Oklahoma City Memories

[okcerintul]

I was born at Baptist Memorial in 1966, we lived around 51st and sapulpa, and moved to 16th and rockwell, I remember having a black friend at the apartment around 1968 or 69 and everyone jumping out of the pool because a little black child wanted to go swimming, also milk was delivered and in glass bottles as well as paper cartons, a two yr old could walk to the 7-11 by themself and parents not have to worry about kidnapping, also, mrs Shmidts (sp) shoes at 23rd and meridian they had animal chairs for the kids to sit in while they fitted you for shoes, shakeys pizza,we moved to piedmont in 1970 and if you wanted to go to town you had to drive all the way to portland to be in the city, TG&Y OTASCO. 39th was the cruise strip from portland to yukon......anyone remember Nicolosi's Italian resturant, that was my aunt and uncles place for 40 yrs.

Okay, let's see...

I was born at St. Anthony's in 1978. Lived for the first 7 or so years in south OKC near 44th and I-35. This meant lots of time spent at Crossroads Mall, TG&Y, Food World, Malibu Grand Prix, and the Onion Barrell.

Took me awhile to dig this up, but someone sent me this email awhile back...

You were a child of the 80's in OKC if...

...you thought Crossroads Mall rocked and Penn Square was a dump

...you would actually go to Shepherd Mall to shop

...you'd rather listen to KOFM instead of KJ-103

...you watched Count Gregore host scary movies on Saturday nights

...you knew what hand gesture to give if you saw a 5 Alive camera (and I don't mean the middle finger)

...you remember the U.S. Olympic Festival coming to town

...you remember when Star Elementary exploded

...you remember that the first guy to go "postal" did so in Edmond

...you know who Linda Soundtrack is

...you drove through Bricktown with your doors locked, and there was no reason to stop there

...you remember Dannysday

[Prunepicker]

I must be the same age as mranderson and Joe Schmoe. Everything they mention is a memory from the past.

Maybe someone can help or direct me to a good place to look. I'm curious as to how many of the subdivisions in OKC got their name. For instance how did Knob Hill and Capital Hill get their name? I know that Mesta Park was named after Anton Classen's daughter, Mesta. Then there are some of the parks in the city area. Who was Stiles? Who was Woodson? Wheeler? (insert name) Park...? Ok, I know who Will Rogers park is named after and ditto for Wiley Post.

The older I get the more interested I am in the city's history.

Lastly, how do I reply to a post? I just guessed but would like to know how to use this site. I hope this post gets where it's supposed to.

BTW Ho Ho was at my 10th birthday party!

Prunepicker

[Patrick]

Hey Prunepicker, welcome to OKCTalk! Look like you already made a post! To make posts, just click on Post Reply. To Post new threads, click on Start Thread.

Capitol Hill got it's name, because originally, it was thought that the Capitol building would be built in that location. The location was later changed to the current location.

Captain David Stiles commanded a company of the U.S. 10th Infantry at the (then called) Oklahoma Station, to keep the peace before and after the Run.

Joseph Wheeler was born near Augusta, Georgia on September 10, 1836. He graduated from West Point in 1859, but resigned his commission in the U. S. Army to join the Confederate forces in 1861. His skill and energy earned him the rank of Lieutenant General and Commander of the Confederate cavalry in the western theater.



Only 28 at the end of the war, Wheeler became a planter and lawyer in Alabama. From there he was elected for several terms in Congress where he was an outspoken advocate of reconciliation between the North and South.

When the Spanish-American War broke out, he returned to the U. S. Army as a Major-General. He retired in 1901 as a Brigadier-General. Wheeler died on January 25, 1906



I believe Woodson is named after Paige Woodson. Not sure who he was exactly, but the old school over off NE 4th St was named after him.

[Prunepicker]

Patrick,
Posting is easier than I thought. Thanks for your help.

Where did you find all this wonderful information? Is there a book or a library source? I've heard the story about Capital Hill but I haven't seen it in print.

Do you know when Wheeler came to Okalhoma City? I read in the Daily Oklahoman a few weeks ago about Stiles park possibly being the oldest park in the city. However, there are no documents to verify it.

When I was a kid Dad would drop us off in Capital Hill and we'd go to one of the theaters, i.e. Knob Hill, Yale, or Redskin.

Prunepicker

P.S. Is there an option I can activate that will reduce the size of the signatures or possibly turn off the html so they'll only be in plain text?

[Doug Loudenback]

Prunepicker? How is it that you DO that?

Sorry. Devil made me do it!

Lots of web resources exist for researching Oklahoma City. My own pages deliberately focus on "downtown" Oklahoma City which consist more of images than verbal historic detail, though that type of detail is mixed in now and then at the particular images that I have located additional resources (e.g., Braniff building or Colcord building). There's always more to learn, and none of us know all there is to know.

As far as Capitol Hill (capitOl, not capitAl) is concerned, here's a nice aritcle about that from the Metropolitan Library System: http://webinfo2.mls.lib.ok.us/okimag...&WCU=000000027. Many other "text" articles are located there ... look over the website and you'll get how to look for such articles.

BTW, very often, specific links to the Metropolitan Library System pages within OTHER website's website's pages, like this one, or in my own, don't get you immediately there ... so ... if the targeted page doesn't open "on 1st click", after the general page opens, click your "Refresh" button and the targeted page should then open).

At my own website, which is mirrored here at OkcTalk, if you want "vintage" downtown OKC stuff, click either http://www.dougloudenback.com/downto...ge/vintage.htm if you want a "vintage" introduction, or here, if you want to work from a map of downtown Okc: http://www.dougloudenback.com/downto...age/oldmap.htm

The OKC Metropolitan Library's historic stuff starts here: http://webinfo2.mls.lib.ok.us/okimag...CI=BeginSearch ... be sure to notice that, in addition to images, references exist to topical articles there ... it's a very good resource ... the articles there are nicely written and fascinating, if you like Okc history ... and they are not limited to "downtown" as my pages are.

Maybe this will help get you started on researching the fascinating history of Oklahoma City!

[Prunepicker]

Doug,
Thanks for the help. I don't know why I spelled Capitol Hill with an 'a'. Good grief. I'll get looking.
Prunepicker

[Prunepicker]

Hey,
While searching how to edit my account I just found in the options a way to turn off the signatures. It's much better now.
Prunepicker

[metro]

Enterprise Square USA, aren't they still around too? I could of swore I drove by there a year or so ago and was surprised they are still around. Isn't it in Edmond? If they're still open they sure don't do any advertising. They should take advantage of OKC's renaissance if they are.

[Martin]

enterprise square has been closed for nearly ten years. the building still exists, and i believe that oc now uses it as administration offices.

-M

[naash1a]

No one so far has mentioned the railroad bridge over western that was the target of all the graffiti at homecoming. An artsy friend of mine and her pals scraped off paint and made jewelry out of the layers before it was torn down.

~The Spirit of Oklahoma song was also sung by Scott Springfield of Yukon.

Tall Paul jingle brought me to this site during a surf session! Anyone have a link or a place where the jingle can be downloaded as the BC Clark Jingle?

BC Clark is proudly pressed onto my Ipod! Along with the commercial!

[Prunepicker]

No one so far has mentioned the railroad bridge over western that was the target of all the graffiti at homecoming. An artsy friend of mine and her pals scraped off paint and made jewelry out of the layers before it was torn down.

It seems to me that the bridge was not destroyed but saved. Wasn't it used as a public grafitti art during a downtown arts festival in the late 80's?

Prunepicker

[Chefdavies]

I also grew up in edmond. Born in 77. I remember my lil neighborhood (the trails), when nothing was around. My baby sitter road her horse to my house. There was nothing but a field where "trails north" is now. We use to shoot off model rockets there. I remember going to the playless cashways every saturday. I remember when "steve's rib" was just a wooden shack outside the then safeway, then moved inside, then moved into their own place in the strip next to the homeland, and now to their new location. I remember being able to "cruise" and "hangout" on broadway. My spot was the godfathers. I remember "pumps" on broadway, or when there was a MacDonalds on broadway. I remember having to decide whether to stay at North or wait a year and go to Santa Fe. Glad I stayed at north. Oh so many memories.

[veritas]

I also grew up in edmond. Born in 77. I remember my lil neighborhood (the trails), when nothing was around. My baby sitter road her horse to my house. There was nothing but a field where "trails north" is now. We use to shoot off model rockets there. I remember going to the playless cashways every saturday. I remember when "steve's rib" was just a wooden shack outside the then safeway, then moved inside, then moved into their own place in the strip next to the homeland, and now to their new location. I remember being able to "cruise" and "hangout" on broadway. My spot was the godfathers. I remember "pumps" on broadway, or when there was a MacDonalds on broadway. I remember having to decide whether to stay at North or wait a year and go to Santa Fe. Glad I stayed at north. Oh so many memories.

Grew up in Edmond too. You brought back some memories. I remember going on bike rides with my dad in the late 80's. If you went west on 15th past Santa Fe too far you were in the country. I also remember the Braum's in that area that got struck by lightening at 15th and Santa Fe and burned down.

For that matter, I remember seeing the '86 tornado go through Kelly Park (watched it out my dad's car window as we rushed to a storm shelter in downtown Edmond) right behind where the Braum's was.

Played soccer at the soccer fields off of Danforth and remember the dirt roads throughout the complex.

I was the crown bearer boy (6 years old at the time) for the 1987 Edmond Memorial Homecoming and I remember seeing what seemed like hundreds of high school students hanging out at 2nd street and Broadway by the old Safeway parking lot after the homecoming parade.

Good times.

[yukong]

naasha1:

The continental is gone. they tore it down a few months ago. I hated to see it go. that was the coolest theatre when it opened. That screen was huge and wrapped around the sides.

[the_Mont]

I was born at Hillcrest in Tulsa in 1981. We moved to Dallas soon after, but my mom and brother and I moved back to Oklahoma City in 1990.

I remember sitting on the old bleachers at All Sports Stadiums (that's what it was called, right) watching the 89ers. First game I ever went to they gave away mini wooden bats to all the kids. Baaaad idea!

I used to love going to Blazers' games at the "incomparable" Myriad. See if you remember these names- Simoni, Perry, Filiatrault (sp?), Smokin' Joe, Dupont, Boudreau, St. Jacque (and his huge underbite), Gomes, etc. Who did the YMCA at the second intermission, and remeber that Dancing Puck on the outdated Jumbotron? Easily the best game in town during the mid '90s. Jiminy Christmas!

I used to love to go to Spaghetti Wharehouse every year on my birthday. It was my favorite place! And those huge meatballs...

Anybody remember before the food court at Quail Springs Mall before they added the AMC Cinema? The current sitting area was non-existent. In it's place was a garden (at least it was supposed to be a garden), and a huge ground to ceiling glass wall occupied where the front of the theater is currently located. First movie I saw at AMC 24 was "You've Got Mail." I remember it was the place to be on Friday/Saturday nights in high school.

Remember the drag racing down 39th? Do they still do that?

I remember when Oklahoma City's only ice rink was Iceland in Bethany. What a dump. We played high school hockey there my senior year. Now we have Blazers Ice Centre and Arctic Edge (which just built a second rink on it's west side). Iceland was turned into an antique wharehouse a few years ago.

Anybody listen to 95X?

[solitude]

naasha1:

The continental is gone. they tore it down a few months ago. I hated to see it go. that was the coolest theatre when it opened. That screen was huge and wrapped around the sides.

Great theater. naasha1 said the Continental was a church after its days as a theater were over. Actually, she's thinking of the Westwood on 23rd street, the Continental was never a church.

[naash1a]

Great theater. naasha1 said the Continental was a church after its days as a theater were over. Actually, she's thinking of the Westwood on 23rd street, the Continental was never a church.

Uhm er aaaahh Just to clear up here Naash1a is a boy!

[Prunepicker]

naasha1:

The continental is gone. they tore it down a few months ago. I hated to see it go. that was the coolest theatre when it opened. That screen was huge and wrapped around the sides.

You probably remember seeing movies in Pan-a-Vision or Vista Vision. They were shot for a wide screen and the curve eliminated distortion at the edge of the screen. The cinema experience was far better than what we put up with today.

sigh...

Prunepicker

[naash1a]

Movie theatre have come to mind.

The May Theater on 16th & May, Now an antiques store. Saw Purple Rain there!
The Continental, now a church or was after being a theater
MacArthur Park 4, next door to Big Eds. Is Big Eds still there?

I read the mention of Linda Soundtrack but never her son SLUGGO!

Combined with the it's not Christmas till B.C. Clark hits the air thread...What about the OTASCO commercials with "Hi! I'm Timothy! See this and more exciting toys at Otasco!"

Any one remember the straight out of a mystery novel story when they drained the duck pond at Lake Hefner and found the car with the body from the 50's?

Read in one of the listings above about the movie TWISTER. The props department from the movie came to my grandmothers garage sale in Guthrie and bought a few things. One being an old oak toilet seat! Alas we have not been able to spot it on screen.

I am an in-betweener...School in Guthrie k-6 then moved to OKC , A big miss of mine is the 89'er day parade. Remember the buzz when it was broadcast live with Bob Eubanks was the M.C.

Naash1a <-- (me) Is an Okie native now living in Las Vegas.

[Prunepicker]

Any one remember the straight out of a mystery novel story when they drained the duck pond at Lake Hefner and found the car with the body from the 50's?

The duck pond mystery was from something that happened @ the mid 60's. The Cadillac was an early 60's. 1963 comes to mind.

Prunepicker

[zuluwarrior0760]

The duck pond mystery was from something that happened @ the mid 60's. The Cadillac was an early 60's. 1963 comes to mind.

Prunepicker

During construction of the Hefner Parkway, a culvert under a walking path was widened, causing the duck pond on the south side of hefner to drain, revealing the roof of a car. People notified authorities, they pulled it out and two skeletons were inside the mud filled car. This was 1990. The car was a 1963 Cadillac Fleetwood.

They traced the tag to a Robert G. Elston, whose wife, Margery Elston and his daughter 18 year old Melinda Elston had been missing since Nov 21, 1963. It didn't make big news in OKC because of something that happened in Dallas the next day.

The FBI thought the husband might have done away with her because she had just inherited big money. He took out a 2000.00 reward ad in the paper. His daughter the article said walked with a limp and spoke with a lisp, she was blonde and about 5'4, the mother was 5'5" with curly brown hair. She left her glasses at home took the daughter and they went to a store and to a friend's house in Nichols Hills. She was wearing 4,000.00 in Jewelry and had $700 in cash.

When they found the car, the husband was still alive and was notified in Arizona where he lived with his second wife. He was in his late 70's at that time.
He was relieved but couldn't come back due to poor health of his wife.
Their daughter came to OKC and buried the two after a wake at Hahn Cook Funeral Home.

The case was the oldest on the books in Warr Acres where they lived at the time.
There was alcohol in the car, but who knows if she was drunk. Sounds as if she just ran off the road into the pond......they actually drug parts of the lake, but not the little pond, back in 1963......

Oklahoman archives are great......

[naash1a]

Movie theatres have come to mind.

The May Theater on 16th & May, Now an antiques store. Saw Purple Rain there!
The Continental, now a church or was after being a theater
MacArthur Park 4, next door to Big Eds. Is Big Eds still there?

I read the mention of Linda Soundtrack but never her son SLUGGO!

Combined with the it's not Christmas till B.C. Clark hits the air thread...What about the OTASCO commercials with "Hi! I'm Timothy! See this and more exciting toys at Otasco!"

Any one remember the straight out of a mystery novel story when they drained the duck pond at Lake Hefner and found the car with the body from the 50's?

Read in one of the listings above about the movie TWISTER. The props department from the movie came to my grandmothers garage sale in Guthrie and bought a few things. One being an old oak toilet seat! Alas, we have not been able to spot it on screen.

I am an in-betweener...School in Guthrie k-6 then moved to OKC , A big miss of mine is the 89'er day parade. Remember the buzz when it was broadcast live with Bob Eubanks as the M.C.

Naash1a <-- (me) Is an Okie native now living in Las Vegas.

[bornhere]

Is it just my imagination, or was there a chain of BBQ restaurants here at one time called Underwood's? That may have been some other place I lived.

Update: Never mind. I Googled it... it was someplace else.

But does anyone remember "Jimmy Jo's New Old-Fashioned Spaghetti Warehouse in the Cedar City Shopping Center"?

[yukong]

Yes...there was an Underwood's BBQ in OKC. One was over on N. Penn. North of 23rd. Was great BBQ.

[Prunepicker]

Is it just my imagination, or was there a chain of BBQ restaurants here at one time called Underwood's?

There was one on S.W. 59th on the north side of the street near Western.

Prunepicker