00:00:00Interviewer: Georgia Smith (GS)
Interviewee: Carolyn Webb (CW)
Other Persons: Bob Webb (BW)
Date of Interview: September 14th, 2020
Location: Bristow, Creek County Oklahoma
Transcriber: Macy Shields
Organization: Bristow Historical Society, Inc.
Original Cassette Tape Location:
Abstract: In this 2020 interview, Carolyn Webb shares about her life and
involvement during her years of growing up in Bristow. She discusses all of the
Main Street businesses and their locations, along with her experience growing up
in the Main Street restaurant that her family owned. Carolyn shares about her
love for her town and how fortunate she feels to have grown up and continue to
reside in Bristow.
Preface: The following oral history testimony is the result of a cassette tape
interview and is part of the Bristow Historical Society, Inc.'s collection of
oral histories. The interview was transcribed and processed by the Bristow
Historical Society, Inc., with financial assistance from the Montfort Jones &
Allie Brown Jones Foundation. Rights to the material are held exclusively by the
Bristow Historical Society, Inc.
The reader should bear in mind that he or she is reading a verbatim transcript
of spoken, rather than written prose. Insofar as possible, this transcript tries
to represent the spoken word. Thus, it should be read as a personal memoir and
not as either a researched monograph or edited account.
To the extent possible, the spelling of place names, foreign words, and personal
names have been verified, either by reference resources or directly by the
interviewee. In some cases, a footnote has been added to the transcript in order
to provide more information and/or to clarify a statement. Some uncertainties
will inevitably remain regarding some words and their spellings. In these
scenarios, a (ph) follows a word or name that is spelled phonetically. The
notation [indecipherable] is used when the transcriber has not been able to
comprehend the word or phrase being spoken. The notation [inaudible] is used
where there is more mumbling than words, or when interference on the tape has
made transcription impossible.
GS: This is Georgia Smith continuing Carolyn Webb's interview. Today is
September 14th, 2020 and we were interrupted by the battery going dead on the
recorder again. So we've replaced a new batteries and we're going to concentrate
on her restaurant experiences that her family owned, and her recollection of the
businesses because this woman has those Main Street businesses down. So that's
going to be our main concentration here as we go back into finishing this
interview. So I'm gonna move this over here and okay. I'll sit over here. So
Carolyn we were talking about when you were a child and you-- your dad bought
the restaurant there on North Main. What was the name of that restaurant?
CW: Stacy's Café.
GS: Stacy's Café. By the way is that where you got the name for your son?
00:01:00
CW: Yes--
GS: Stacy?
CW: --he's named after my dad.
GS: Okay.
CW: Yes.
GS: Very nice. Tell me, about how old were you when your dad got the café?
CW: Probably five or six.
GS: And what are your recollections of that time?
CW: Oh, I enjoyed it. My mother worked out there too, so I was up there most of
the time. They-- I knew all the people that came in for coffee and to eat. The
(Indecipherable) was just around the corner and down the street from us. So they
came up for-- all those men came up for coffee and I remember so many of 'em.
Hank Titus's (ph) daddy was in there. Mr. Neighbors, James Neighbors that taught
00:02:00at the school. He worked there in the summertime. Anyway, they would all come up
for coffee and pick at me and I loved it. And--
GS: Was he a pretty young man back then?
CW: Oh yes. He was a very young man, probably hadn't been teaching very long and
then also, Creeco Mill wasn't far from our café. And some of the people in
there came up for lunch and I remember the Mayes (ph) boys. They were hard
working farmers and they worked down at Creeco Mill for Pete Foster and Bud
Goodroad and I can remember what they ate every day. They came in at noon,
they'd eat a bowl of stew and a cold steak sandwich.
GS: Ah!
CW: 'Cause they worked so hard.
GS: Yeah.
CW: I remember so many of the people up there. Mr. Ford that had Ford's hardware
that lived-- that was just a few blocks down-- or a few stores down from us. He
00:03:00came in for coffee. Clara Bond, she was the secretary there. She came in for
coffee, so many of the people came in--
GS: Was she a young woman?
CW: Oh yes, uh-huh.
GS: I think they lived on Third Street for a while. Did they-- did she live on
Third Street with her son Steve Bond?
CW: Now this lady did not have a son, she wasn't married.
GS: Okay, this is a different Bond then.
CW: She was-- yeah, she was-- Kenneth DeMoss's aunt. He was-- anyway there was
just so many people that we knew everybody up and down that block for sure.
GS: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
CW: One of my friends, her daddy had a pool hall-- well I guess it's called a
pool hall-- across the street off of Eighth and Main on the north side. And
00:04:00when-- she was my age, a year older and we played together a lot and (Cough)
excuse me. When they didn't have customers in there like in the day time, I
would go over there and she and I would play shuffle board, and we would play in
the (chuckling) in their store room. And--
GS: Oh, how fun!
CW: I know it was just--
GS: How fun!
CW: --like a big family all in one block.
GS: Now where was that restaurant located?
CW: The one that we had--
GS: Stacy's.
CW: --Stacy's. Okay, it was right on the alley across from what is the cleaners
now? On north Main.
GS: The Clean Bean?
CW: Yes. It's right across the alley from there. Uh-huh.
GS: Okay. Okay.
CW: Yeah, it was-- that was the busiest place you ever did see. That whole block.
GS: I bet it was.
CW: And there was-- on the alley where The Clean Bean is?
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: There was, right behind it was Farr's Taxi Service.
GS: Okay.
CW: And they had a fleet of taxi's I don't remember how many--
GS: Wow.
CW: Yeah! It was and Mr. and Mrs. L.L Farr -- I believe. And I rode around with
00:05:00the taxi drivers.
GS: Oh my goodness!
(Laughter)
GS: You did have a fun childhood!
CW: I did! I did! And you know, we didn't think a thing about it. I'd ride in
the front seat with them and then they would be just. They were busy all day in
the evening and I just-- something to do instead of staying there in the café.
GS: Yep, yep.
CW: And you know, you didn't worry about anything like that.
GS: Yeah.
CW: I just rode around in that smoky car. Everybody smoked back then. And felt
like I was real uptown, you know.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: So--
GS: So how old were you when your dad left that café and went to the Golden Eagle?
CW: I think I was probably twelve, something like that.
GS: Okay and where was--
CW: Ten, maybe, maybe younger.
GS: Where was the Golden Eagle located?
CW: Okay. On the corner of Sixth and Main it's where the D&D Office Supply is now.
GS: Okay.
CW: Oh and that was a great café too because it was busy all the time since
00:06:00Main Street went right through. The railroad men came and ate in our café
regularly. You know, they had a stop there.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: The trains were going by all the time and they picked on me.
(Laughter)
CW: This is a funny story. One time I was walking down to the-- down Sixth
Street to the skating rink and I'd been working at the café all day and then I
was getting ready to go skating that evening. So, this had been a Saturday
night, so I got down there as far as the railroad tracks and the train men all
got off the train and one of them picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: And I was screaming and a kicking all the way carrying me clear back up to
the café.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: I was so mad because I had to walk that extra half a block!
00:07:00
(Laughter)
CW: But that's the kind of life I had. It was--
GS: Ah!
CW: --I mean I couldn't have asked for anything any better.
GS: No, I don't think you could.
CW: And then at night, I would-- the City had a contract with daddy to furnish
the dinner for the jail, the guys in jail. I hate to call 'em prisoners, but
anyway-- 'cause they was locals. But anyway we would fix up a dinner plate full
of really good food and a little type of a tin cup for their coffee and I would
carry that up to the jail. I would go up the alley from Sixth Street up the ally
to Eighth Street on the ally to the jail. And the jail and the fire station was
all in one little bitty office there. And I would carry that in and then I would
sit and visit with Huey Gay (ph), he was the Chief of Police and of course
00:08:00that's a little smoked filled room too. And then Lloyd Frump was the fireman--
Fire Chief.
GS: Now was that at Eighth and Main where City Hall was?
CW: Yeah, it was right behind the City Hall building.
GS: Oh, it was behind City Hall?
CW: Uh-huh. Right behind it.
GS: Okay.
CW: Before you get to the alley. And I would carry their dinner up to those
prisoners and then I would sit there and visit with Huey (ph) or Lloyd Frump
until they'd get through and then I'd take the dishes back to the café. And
sometimes it would be dark in the winter time and man I'd run down that alley
because my sister would tell me-- said, "If those jail men see you, they're
gonna come and get you when they're out of there."
GS: (Laughter)
CW: So I would run in the dark back to the café with those--
GS: Very ornery sister.
CW: Yeah, yeah.
GS: Were you afraid when you were there at the jail?
CW: Oh no. No, I was-- I was at home in the--
GS: Yeah.
CW: I'd sit there in the chair with-- in that little ole smoke filled, one room
00:09:00talking to whoever was in there, the policeman or you know.
GS: Uh-huh, uh-huh.
CW: Back then you didn't have to worry about anything--
GS: That kids have--
CW: --out of line--
GS: --to worry about today.
CW: No, no, no. (Indecipherable), I mean everybody was my friend.
GS: Yeah, yeah.
CW: Yeah.
GS: That's a wonderful time to have grown up.
CW: Oh, I was lucky. Yeah.
GS: Yeah. Okay, so any other café experiences before we start on the Main
Street businesses?
CW: I remember-- I remember the customers. I'm a tell you about this one because
his-- Mr. Henshaw, Frank Henshaw. He was a really nice gentleman and he was the
night watchmen at the county barn south of town and he came in every morning
after he would get off, midmorning and every morning he ordered liver and onions.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: And he left me a ten cent tip. He was so nice.
GS: Ah.
CW: And he has family still here in town, that's why I'm bringing his name up.
GS: Okay.
CW: Anyway, just wonderful family, the Henderson's-- Henshaw's.
GS: Henshaw's. Was that with an H-I or an H-E do you know?
00:10:00
CW: H-E I think.
GS: H-E.
CW: Henshaw, yeah. And oh another customer that we had that was interesting was
Inez and Mr. Bishop. Anyway, they were probably the wealthiest people in town.
They had their own little bank in a real old two story building behind Penny's
at that time.
GS: Okay.
CW: Yeah, we borrowed money from 'em. That's how I know they had a bank
(Laughter). Anyway, they came in and ate in the evening on their way home. And
they always ordered a bowl of stew and a piece of pie and they ate their pie
first in case they got full, before they finished their stew. It was just, you
00:11:00know it was just wonderful memories I have of all these people.
GS: Yeah, yeah.
CW: So.
GS: When did your dad leave the restaurant?
CW: We had to close it down because daddy's health was really bad--
GS: Ah.
CW: --and the café needed a lot of repair work and we couldn't get the owner to
do the repairs. He lived in California and we didn't know him, and we didn't
even have conversations with him. He used a realtor here in town and daddy just
couldn't stand that realtor--
GS: Hmm.
CW: --and anyway. Because she wouldn't see about getting anything done so we
just had to close it. We didn't sell it or anything.
GS: Didn't sell it--
CW: We just had to close.
GS: Ah.
CW: Uh-huh.
GS: That's sad.
CW: Yeah! It was.
GS: Part of history gone.
CW: Yeah, and then I started working for my uncle that had the café on north
that we used to have. Whitey's Café
GS: Okay! It was in the same location, okay.
CW: Yeah.
GS: I didn't realize that.
CW: Uh-huh.
GS: Okay.
CW: It was the same one and I worked-- I'd run down from the school and work for
my lunch and I was telling-- we had the honor system. Uncle Whitey would cook up
00:12:00a whole bunch of hamburgers, put 'em in a basket right next to the cash
register. Then he would run the cash register and high school boys, or whoever
would grab their hamburgers and pay and leave, and that's on the honors system.
And there wasn't a whole lot of honor to it. But that was--
GS: So he gave out a lot of free hamburgers, didn't he?
CW: Yeah. Yeah he sure did. But that's what--
GS: He was good hearted.
CW: That's what I did for my lunch and then I worked for him on a Saturday. All
day on Saturday. Oh let me tell you this. In the kitchen-- of course that was
back before we-- it was little bitty dive, so we didn't have dishwasher or
anything. We had just tubs with actual flame underneath it for the heating the
00:13:00wash water.
GS: Oh wow! Uh-huh.
CW: That's where I washed dishes, you know. So I'd wash dishes in there and one
day I had on a real full skirt and my skirt caught fire.
GS: Oh, my word!
CW: Yeah, the wind blew my skirt under that and caught fire.
GS: Oh my goodness.
CW: And I just whacked it out with my hands.
(Laughter)
CW: And kept working. Mother later was able to-- it was a big full skirt. She
was able to patch it. She of course, she had made it for me.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: That's just stuff that happened, you know.
GS: Uh-huh, uh-huh. That's a wonderful story.
CW: Oh, I've got a million. I'll run another battery out for ya!
GS: (Laughing) I hope not, 'cause I didn't bring another set. Okay, so did we
get your uncle's name that you worked for that had the café? What was his name?
CW: Whitey Masters.
GS: Whitey Masters.
CW: Uh-huh.
GS: Okay. Alright, and before the tape went dead, we talked about you went to
school here, you graduated from Bristow. You went to grade school at Washington.
00:14:00
CW: Yes.
GS: What year did you graduate?
CW: '57.
GS: In '57.
CW: Uh-huh.
GS: And what did you do after graduation?
CW: I went to a business school in Tulsa.
GS: Okay.
CW: Uh-huh. And I rode back and forth with my cousin, Jimmy Masters (ph). He--
he had several people riding to Tulsa with him and I paid him to drive back and
forth to Tulsa. He let me out at the business school and then after school, I
worked there too after I was out of classes. Mailing out envelopes and stuff
like that for 'em so I worked for part of my--
GS: Schooling.
CW: --business school. Uh-huh.
GS: Well good and so what did you do when you finished that?
CW: Oh, I was so lucky. I went to work at the gas company.
GS: Oh, very nice.
CW: Yeah. I was in the restroom in the business school.
00:15:00
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And I just happened to be in one of those--
GS: The right place at the right time.
CW: Yeah, at the right time.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: And I heard two of the ladies-- two of the girls that were in school too,
talking about-- there was a new job opening at Oklahoma Natural Gas and they
were gonna-- one of 'em was gonna go up there and see about it tomorrow. So soon
as they got out of there, I got out of there and I went up and applied for it,
and I got the job.
GS: And where was that? In Tulsa?
CW: Yeah, it was downtown in Tulsa. Big, beautiful building and I loved-- I
worked there for a year and I just loved it.
GS: Ah.
CW: But this was before-- and then I got married while I worked there and then
got pregnant and this was before Women's Lib this is hard to believe.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: I worked on the first floor in the sales department as the secretary. But
00:16:00you could not wear maternity clothes on the first four floors. So when I was
four months pregnant and started wearing maternity clothes, I had to leave.
GS: Oh. How. Ridiculous.
CW: I know it! I know it. And anyway, we moved and Bob got fired from his job.
He worked for a stationary company.
GS: Oh!
CW: There I was, four months pregnant, got fired, and Bob was fired. We moved
back to Bristow and Lonnie Mcgall (ph) had the M&P grocery store, hired Bob.
And-- but I was able to draw unemployment because they had to let me go.
GS: They dismissed you. Yeah! Because heaven forbid you looked pregnant!
(Laughter)
CW: I know! And oh I loved that job so much.
GS: Ah.
CW: They were really good people and every month they would take-- they called
'em the ONG's they'd take a nice big air conditioned bus full of the women that
00:17:00worked there, out to country clubs for lunch and stuff like that once a month.
GS: Oh how nice!
CW: Yeah. I was really--
GS: Yeah.
CW: Oh, I thought I was big time wearing my Springolator shoes--
GS: (Laughter)
CW: --high heels flopping around. But that's how we moved back to Bristow.
GS: Okay and so what did you both do once you got back here in Bristow.
CW: Well I had-- I had the baby and Bob worked at the M&P.
GS: And that was Robby right?
CW: Yeah, Robby. And then I went to work at the Garment Factory.
GS: Okay, so your husband had the M&P?
CW: He worked there.
GS: He worked at the M&P Grocery Store.
CW: Yeah. Uh-huh and then I went to work at the garment factory and got a
babysitter and she was wonderful. Ruby Holloway, in fact she ended up raising
all three of my kids.
GS: Wow.
CW: Yeah. She was like their grandma. But I-- when I was working at the Garment
Factory, I got fired. Well they-- they called it laid off. If you worked three
months, you could get in the union.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And so you-- they let me go before I got in the union. I wasn't good at it
00:18:00anyway. Run a needle through my finger and had to have the girl next to me back
it out.
GS: Oh!
CW: And I wasn't good at it, so.
GS: Oh.
CW: And I thought the world was gonna end. I thought, we're gonna starve to death.
GS: Ah.
CW: But, it was the best thing every happened to me. And then later I got a job
at the Chamber of Commerce. Worked at the Chamber of Commerce and I enjoyed
that. Then I found out about the job with the USDA-- The Department of
Agriculture out at the Farm Center Building and luckily I got that job. And so I
worked there thirty-three years.
GS: I remember that job!
CW: Yeah, yeah.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: So, I've been really, really fortunate, you know.
GS: You have been.
CW: Yeah.
GS: You have been. So when did-- didn't Bob have the grocery store where the
daycare center is now on South Chestnut?
CW: Yeah. He worked at the M&P and then where Williams is now--
GS: Yes.
CW: --they moved down there and well that was-- the M&P caught on fire.
GS: Okay.
CW: And one evening. And the next morning-- yeah he was working there, yeah.
How'd that go? I should have him tell you all that. Anyway, he and his mother
went in and bought the grocery store, Bob's Grocery on South Chestnut. Aaron
00:19:00Willeford did own it. We bought it from him.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And Bob and his mother ran that. Yeah.
GS: Okay and how long did you have that store?
00:20:00
CW: I don't know, it-- several years and Bob built on to it and made it larger.
He can tell you more about that.
GS: Yeah, yeah.
CW: But anyway, we've been lucky our whole lives. We've been fortunate.
GS: Okay, what did Bob do after he got rid of the store?
CW: Then he went in-- he became a salesman for institutional type foods, yeah.
GS: Oh okay. Okay. Alright, so anything else on any of that you wanna add?
CW: I'm sure there is, I could talk your leg off.
GS: (Laughter) Okay. Do you want to go back to naming the businesses or not?
CW: Yeah!
GS: Okay.
CW: If you're interested in that.
GS: Yeah. I think that's a good thing for us to have.
CW: Okay.
GS: You wanna start back down there from Third--
00:21:00
CW: Mm-hmm.
GS: --and Main at the railroad tracks. Just-- we'll start with the Ice Plant, I guess.
CW: Okay, well the Lumber Yard was the first commercial building there at
First-- I mean Third and Main.
GS: Okay.
CW: And then across from that.
GS: Just north of it.
CW: Just north was the Ice Plant.
GS: Okay.
CW: And after the railroad tracks was Hamburger King then there was a tin shop
there. Patsy Humphrey's husband ran that.
GS: Mm-hmm.
CW: And then across the little driveway ally there was the J&J. Then north of it
on the same street was-- there was J&J Sundry that some of the Abraham's ran.
And later it was a laundromat.
GS: Oh okay.
CW: Yeah, so it--
GS: I don't remember that.
CW: And then even later than that it was import export thing that some people
had. Okay, now across the street north, there was a little bitty building there
00:22:00and it used to be-- some people had a little photo shop where you'd go in--
GS: Oh is that what was in that?
CW: Yeah. It was little tiny--
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: --building. And then there was a business office. I think Mr. Earnhardt (ph)
had it. I think he was like in the oil business or something. Then there was the
feed store, Sukovaty Feed Store. And then there was Brouse's Shoe Store and then
there was a grocery store-- well shoot I can't think of that man's name, Syrian.
And then Mr. Cash (ph) had a resale shop there. I think it's mostly just a place
for him to park. He had a big rocking chair right in the middle of the front
door and sat there (Chuckling).
GS: Oh how fun.
CW: And he slept some and he may have sold some I don't know.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: Then there was the café north of it called the "You need a lunch".
00:23:00
GS: I think that's a hilarious name--
CW: Yeah.
GS: "You need a lunch".
CW: And then next to it was Thorpe Grocery and next to Thorpe's Grocery was Pop
Arthurs Grocery Store and then our Café.
GS: The Golden Eagle.
CW: The Gold Eagle.
GS: Gold. I always want to put that E-N on there.
CW: That's alright.
GS: There is no E-N. It's Gold Eagle.
CW: The Gold Eagle.
GS: Okay.
CW: And then across from it north across the street was Stone's Hardware and
Henderson's had a furniture store in there for a while. And then there was Lyons
Café and then there was Cahill's Drug Store and then there was the Walmur
Theatre and I was trying to think what was next to it. Maybe the Playmore Pool
00:24:00Hall was there. And Rosemary LeForce's daddy ran that--
GS: Okay.
CW: And Mr. Cross very nice gentlemen. He used to drink coffee in our Gold Eagle
Café. And then next to it was Doc Smith's Drugstore right on the corner.
GS: Okay.
CW: Across the street from Doc Smith's Drugstore was the play-- it was called
The Club. It was a (Indecipherable) pool hall and it opened catawampus in the street.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: That's where my daddy and his brothers hung out--
GS: (Laughter)
CW: I love telling this story. And my grandma called it the "Glory Hole" and she
00:25:00was always wanting it to burn down. She would pray it would burn down--
GS: (Laughter) And it did didn't it?
CW: It finally did but I don't think she did it.
(Laughter)
CW: Anyway, next to it was a café called The Harvey House.
GS: And that's not related to the--
CW: No. Not--
GS: -- Harvey House associated with railroads--
CW: No--
GS: --right?
CW: There last name just happened to be Harvey.
GS: Okay.
CW: So they took advantage of that.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And then next to it Mrs. Masco (ph) had somewhere in there, she had a candy
shop. A little bitty candy shop.
GS: Well.
CW: All kinds of candy.
GS: Okay.
CW: I don't-- I'm talking about hard candy, you know.
GS: Right.
CW: Not chocolates or anything.
GS: Yeah.
CW: Anyway and then there was the drug store called the S&M Drugstore.
GS: K.
CW: And next to it Mr. Parrot (ph) had a-- there was two-- two automotive stores
there side by side.
GS: And we're between Seventh and Eighth street now, aren't we?
00:26:00
CW: Yes.
GS: Yes, I thought so. Okay.
CW: Yes. Uh-huh. Had those two stores and then there was the Princess Theatre.
GS: Yes. Uh-huh.
CW: Okay, and then next to the Princess Theatre right on the corner was Kemps
Drug Store.
GS: Okay.
CW: And across the street north was Penny's.
GS: Yes.
CW: Oh wait, I told you wrong. Ms. Masco (ph) had that little-- that little
candy shop was up there next to Penny's in a little-- little breezeway type thing.
GS: Oh it was next to Penny's?
CW: Yeah.
GS: Okay.
CW: Instead of in the other block. Yeah. There was Penny's and then there was
Ford's hardware and then there was a machine shop type thing. I don't know-- in
there. There was some people had that rented, I guess he fixed small machines,
lawn mowers and stuff.
GS: I'm just gonna decline that. I'm sorry it's going off I should have done that.
CW: Should I keep going?
GS: Yes, go on.
CW: Okay, and then next to that was JT Woods insurance office.
GS: Okay.
00:27:00
CW: And I think that's maybe where Bolin Ford is now. And then right next to
that was our little Stacy's Café.
GS: You mean the Bolin Ford real estate?
CW: Real estate. Yeah, real estate. I'm-- yeah and then we had Stacy's café
next to that.
GS: Okay.
CW: And across the ally north from that was-- I don't remember what was in that
first building. I know-- well Farr's had that and I think their oldest son Sandy
Farr and his wife and baby lived in that-- what's The Clean Bean now.
GS: Okay.
CW: And down below that-- well let me finish. Next to The Clean Bean or next to
that was another grocery store--
GS: Okay.
CW: --if you can imagine.
(Laughter)
CW: And then--
GS: Lots of grocery stores.
CW: Yeah, and then next to that was Joe Mounce's--
GS: Now we're between Ninth and Tenth now.
CW: Yeah.
00:28:00
GS: Aren't we?
CW: And Joe Mounce's on the filling station and all. And it's still standing there.
GS: Okay.
CW: Okay, back behind where Farr's lived-- that little couple was Farr's Taxi
Stand. And they had a fleet of taxis.
GS: Hard to imagine in Bristow.
CW: I know. Probably three big fleet. Anyway, they stayed busy all the time.
GS: Wow.
CW: And L.L. Farr and his wife, they were really nice people. And I rode around,
because I was in the café all the time-- for something to do, I rode around
with the taxi men.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: I'd ride up--
GS: I just can't imagine that.
CW: Yeah! I rode in the front seat with 'em and of course the taxis were all
smoke filled, you know. Everybody smoked back then.
GS: Yeah.
CW: And I thought it was just wonderful. And we would-- I'd ride with them to
pick up their affairs. And anyway, we just-- I had the best childhood anybody
00:29:00could have.
GS: Oh, it sounds like you did. Oh! This is very nice. Carolyn's husband just
brought in a certificate and a flag. It says, "The flag of the United States of
America. This is to certify that the accompanying flag was flown over the US
Capitol on September 15th, 2017 at the request of honorable Barbara Lee, member
of congress. This flag was flown in honor of Bob and Carolyn's eightieth
birthdays and appreciation for their love of family and friends. The love, care
and attention to the farmlands you are blessed to call home, and your dedication
and commitment to your community and country are highly appreciated. You are
truly Americans." And it was signed, Steven T. Ayers, architect of the capitol.
00:30:00That is very nice and that is a huge flag.
BW: And I'm gonna hang it for the first time now.
GS: Oh! How awesome. I'll have to get a picture of it. (Laughter)
CW: Our kids had that done for us.
GS: Oh how wonderful!
CW: Yeah.
GS: Well that was a very nice tribute. I didn't know you could do such a thing.
Okay, so we were between Ninth and Tenth.
CW: Okay. (Laughter) I don't remember what the building was. It was-- at one
time it was Chevrolet Garage.
GS: Oh, yes.
CW: Okay.
GS: And I should remember, before Cunningham's--
CW: Yeah.
GS: --I should remember who had it, but I don't at the moment.
CW: I don't either. And there was a business office in there somewhere. Mont
00:31:00McGehee had.
GS: Okay.
CW: And then-- oh geez, I don't remember. Okay.
GS: Yeah, okay. So--
CW: That's as far as I go.
GS: --let's jump across the street now to the west side. Can you remember
anything on the west side?
CW: The library.
GS: Yeah.
CW: Yeah.
GS: At Tenth and Main?
CW: Tenth and Main. Yeah, that was the Public Library.
GS: K, and we're gonna go south.
CW: Coming down Main Street south, okay. Was the library, and the school--the schoolyard.
GS: Yeah.
CW: And then across the street from that--
GS: And that was Edison Elementary--
CW: Edison.
GS: --right?
CW: Edison, yeah.
GS: Okay.
CW: And then across the street-- okay, across the street from that was, I think
it was called Glen Cliff (ph) there was a ice cream store there.
GS: Yes.
CW: When we were young.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: Uh-huh. And next to it south was Bush's Highway Café.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And then their locker plant was next door to that.
GS: I've forgotten about that.
CW: And then Strong's Grocery Store.
00:32:00
GS: And Shoe Store.
CW: Well the shoe store was next to the grocery store.
GS: I did not know that!
CW: I think they were maybe brothers. Yeah, there was a grocery--
GS: No, I have heard that--
CW: Okay.
GS: --now that you said that.
CW: Yeah, Strong's and then the grocery store, and then there was Eddie's-- I
think the name of it was Eddie's café. It was--
GS: Eddie Nesser
CW: Nesser! Yeah. Nesser's Café and that's where everybody would go-- I don't--
he was Syrian--
GS: Yes.
CW: --or Lebanese, whatever. And that's where we would go to buy the little
sacks of tabbouleh wheat.
GS: Okay!
CW: And make tabbouleh. That's--
GS: Okay.
CW: That was the outlet there.
GS: I didn't know that--
CW: Yeah.
GS: --they sold that. I interviewed them for our Lebanese display and that
didn't come up--
CW: Oh yeah!
GS: --so that's interesting--
CW: You could go in there--
GS: --to know.
CW: Yeah. You'd go in there and buy just a little sack full. Enough to make a tabbouleh.
GS: Well.
CW: And then after that was the Stanford's Dress Shop.
00:33:00
GS: Yes.
CW: And after that was the place I said my friend had-- daddy had the pool hall
there. And when they weren't busy we'd go in there and play shuffle board and stuff.
GS: (Laughter)
CW: And then next to it was the-- the grocery store, Safeway.
GS: Was Safeway not on the east side?
CW: Hmm-mm.
GS: It was on the west side first?
CW: It was on the corner where the--
GS: I'll be.
CW: --doctor's office is now, that was Safeway.
GS: Okay, and now I guess later on in years it moved over to the--
CW: Uh-huh. Yeah.
GS: I'll be; I did not know that.
CW: Yeah, that was Safeway. And oh, what's the name of those people that they
both passed away now. Did so much for our town, her daddy ran it. The big place
out west of town? Anyway it was-- his name was Red Wallace (ph)--
00:34:00
GS: Okay.
CW: --that ran Safeway.
GS: Okay.
CW: And okay then, across the street from that I remember it didn't go way, way
back but it was Bonnie's Beauty Supply--
GS: Yes.
CW: Beauty Shop at one time.
GS: Yes, I remember Bonnie's.
CW: Okay and then the Jewelry Store was--
GS: Harvats--
CW: Yeah, it was Searcy's before it was Harvats. When I was a kid it was Searcy's.
GS: How do you spell that?
CW: I don't know. S-E-R-C-Y. I don't know.
GS: Okay.
CW: But I'll tell you who it would-- Todd-- I'll be darn.
GS: I hate it when I can't think of names.
CW: I know it. I know it.
GS: And it happens a lot.
CW: Todd Herman.
GS: Okay!
CW: It was his grandparents.
GS: Okay.
CW: Were the Searcy's.
GS: I'll be.
CW: And they had that jewelry store. And then there was the bakery.
GS: Yes.
CW: And then BF Goodrich.
GS: Where the parking lot is now?
CW: Yeah. BF Goodrich and it was a big busy place.
GS: Yes.
00:35:00
CW: And, let's see.
GS: Wasn't there a dress store?
CW: Oh, The Globe. Wait, well first was--
GS: Patton's?
CW: Wait, first was Woolworth (ph).
GS: Yeah.
CW: It was Woolworth.
GS: Yeah, Woolworth.
CW: Yeah and then Patten's was next door to Woolworth. Yeah.
GS: Yeah.
CW: And the grocery-- and the-- I guess. Oh! Next-- well hmm. The Globe Dress
Shop was there.
GS: I was thinking The Globe was the block before, but I guess I'm wrong.
CW: This is between Eighth and Seventh.
GS: Seventh, okay. Okay.
CW: Isn't it?
GS: So--
CW: Wait, am I getting mixed up?
GS: Okay, Harvats is between Seventh and Eighth.
CW: Mm-hmm.
GS: Was The Globe next to Harvats?
CW: No, I think you're right.
GS: It was on up there by Strong's wasn't it somewhere?
CW: Huh-uh.
GS: No?
CW: Could you stop a second, let's see. Anyway, somewhere along in there was
00:36:00Woolworth was--
GS: Yeah.
CW: Great ole big store.
GS: It was between Sixth and Seventh. No, Seventh and Eighth, sorry. It was
between Seventh and Eighth, Woolworth was.
CW: Okay, well then The Globe was next to that.
GS: Okay.
CW: And then there was the Man's Clothier next to that.
GS: I don't remember that one.
CW: Yeah it was Silver's Men's Dress-- Men's Store.
GS: Okay.
CW: And The Globe and Silver's were both Jewish people that had upper class--
you know, clothing was more expensive.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And then there was the law offices. Arthurs, McMillian--
GS: Okay.
CW: Blackstock--
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: Okay, then go across the street on the other side was the American National Bank.
00:37:00
GS: At Seventh and Main?
CW: Seventh and Main.
GS: On the west side?
CW: Yeah and next to it was the Rexall Drugstore.
GS: Mm-hmm.
CW: Next to it was Anthony's. C.R. Anthony's.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And then there was the barber shop in there.
GS: Yes.
CW: Hmm.
GS: OGE was on the corner wasn't it?
CW: They were on the corner but there was something in between there.
GS: M-kay (Inaudible)
CW: At one time there was a dress shop in there called Mode O'Day.
GS: Yes. Was it Sears maybe?
CW: No.
GS: No.
CW: No, Sears was across the street in one of those-- about where Lyons Café
was or something.
GS: Oh.
CW: You know. Anyway, then across the street south was the Community State Bank.
GS: At Sixth and Main?
CW: Sixth and Main and going south was American Café and there were Shamas's on
00:38:00that farther down.
GS: Yes.
CW: And there was a little café called Mrs. Knot's Café. And there was a
little bar there.
GS: I remember that.
CW: Uh-huh and I may have left something out, but on the corner was Tex Slyman's
mother and daddy's grocery store.
GS: Oh!
CW: On the corner-- on the corner of Fifth and Main.
GS: On the north side of Fifth and Main? On the north side of--
CW: Uh-huh.
GS: Uh-huh. I'll be.
CW: Yeah.
GS: Where the parking lot is now.
CW: Yes, that was--
GS: Okay.
CW: --Slyman's Café.
GS: Okay!
CW: I mean not café--
GS: Grocery--
CW: --Grocery Store.
GS: Okay.
CW: Then across the street was-- on the corner of Fifth and Main was the filling
station. Conoco Filling Station. And then next to it, he had a big place where
he had rubber tires and stuff. Mr. Price did and then next to it was the bus
00:39:00station, the Greyhound Bus Station. And next to it was a big filling station.
Maybe their name was-- I don't know. Anyway, there was a big filling station
there on the corner.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: Of--
GS: Fourth and Main.
CW: --Fourth and Main. Mm-hmm.
GS: Well gosh, that's a wonderful memory.
CW: Yeah.
GS: I-- you had to grow up on Main Street--
CW: Oh yeah!
GS: --to be able to remember all of that.
CW: 'Cause I walked it every day.
GS: Yeah.
CW: You know.
GS: I couldn't tell you what the businesses were--
CW: Yeah.
GS: --up and down Main. When I was a kid-- I mean when you're talking, I can
recall some of it.
CW: And I remember now another place too, I left out both of them. On the east
side along there by the Walmur Theatre was--
00:40:00
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: Shoe shop.
GS: Oh!
CW: And it was Wenzloff. She used to work at the high school as a librarian.
Wenzloff Shoe Shop. It's called Angel's.
GS: Okay.
CW: And I think that was because that was his wife's maiden name, and maybe her
daddy had it before him.
GS: Before him.
CW: And across the street from it, I left that out. By Anthony's was Red Bird
Shoe Shop.
GS: When you said the Angel--
CW: Yeah.
GS: -- Shoe Shop, I thought of Red Bird.
CW: And then there was the Barber Shop in there too.
GS: Okay.
CW: Down from the Red Bird Shoe Shop, so there was just businesses everywhere.
GS: Now in old phonebooks--and of course this was well before your time. But in
old phone books it showed that we had a lot, like eleven hotels but they were
small, you know.
CW: Mm-hmm.
GS: Were there many motels, hotels when you were around--
CW: No.
GS: --growing up?
CW: There was one on-- Thurman's had one on Fourth, off Main Street. You know, a
00:41:00couple blocks.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And then they had made the big one and up on north Main.
GS: Yeah.
CW: But, Bristow was just wonderful-- Bristow. One thing I left out about out
Gold Eagle Café. It was also a bus stop for the American Airlines. American
Trailways, I think it was called. And The Greyhound was the busiest one. But
some people took the trailways and mother sold tickets there in the Gold Eagle
for it. And if she would have someone that had bought a ticket, she would put a
red bandana hanging out on the awning and that would signal for the bus to stop
and pick up a passenger.
GS: Oh how--
CW: I know it!
GS: --isn't that neat!
CW: Yeah.
GS: Just a red bandana.
CW: Yeah, that was a hanging on our-- that left-- and of course he'd park right
00:42:00in the middle of Main Street to, you know.
GS: To pick 'em up (Laughter).
CW: Uh-huh! Yeah. So that was interesting. I don't think anybody's had a better
lifetime than I have.
GS: I don't think they have either--
CW: I really don't.
GS: --Carolyn. I don't think they have--
CW: And I'm just starting. I could go another hour or two.
GS: Oh I know you could.
CW: (Laughter)
GS: Now you haven't told me much about you and Bob. Do you have any favorite
memories you'd like to share that you and Bob have done here--
CW: Oh yeah! Well I'll tell you--
GS: --in Bristow or whatever?
CW: This is when I was a junior. I couldn't date until I was sixteen. My daddy
was really strict and anyway one time, Donna Cash (ph) the one that had the--
her mother was the school teacher at Slick. And we would go riding on Sundays.
I'd go with them sometimes, and one time we went out past Newby and she said,
"Now Carolyn, there's where you-- that's who you oughta date." and I said,
"Who?" and she said, "Little Bobby Webb."
00:43:00
GS: (Laughter)
CW: And I said, "I don't-- well I don't really know 'em." and she said, "That
would be somebody good for you to date." Because her daughter already had a
boyfriend that was in the band at Stroud.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: And so I started looking him up at school and I thought, oh yeah, he is
nice. So I asked my girlfriend, to ask her boyfriend, to ask Bob to ask me out
for the FFA, 4-H-- I mean FFA, FHA party. And so he did!
GS: Ah!
CW: And that's how we got together. Yeah.
GS: Ah and so you were dating in high school?
CW: We dated three years before we got married.
GS: Okay.
CW: Yeah.
GS: Okay. So--
CW: Oh, I gotta show you something funny here. This is a scrapbook I've got.
This is a Valentine I got for him years-- when we were first married. Anyway,
the Valen-- the card itself isn't that exciting.
GS: Uh-huh.
CW: But he never paid any attention, he wasn't real sentimental. I gave him the
same card for over twenty-five years.
(Laughter)
00:44:00
GS: And he never noticed?
CW: No, he didn't know. And one day he looked on the back and he said, "I didn't
know you could buy a card like that for fifteen cents?" and I started laughing--
GS: Oh my word!
CW: --and so he found about me.
GS: Oh, that's hilarious--
CW: Yeah.
GS: --Carolyn!
CW: Yeah.
GS: That is too funny!
CW: So we had a good time. Yeah.
GS: (Chuckling) Yes, you have.
CW: And we've been married sixty-two years.
GS: That was my next question (Chuckling).
CW: Yeah, yeah!
GS: That's wonderful. Three kids and sixty-two years later. How many grandkids?
CW: We only have four.
GS: Four grandkids.
CW: One daughter and three grandsons and they're just wonderful.
GS: Ah. Well that is wonderful
CW: Yeah.
GS: Do they live around here?
CW: No. One of them-- well two do. Robby's two oldest boys, Tyler (ph) and Brian
(ph). Tyler's (ph) an engineer and lives in Tulsa and Brian (ph) lives here with
his mother out east of town.
GS: And I taught both of those.
(Laughter)
00:45:00
CW: And then our other two, we have a grandson in Phoenix that's going to the
University of Arizona, Aedan (ph). His mother is-- she was born in the United
States, but she's Korean.
GS: Okay.
CW: So he says he's half Okie and half Korean. And then Sue has one daughter and
she's graduated from out in California and she's hoping to be a lawyer. She's
working in a--
GS: Oh.
CW: --law office and wants to eventually take her test to become a lawyer.
GS: Oh, that's very admirable, good for her.
CW: Yeah, so we're fortunate.
GS: Yes, you are. Anything else you can think that you want to tell me that
maybe wasn't related to any question I ask?
CW: Oh gosh, I don't know.
GS: Any famous people come to Bristow that you met or--
CW: Oh I was gonna tell you, I always kept a autograph book and I still have one
00:46:00of 'em.
GS: Oh how fun.
CW: And so I have-- in fact it's in the house. I've got a autograph book that's
got a bunch of the railroad men have signed it.
GS: Oh!
CW: Yeah!
GS: That's wonderful.
CW: I've--they've--and of course I have people sign it. So I've got a bunch of
the railroad men signing it. And then when I was in junior high I had Tom-- oh
the folk singer, Tom Paxton.
GS: Yes.
CW: For some reason, I got his signature 'cause he was in the high school band
and I'd just start-- was in the junior high. I got his signature.
GS: Well that's cool!
CW: So when he came back to Bristow a few years ago, I got his signature on the
same page again. Yeah!
GS: Oh, how marvelous!
CW: Yeah, so--
GS: Yeah, that's very special. That's very special. Well Carolyn, I've enjoyed
this tremendously.
CW: Oh I have too, and I wish you'd come back and we'd start all over again.
(Laughter)
GS: Well I tell you what, if you want to sit in with Bob's, when we do Bob's--
00:47:00
CW: Okay, 'cause I wouldn't let him sit in on mine.
(Laughter)
GS: Yeah, I noticed that!
(Laughter)
GS: Maybe you could add a little bit into his.
CW: He'll probably run me off too.
(Laughter)
GS: Well thank you so much, Carolyn.
CW: Oh I love you. I'd love to give you a big ole hug but we can't--
GS: I know, but we better not.
End of interview
