, Pooleville, Ratliff City, and Oil
Springs cemeteries. The Pooleville cemetery holds about 46 or so Confederate
Soldiers. Others have some very unusual Head Stones. This book is $20. It can be
found in Healdton, Fox, Graham, & Ratliff City. Or can be ordered by contacting,
Hazel Reeves, HC 63, Box 8400, Healdton, Ok. 73438, Ph. 580 229 2447 Or Charlene
Wilson, Ph. 580 229 0688. I enjoy your T&T."
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"Here is the history of Washita Farm in Johnston county, the school, the lake
and Dension Dam. I have a seven page letter for documentation of the story if
you need it. The letter was written by a lady that was in the first graduating
class from Washita farm in 1930, later she became a teacher and taught me at
Nida in the 6th grade."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/WashitaFarm1930.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
I was watching the nightly news a couple of days ago, it showed McVeigh's father
taking down the American flag in front of his house. Well, I have a brand new
flag, and I'm going to raise it in front of my house Monday morning before 7am
Central time. I'll let her fly there all day Monday. Oklahomans have waited a
long time.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/WeWillRemember1995.jpg
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
Hillside Bluegrass Festival in Cochran, Georgia September 16
- 20, 2015.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/BlueGrassGA2015.jpg
Springer Public School ? Springer, Oklahoma
Saturday ? June 13, 2015 ? 4:00 PM - Registration for any and all Springer
School Alumni.
Program to start approximately 6:00 PM.
Bring a covered food dish and enjoy the fellowship of high school memories.
Mr. Bridges:I would like to take this
time and congratulate you on your upcoming retirement. It is well deserved. Over
the years, you have enriched so many lives around the world, even sitting there
in Lone Grove or on the North East side of Ardmore. I personally would like to
thank you for the dedication you have to keeping the local history alive for
more generations to enjoy. Your hard work, coordinating, researching, typing,
etc., has not gone un-noticed by this retired Naval officer.
I too, in about 5 more years will reach the 66 year mark to
draw Social Security. I have been contributing to Social Security since I was 12
years old working at the Sonic Drive-In on Grand Avenue there in Ardmore. Even
though I will have a couple of pensions and Social Security, I am still scared
to take that next leap in life. I have travelled the world from the Arctic
Circle down to the South Pole, from the East Coast of Africa to the East Coast
of the United States. What I would love to do is come back to Ardmore, Oklahoma
to live out the rest of my life. My parents and relatives (Gaines & Dobbs) are
buried there in the Lone Grove cemetery up north of town.
Once again, I admire what you have done over the many years in
making the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world a little
brighter and feel closer to home. Thank you. I wish you God?s speed and fair
winds, my friend.
Very respectfully,
Thomas P. Gaines
Associate Governmental Program Analyst
Wasco State Prison - Reception Center
California
Chief Warrant Officer, W-2
U.S. Navy (Retired)
Last week you talked about some of the little country schools in Carter County.
I attended Prairie Valley for 3 years in "it's last days" before it was closed.
It was a big brick building with 4 classrooms, a big auditorium and 2 office
rooms. The "times had changed" by the time I arrived and there were only two
teachers. Originally the school went to 9 and 10th grade, but now those kids
attended Plain View for high school and we only had 1-8 elementary grades. I
think it closed two years after I graduated from 8th grade in 1941. That was
during WW2 and country people were moving to town to support the war effort and
make better money too, so very few kids to keep Prairie Valley open.
If you have a picture of that brick building, I would very much like to have a
copy for my book of memories.
As I understand it, the original building was frame. When the gas company wanted
to run a big natural gas pipeline across the grounds, they paid the district
enough to build the brick building. I talked to a lady who's father was on the
school board at that time and that is what she told me. The building had water
piped into the building but toilets were still 4 holers "out back." We used
natural gas for heating with a big clay back heater in each room. Our corner
class room had blackboards covering two sides with windows on the other two
sides. (My book about Mary and Charley Rudd has more details.)
Our 25 -30 students enjoyed plays and programs and community/church activities
in the auditorium. Mr Rudy Folsom was the principal/upper grade teacher and
lived in a small teacherage on the N/E corner of the lot. He was the best
teacher I ever had. During this time, he completed the requirements to get his
Master Degree from OU. When Prairie Valley closed, he went to Greenville School
on Highway 77 south of Ardmore and I visited him many times when I came back on
vacation after marrying and moving to California. His son, Tandy Folsom, was a
doctor in Dallas. I did not know his other children.
Prairie Valley was a great school for a small cadre of depression kids who
worked hard and had lots of fun.
Sincerely, Marie Wren
1923 photo of
Prairie Valley School
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/PrairieValleySchool1923.jpg
"Butch, do you or anyone know who would have a photo of Lonnie
Rooney's championship trophy when the trophy was on display at the Gene Autry
Museum? As best remembered it was a wooden base about a foot long, about 6
inches wide and had a bronze horse, cowboy (?) on the top. Any help is
appreciated in finding a picture of the trophy."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/LonnieRooneyHorse.jpg
Retirement: It's nice to get out of
the rat race, but you have to learn to get along with less cheese. -Gene Perret
See everyone next
week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
