Oklahoma City Memories

[muzique808]

However, you are definitely an Oklahoma Cityan if...

What a list, okcpulse. I guess that makes me a local. Except I didn't know how often they mowed by the river!

I was born in 1969 at St. Anthony's and haven't lived more than 5 miles of it for most of my life.

Great thread and memories from all.

[okcpulse]

Old Oklahoma City TV station line-up from an old TV Guide I found in my grandmother's magazine stack. TV Guide was from October 1985. I forgot they showed Knot's Landing at 8PM on KWTV 9 and Dukes of Hazard on KOKH-TV 25, and the Cosby Show on KTVY-TV 4 at 4:30PM. Here was the TV station line-up...

KTVY-4 (NBC) News 4 Signed off at 2AM
KOCO-5 (ABC) 5 Alive Signed off at 2AM
KWTV-9 (CBS) Newsline 9 Signed off at 2AM
KETA (OETA)-TV 13 (PBS) Signed off at 11:30PM
KOKH-TV 25 (Ind.) meaning no network affiliation
KGMC-TV 34 (Ind.)
KAUT-TV 43 (Ind.) All signed off at 12AM

KAUT-43 became KTLC-TV 43, a secondary PBS station in the early nineties and was actually a FOX affiliate for a short stint before FOX grabbed KOKH-TV 25. KGMC-TV 34 is now KOCB-34 (The WB).

[bedgraynexl]

Wow, this is a great thread

Lets see... I was born at Baptist in 1975

Some of the things not mentioned yet for northsiders most likely

Johnnies Night

Fun Skate night

The old Northside Soccer Fields before Lake Hefner Parkway was built

When the Lake Hefner Water Tower was Red and White Check and it being rebuilt for 89 Olympic Festival.

The old Kiddie Pond by Lake Hefner

Officer Rossi on his motorcycle in the Village

First job sacking groceries at Quail Plaza IGA, formerly Puddin' Lane

Martin Nature Park, Omniplex, and Enterprise Square USA field Trips (how different they seem now)

Crystals Pizza, Shotgun Sam's Pizza, Hemi's Pizza (can you tell I like pizza)

[carlinda50]

Re: OKC TV stations

Channel 4 was originally WKY and started broadcasting on June 9, 1949. Feds made Mr Gaylord choose between newspaper an TV station so OPUBCO had to sell station, it became KTVY before becoming KFOR.

Channel 9 KWTV ("World's Tallest Video") started broadcasting on Dec 20, 1953. Finished studio and new 1572 ft tower, 10/17/1954. It was, for 2 decades, the world's tallest man-made structure.

Channel 5 was originally an Enid station, KGEO (the owner was George somebody. Built a new tower near Crescent in 1957 to reach OKC better.
Station was bought by Cimarron Broadcasting, changed name to KOCO and moved to OKC. New station and tower at NW 50th and Portland opened in Nov 1958.

I also remember that Channel 25 operated briefly between '54 and '57 from the old Victoria theater. I don't remember the call letters. Does anyone?

[mranderson]

KOCO's studios were on the northwest corner of NW 63 and Portland. Not NW 50 and Portland. They were there until the mid 80's and sold the building to Paul Crouch who is the founder of Trinity Broadcasting. He operated KTBO from there until building a new studio near the other stations (except KSBI). That building (NW 63) was recently demolished. A two story medical center is now under construction on the site.

"Channel 25" is and always has been KOKH which stands for Keep Our Kids Happy. It was owned by the Oklahoma City Public School system.

[carlinda50]

I'll answer my own question - Channel 25 was KTVQ in 1955

[carlinda50]

"KOCO's studios were on the northwest corner of NW 63 and Portland. Not NW 50 and Portland."

Sorry about that, you are absolutely right. I don't know why I said 50th. I seem to recall my parents taking us to a "Grand Opening" of that Channel 5 station at NW63rd & Portland.

[Doug Loudenback]

Toddle House

I've mentioned it before but I didn't have more information. They had the best chocolate ice box pies in the world (or, at least, that part of it I knew of when I ate there in the late 50s, early 60s). The one I knew about was on NW 23 near OCU.

From Vanished Spendor, Vol 3, Item 507:

The “Toddle Houses” were a national chain of small cafes specializing in breakfast. Each tiny outlet was built to the same plan, and contained no tables, but merely a short counter with a row of stools. At one time there were three Oklahoma City locations: 1307 North Broadway, 329 Northwest Twenty-third, and 1221 North Walker. Former customers still remember the fluffy scrambled eggs prepared in a special way. Payment was on the honor system: customers deposited their checks with the correct amount in a box by the door on the way out. In business in Oklahoma City some thirty years, the Toddle Houses closed here in the 1960’s.

Here's the postcard, item 507, Vanished Splendor, Vol 3:

[writerranger]

Remember OKC ambulance service before AmCare and EMSA? There were numerous outfits that operated merely as transportation to the hospital. No paramedics, no nothing. There was a less than affectionate term used for these companies, but I'll not mention it in honor of good taste. Remember Pioneer Ambulance? They were run out of a house on Pioneer Street just West of May Avenue. They literally parked their ambulances in the front yard! Can anyone else remember the names of any of these ambulance services that served Oklahoma City?

[mranderson]

Remember OKC ambulance service before AmCare and EMSA? There were numerous outfits that operated merely as transportation to the hospital. No paramedics, no nothing. There was a less than affectionate term used for these companies, but I'll not mention it in honor of good taste. Remember Pioneer Ambulance? They were run out of a house on Pioneer Street just West of May Avenue. They literally parked their ambulances in the front yard! Can anyone else remember the names of any of these ambulance services that served Oklahoma City?

There was Gold Cross and Turner on the southside, and Demuth had one in the Britton area.

Yes. We have come a long way since the day they just stuffed them and ran.

[davido]

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.

[okcerintul]

I'll answer my own question - Channel 25 was KTVQ in 1955

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but KTVQ 25 was OKC's first ABC affiliate when KOCO (then KGEO) was still in Enid.

[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

[Kerry]

One name - Linda Soundtrack.

I was pretty young but everyone in my family hated her commercials although they didn't bother me. Then again - I was 8.

[FRISKY]

How about those Southwest Ford commercials. “That’s Incredible…no that’s Southwest Ford.” The original pitchman (can’t remember his name) was killed in a plane crash and he was replaced by another man who stayed with it for a long time...

The "pitchman" was Curt Scwartz. He died in a Delta crash at DFW in 1985.

Hello folks! This is my first post on this board. I hope you will forgive me for bumping this old thread…

I arrived at this site while searching for a 1985 Southwest Ford commercial “The High Plains Drifter, drifting into SW Ford” that showed an ultralight airplane landing in the parking lot. I was assisting Gene Bledsoe owner of the Hang-Glider Ultralight Shop and one of my best friends to film the commercial.

I can’t forget our conversation with Mr. Schwartz as the film crew was building the commercial from several different cuts of video they had filmed earlier in the day. Mr. Schwartz asked if we flew those “things” all the time, to which we replied, “Yes, it’s a lot of fun. Want to try it?” His response was, “You guys are crazy. You won’t ever catch me flying in one of those things. I won’t fly in anything smaller that a 747.” His statement was ironic because he was killed a few weeks later in the Aug. 2 crash of Delta Flight 191 in Dallas.

[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!

[FRISKY]

The old Northside Soccer Fields before Lake Hefner Parkway was built

There were a couple of gun ranges located north and east of Hefner lake before the soccer fields were built.