Thought I share an email from years ago I received from Gary Simmons. He recalls some history of the property where the present day Carter County District 1 Barn is located at Springer.
Feb 8, 2003: "The airport at Springer (where the county barn is now) was owned by the city of Ardmore but due to its location, it was probably called the Springer airport more often than the Ardmore airport. I am not sure of the year it was opened, probably in the early 1930s. It was there for many years until it was relocated to Ardmore Industrial Airpark after the base closed. While at Springer, several individuals operated the field. Arthur Oakley moved there after the Oakley-Askew airport ceased operation when the hanger burned. Dorsey Askew, no longer a partner with Oakley, had taken a job in 1926 flying US Mail with United Air Lines. He was the first pilot to fly mail between Dallas and Chicago. John Heasty and his wife, Veda, managed the airport during the early 40s. While they were there, it was one of a few fields in the southwest who contracted to train flight instructors for the Army Air Corps. The program was known as the Advanced Civilian Pilot Training Program. Individuals from various geographic areas who wanted to be Army Air Corps civilian instructors paid $500 a month for the four month course and were certified as such when they finished. Three Ardmore men who were known to complete the program were Walter Adrian "Heavy" Broughton, William Kenny and Kenneth Johnson. There may have been others. Aircraft mechanics who kept the aircraft in top shape for the program included Walter Adrian "Heavy" Broughton, also a top-notch licensed airframe and engine specialist (Ardmore), Connie Brewer (Shawnee), Floyd Greer (Ardmore), and Tommy Kennedy (Wilson). Charles Kincaid, Timothy Kincaid, John Heasty, Veda Heasty and Evelyn Heasty, John's sister, were flight instructors. The Heastys operated ten aircraft, several of the planes were Beech D-17 Staggerwings. When the war began, Mr. Heasty was appointed Group Commander of the Civil Air Patrol in early January 1942 by Moss Patterson, Oklahoma CAP Commander. When Bob Goddard returned from the Army Air Force following WWII, he assumed operation of the field. Walter Adrian "Heavy" Broughton was his chief A&E person. Why the nickname "Heavy" ---Mr. Broughton has never been heavy. Several ex-fighter pilots, recently discharged from the Air Corps, frequented the airport and exchanged war stories about their contributions to the war effort. Mr. Broughton, listening to the stories, went about his work never saying anything about his service time. Eventually, they asked what he did in the war. He said "I flew in the heavies." From that point on, Walter Adrain became "Heavy" Broughton. Mr. Broughton later became Mr. Goddard's Paddle-G Ranch manager until his retirement. During the 1950s, the runways were in bad shape and were actually dangerous unless you were familiar with the bad areas. The Civil Aeronautics Administration, later FAA, eventually cited the city to do something about it. When the Air Force left Ardmore in 1959, the city was compensated for damage to the Ardmore Air Force Base runways in the amount of $93,500.. This fund, plus $9,400 from the Oklahoma Right-of-Way Department, was designated by the City Commission to make necessary improvements at Springer. Hamp L. Caron was operator of the airport at that time and operated it until the early 1960s. The Downtown Executive Airport and the Lake Murray Airport were both opened in the mid-1960s. The Ardmore Municipal Airport is still located at the Ardmore Industrial Airpark. A stipulation, in the release of the base to the city, was that it shall be maintained as an airport. The fixed base operator there is Lakeland Aviation. Maybe some of the readers can fill in the gaps as to dates and airport managers." gsimmons@brightok.net
1922 - Cook Paint and Varnish was
located at 100 East Main
1926 - Theatorium Theater was at 114 West Main
1926 - Adelphus Theater was at 117 West Main
1926 - Harvey Brothers Funeral Parlor was located at 300 West Main
1928 - Randol Building was at 101 East Main (west side of Daubes)
1928 - Greenberg's Jewelry 117 East Main (east of Daubes) Max, Ralphael and
Sophie Greenberg
1930 - Dixie Motor Coach Station was located at 300 West Main
1930 - Mary E. Green and Sarah M. Green, a teacher, lived at 203 London Street
in SE Ardmore
London Street - From GC&SF (Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway) southeast to
Fifth Avenue, 1 south of Moore Street.
February 1932
Speaking of operations, here's one that's really worth talking about. Haskell
Terrell, 22 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Carroll, had an abscess in his
side. An operation was performed and a fistula developed. He was then 13 years
old. The wound did not heal, and the boy ate little and became increasingly
weaker. Operation number #2 was unsuccessful, so he underwent operation #3, and
then #4. He had to wait until he was of age for operation #5. He had to walk to
the hospital. "For 6 days I lived without water, and for seven days without
food. But I was healed at last. And now I am well and strong for the first time
in 10 years. I just told the story to show what doctors can do for a fellow."
February 1932
A decision of the state Supreme Court held that county commissioners are only
allowed to be paid $750 a year instead of the $1,500 they have been taking. The
decision is expected to have a marked effect on the steadily crowded field of
candidates for vacancies on commissioners boards to be filled this year.
February 1963
The pioneer spirit that helped settle Oklahoma still burns brightly in the
Milo-Woodford area. As farmer J.V. McGoodwin, 50, lay in bed recuperating from a
severe blow on the head, his neighbors plowed over 50 acres of his land. Godwin
was unable to work for the past two weeks. While moving timber with a bulldozer,
he was hit accidentally by a limb that cracked his skull and left him
unconscious. When the neighbors heard about his troubles, they decided to do
what I could do what they could to help. Farmers Andy Knight, Creede Speake,
Carl Pickens, Kenneth Wright, J.W. Scott and Eulas Jackson drove the tractors.
February 1956
A woman made history in Carter County yesterday. Mrs. Ruth Troutt of Wheeler,
wife of
principal Roy Troutt, became the first woman foreman of a county jury in
history. A bill passed in 1951 by the state legislature entitled women to serve
as jurors.
February 1956
Winter's grip continue to tighten over southern Oklahoma Saturday with further
snow possible. Traffic continued at a slow pace with snarls reported throughout
the area. Its called the worst blizzard in 50 years in Texas. The storm came as
Texas Baptist, in accordance with plans made last month, we're planning to pray
together for an end to the drought.
February 1988
Downtown Lone Grove is looking bare after the Town and Country Complex closed.
The building formerly had a feed company, a department store, and ice cream
parlor, a florist and dry cleaners. The center is now completely vacant as the
department store shut down operations in January.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/TownAndCountryMall.jpg
You can find current gas prices for a particular Oklahoma town by entering the name or zip code in the GasBuddy search box.
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/
My regime of Coconut Oil in my hot tea and coffee along with my Probiotic I have been taking everyday is working great. My blood pressure is really down since taking a teaspoon a day in my hot tea. Plus it has been working a miracle on my skin blemishes, etc. the past month.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/CoconutOilComparisonJan2016.jpg
http://oklahomahistory.net/probiotics.html
I checked on a friend who had me install the Okie Power Saver in his new home behind Walmart a couple months ago. Here is his reply to my email to him this week:
"Butch, I am glad you asked, I am amazed at the lower weekly OG&E reports on the amount of electric used. Like around the $40 to $50 bills per week. About this time 2 years ago, I had a monthly bill for $365. Then I purchased an oil reservoir heater to warm my back bedroom and bathroom. Since then I have made a few adjustments. Mainly lowering & watching the thermostat. One thing to keep in mind this is an unusual warm winter so far. I am so very pleased."
The Okie Power Saver takes difference of the watts you are being billed for, and what you are actually using, and recycles those watts. Several friends are finding out my Okie Power Saver is a great way to reduce that electric bill and save money year round.
Q. Where is the most generous,
charitable, giving county in Oklahoma?
A.
Cimarron County ranks as the most generous county in the Sooner State. The
giving ratio in this county beats everybody by a long shot, at 7.49%. The total
contribution from the residents of Cimarron County totaled $1,264,000.
Q. Where in Oklahoma is Bathtub Rock?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of March 2, 2002:
I was looking around the old Tivoli
theater this week. Crews are busy inside re-modeling and getting ready to open
it to local talent shows and entertainers. I'm anxious to see some local talent,
we have some gifted singers and musicians right here in this area. When I walked
around to the back, I saw an interesting piece of the past painted on the back
north wall.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/TivoliWallBullDurham.jpg
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I walked into the Electric Motor Service
Company at 808 "K" street NW (580-223-8940) this week and there on the wall was
a poster of the most infamous candidate for Carter county sheriff of recent
times. His slogan back around 1960 "A Country Boy Who Plowed His Way To Town"
was on the poster. He hailed from Wilson and his name was Otto Powell. The story
goes that he couldn't read or write, but could sing like a song bird. As I
watched the owner spool that copper wire on the turning machine to make the
fields for electric motors, it reminded me how right out of high school I did
the same thing when I worked for Pace Electric on "A" and 4th NW. The owner of
Electric Motor Service is Donnie Callaway, stop in and see him sometime, he'll
be happy to show you the poster!
----------------------------------------------------
I went to the "quitting business auction"
of Kriet's Western Auto on Main Street last Saturday. It was originally called
White's Western Auto. A lot of people gathered to try and buy a piece of this
Ardmore history. I started to wait around and try for a new clothes dryer but
didn't know when those items were coming on the auction block. I'm in the market
for clothes dryer.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/kriet2.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/kriet3.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, Some ask about the Orphan's Home
in Cornish. The big building is still there but it is frame not brick. My cousin
, Bonnie Wallace, married one of the boys, Charles Hughes, who lived in the
home. They moved to Bakersfield, Calif. and were married more than 50 years.
Charles (Chock) passed on two years ago last Christmas and Bonnie passed away
last Chirstmas. I attended the funeral." -Edgar Wallace, Abilene Tex.
----------------------------------------------------
"Mention of the all night singing at the
McAlester Baptist Church brought back memories of family members who are long
gone now. I don't remember the all night singing, but I do remember hearing a
lot about it. My dad, his sister, my grandma, and three of her sisters used to
go every year and sing. My dad played guitar, my grandma played 5 string banjo,
and one of the great aunts played piano. They all sang. Seems they had contests
and the Patrick/Caudle family took quite a few prizes. Wish I could have heard
them." -Bud Caudle
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"Butch, I was reading the list of
restaurants mentioned south of Ardmore along 77 and I remember all of them but I
didn't see Evelyn's Chicken in the Rough mentioned. It sat just south of the
Phillips 66 station owned by Herbert Mason. It too was a popular place. The
station across the hiway west had a talking bird that would whistle at all the
women it saw nearby. Things have sure changed around that area since the
1950's."
----------------------------------------------------
"Hey, Butch! I'm looking for an old Carter County church called the Gospel
Methodist Church South. It existed in 1913 and was probably in Springer, Glenn
or Berwyn. The pastor at that time was James A. Eskew. Do any T&T readers have
any information on the church or the pastor? Thanks." -Robin Grattet Centennial,
Colorado
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, we really enjoy T & T each week.
Keep up the good work. My memory has had some lapses since I arrived in Ardmore
on 9-1-53, so I went to the library to look at a l955 city directory (52,53,54
are missing) to refresh my memory. In 1955, it lists 38 restaurants, 42 service
stations, 19 barber shops, 54 churches, 23 beauty shops and 59 groceries and
meats. Caddo Street was a busy place with the B & Marys Place, Blue Front Bar,
Budweiser Bar, Cooks Bar, Midway Bar, other bars in town were the Santa Fe
Tavern 100 C SE, Stag Bar 121 E Main, Billies Tap Room 111 E Main, Ethel's Place
315 E Main, Ford Inn 17 N Washington, The Palace 5 B SW, Rendezvous 1106 77S,
and the Top Hat Inn 1123 77S. Someone placed the Top Hat on the east side. It
was located on the NW corner of Myall and the highway, just across north from
the saddle shop. The Cattle Club, as I remember, was out by the sale barn and
Jims Alibi was out just south of LaHoma Courts. The tourist courts listed were
the Anglers Motel, Ardmore Court, Camp LeGrande, English Village, Modern Motel,
Scotty's Ranch House Motel, Star Courts, Stonewood Motel, Tower Motel, Triple D
and the Westward Motel. Milton Scott had the Corral Restaurant and Scotty's
Ranch House Motel. Later owners called it the Corral Restaurant and Motel.
Someone asked about the Skelly station on North Commerce. It was located between
the Corral Restaurant and the Westward Motel. Later info shows the address as
1701 N. Commerce. In 1955 it was operated by Osborn and known as Osborn Service
Station and he also operated Osborn Oil Company delivering in bulk. I vaguely
recall that the driver of the truck may have been Jake Hollenbeck but am not
sure of this. Behind the service station was a root beer stand. As I recall,
Mrs. Osborn ran that in the summer months. The directory lists Weber Root Beer
on 77N. Those city directories contain a bundle of information and the Library
has most all years going back into the teens. One last tidbit-- Brooks Foodliner
was listed at Broadway and the Super Highway."
----------------------------------------------------
"I remember one of Healdton's local
doctors, Dr. E.R. Barker, always put coal oil in his radiator as
antifreeze....in those days your only alternative for antifreeze was either
denatured alcohol, wood alcohol or glycerine. All were corrosive, and as
suggested the coal oil was better on your system. However Dr. Barker, making a
call down by Zaneis, got his car overheated and it caught fire due to the coal
oil in the radiator. He never did use it again after losing his car. I remember
that a number of people thought that that was the thing to do. I can't remember
when we first started using the Ethylene Glycol type antifreezes such as we have
today."
----------------------------------------------------
"You had a reader ask if you had anything
on Jim Saverline. I remember him as Supt. of one of the oil companies.....I can
find out if necessary, which one, I remember the family, but I was just in grade
school at the time. He was President of the Dundee School Board in 1923, his son
George was a football player, and listed as on the student council, Editor of
the school news. The Dundee Gusher. and other activities. I also remember Grace
Saverline....I think she was about the age of my sister who went to school in
Healdton but Grace, of course, went to Dundee. I can dig up some more probably
if your reader needs it." -Kenneth Eck, Healdton, Oklahoma
----------------------------------------------------
"Nice piece of work on this recent T&T.
The bell that rang in Davis was at the Methodist Church. As kids we would jump
up on the steps and then over to the ringer and make the bell toll just before
Sunday School each Sunday. I have fond memories of those days - we never passed
up a chance to make the bell toll even going to and from school."
----------------------------------------------------
"Hello Butch, Thanks for the memories. I
remember when KVSO radio station was built. I also remember "Battleship"
Bridges. I must say that I was very surprised to hear that he was your Father. I
would ride my bicycle to the station just to see and hear the entertainment. I
also would see Earl Mann and L. Beard play and sing on their program. Mr. Beard
would ride a bicycle to work at KVSO and carry his guitar with him. Mr. Beard
was known as the "Yodeling Cowboy". You could go to KVSO and view the
entertainment through a glass window. This must have been in the late 30s."
----------------------------------------------------
"Dear Butch, I remember an explosion on F
St.S.W. when I was very young, about 1920 or 1921. I was sitting in our porch
swing with my mother and school children were walking home from Third Ward
school. At the time I must have been about 5 or 6 years old, for my mother died
when I was 8 and not too long after Mama died I was sent to Houston to live with
my Aunt Helen and Uncle Harry Stonum because of my illness with asthma. I know
my older sister Lena and neighbor kids Jean McLennon, Bert Tate, and Shelby
Downard were all together walking home when one of them saw a penny in the
bottom of the big iron-covered manhole in the middle of the street. Bert Tate,
who lived next door to my home, ran home and got some matches to hold over the
manhole to see better. The match fell into the manhole and there was gas
escaping and consequently an explosion. I can remember the noise, the kids
running in all directions, and seeing Jean McClennan running towards her house,
clothes on fire. My Dad ran across the street and threw her to the ground and my
sister Lena ran up toward our porch. I remember Lena and Jean had long, long
curls. Lena was a brunette and Jean was a blonde. They both had been begging
their mothers for ages to let them have their curls cut off and have short hair.
After the explosion they both got short hair cuts, because of their burnt hair.
Several years later I moved back to Ardmore and my Dad had remarried and I went
to Ardmore High School. I remember hearing about the incident again. There had
been a lawsuit against the city because of the gas leakage. Everything was so
different then: the Charleston Era had come and gone. I wouldn't take anything
for having my roots in Ardmore, Oklahoma. My beginnings and years spent as a
small child and then later my high school years are so deeply embedded within my
heart, that my memories, some very sad ones, but also most endearing ones, have
sustained me for many, many years. These memories have given me strength that I
probably would have lacked had I not been privileged to say "I'm from Ardmore,
Oklahoma."" -Tweed Stonum Machock
----------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch! I still read your T&T, just to
keep up with everybody. I see that you went through my hometown of Fittstown. I
grew up in that small town and miss it very much. Did you go and see the school?
I believe it is a historical site. I think it is the largest wooden building in
use in Oklahoma. The school looks like a huge house. It really is pretty cool.
Both the high school and grade school have one hall with wooden floors. The
cafeteria I ate in was once an old house. I think they built a new cafeteria
last year. The town has an old cement, Olympic sized swimming pool that is fed
by Byrd's Mill Spring. In the summer we used to run our heaters in our cars to
try to get hot enough to stand the ice cold water in that pool. It never worked.
There was no "getting used" to that water. You just had to hold your breath and
jump in. I still have to go "home" to get wild mushrooms. I love fried wild
mushrooms, but I haven't had any luck finding them in this area. I know they are
around here, but people don't like to tell of their spots where they find them.
Next month will be the month they start popping out. I'll keep asking until
somebody will share!!! Until then, I guess I'll be going back to Fittstown to
hunt mushrooms (which is really the fun part anyway)."
----------------------------------------------------
The weather predictors are saying Oklahoma
will be blanketed with snow this weekend.
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Hi butch. Just read your newsletter and am responding to Scott Bumgarner about Pick's hot tamales. My family (the O.C. Francis family) from Davis, used to buy Pick's Tamales and take them to Turner Falls to eat. My husband developed a strange method of eating them. He would cover them with my grandmother's home-made pear preserves before eating. I never tried it, liking my pear preserves on biscuits." -Susan from Baton Rouge"Dear Butch: When I moved to Texas, Dallas Texas back in 1970 Dallas and the state of Texas was full of Traffic Circles they had at least 5 that I can recall in Dallas but the worst one was at Harry Hines (old U.S. Highway 77) and Northwest Highway. They all were removed by the mid 70's. But in the last few years they are coming back. In all, at least 11 North Texas cities now have roundabouts, with a least 19 of the traffic circles currently in use throughout North Texas. They include circles in Southlake, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Denton, Garland, Addison, Rowlett, Richardson, Frisco and Flower Mound. The most infamous historical Traffic Circle of them all still exist in Waco. Waco's Historic Roundabout - Texas Highways." -Larry
http://www.texashighways.com/travel/item/5791-waco-s-historic-roundabout
Some history on Byars, Oklahoma - CLICK HERE
"Hi Butch. My mother taught me that the five civilized tribes in Okla were Choctaw Chickasaw Cherokee Creek and Seminole. My grandfather, William H Woods, was appointed by Woodrow Wilson as the probate attorney for these tribes. This was around the time oil exploded and many wells were on property owned by members of the tribes. Slick oil operators would try to take advantage." -Claire
The 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, moved into the White House in 1945. To his surprise and dismay, the house had serious problems. Not only was it drafty and creaky, it was downright unsafe.
http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=19071
"Friendship is like a puzzle,
Each friend you have is a piece,
Some are on the border,
Some are near the center,
Each brings out a piece in us,
That makes us who we are."
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Bells of Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells:
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm's Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
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
Government Website
http://cartercountyOK.us/
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