Marland Armitage

Interviewer: Georgia Smith

Interviewee: Marland Armitage

Other Persons:

Date of Interview: June 29, 2021

Location: Bristow, Creek County Oklahoma

Transcriber: Abby Thompson

Organization: Bristow Historical Society, Inc.

Original Cassette Tape Location: OHP-2021-23 00:00 -- 66:51

Abstract:

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 with the Bristow Historical Society in Bristow, Oklahoma, and this interview is part of the historical societies ongoing oral history project. The date is June 29th, 2021, and I'm sitting here with Marland Armitage at the Museum depot and he's going to tell me a little bit about his history in Bristow. Now, Marland could you give me your full name?

MA: Frank Marland Armitage

GS: Alright, and that was your name at birth?

MA: That's correct

GS: Alright. Where were you born Marland?

MA: Born in Slick, Oklahoma

GS: Alright

MA: Ten miles away

GS: Ten miles away, so were you born in a hospital or were you born in a house?

MA: Born in a house

GS: Yeah, yeah. And did you have a doctor deliver you?

MA: Not that I know of.

GS: Okay, well now you said that Frank was from Frank Sisler, was he your doctor?

MA: When we came to Bristow

GS: Oh okay

MA: [Indecipherable]

GS: Okay

MA: My baby sister was delivered by him

GS: Oh alright, alright. And what year and day were you born?

MA: August the 7th, 1934

GS: Awesome, what were your parents' names? Let's start with your mother's maiden name

MA: Mothers name was Nola Lee Fletcher (ph)

GS: Nola Lee Fletcher, and what's your father's name?

MA: Jay Bryan ArmitageGS: And do you know where they were married?

MA: I think it was in Sapulpa

GS: Okay

MA: They were from Slick

GS: Okay, you think they--

MA: But I think they married in Sapulpa

GS: But they were living in Slick, do you know what year that might have been? 00:02:00Or approximate year?

MA: Uhm, not exactly but it was would've been early 20's

GS: Okay, how many children did your parents have?

MA: Had six

GS: Six children, that was pretty common back then, wasn't it?

MA: Yeah it was, and I was number five

GS: You were number five? Oh my goodness, what were your sibling's names?

MA: My oldest brothers name was Jay Bryan Armitage, and my sister was Betty Lee Armitage, then we had Dorothy Jane and then a brother Robert Henry Armitage, he was named from his grandparents

GS: Okay

MA: On both sides

GS: Oh how nice

MA: And then our baby sisters name is Shirley JaneGS: And are any of them still living?

MA: My middle sister, Dorothy is living, lives in Orville, Texas. And my younger sister Shirley Holderfield (ph) lives in Bristow

GS: Shirley Holderfield is your sister

MA: That's it

GS: Aw I just love Shirley; I did not know that. That's good to know. What did your father do for a living?

MA: Dad worked for originally the Prairie Pipeline, which later became Sinclair

GS: Ah

MA: And he worked out of state, and then they transferred their office to Bristow

GS: Okay

MA: And he worked from here all these years

GS: Until he retired?

MA: He didn't get to retire

GS: Aw that's a shame

MA: He had a heart attack at 59 years old, and we lost him

GS: That's a shame, how old were you when you lost your dad?

MA: I was twenty-three

GS: Twenty-three, that's hard. What did your mother do when you were growing up?

MA: She cooked more for six kids. She didn't work outside the home--

GS: I don't think she could've

MA: She was a homebody

GS: Yes

MA: And a wonderful cook, and just did a good job on raising us kids

GS: That's--

MA: I always told them we didn't have much, but we had plenty to eat and clean clothes

GS: Knowing you and Shirley I believe she did a wonderful job. What's your spouse's name?

MA: Georgia Marzetta, her maiden name was McGuire, lived in Kellyville

GS: Okay, and do you remember the date of your marriage?

MA: I think, I think I've got it wrong on here

GS: Oh no, we can fix it. We'll--

MA: Complete

GS: Okay

MA: February the 19th

GS: February the 19th, of 53'?

MA: I think--no, of 54'.

GS: Alrighty, very good thanks for correcting that Marland. Tell me about your home when you were growing up, what kind of house did you grow up in?

MA: Georgia, I just found, not just recently, the title to the home mom and dad bought

GS: Oh how wonderful

MA: They bought a house and I think it only had three rooms in it when they bought it

GS: Mhm

MA: It had four lots on the end of east 6th street, and they gave $200 for one

GS: Isn't that amazing

MA: The note was that they paid $10 down and $10 a month

GS: Wow

MA: To pay for it

GS: That's wonderful

MA: They later had to build on so all the kids had a place to sleep

GS: Sure

MA: And it wasn't much, but it was home

GS: It worked and it was home. Was it a frame house?

MA: Frame house, actually had some of the walls were two by twelves

GS: Oh my goodness

MA: When we got into it, I can remember they papered it, when they put the cheesecloth on the wall.

GS: Really?

MA: So the paper would stay

GS: I did not know that

MA: And our neighbor papered that house for us, John Bell lived across the street from us

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And he papered our house for us

GS: Well, and cheesecloth underneath it

MA: Yeah

GS: I never knew that. Did you live in the country or in town? I guess that was 00:07:00at Slick

MA: It was right at the edge of town, we had the best of both worlds. The pavement ended just before you got to our house and then we had the woods to play

GS: And that was at Slick? On the edge of Slick?

MA: On the edge here in Bristow

GA: Or the edge of Bristow

MA: I came to Bristow when I was about a year old

GS: Okay

MA: And our parents lived on west 12th

GS: Okay

MA: Right up by the water tower

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And for a short time until we bought the house on east 6th

GS: On east 6th

MA: And I don't know at what age it had to be in

GS: Yeah. Did you have to share beds with brothers and sisters?

MA: I did

GS: Yeah

MA: Shared it with Dorothy and my brother

GS: Uh-huh, yup. Did you have toys growing up? Did you have boxes of toys like they do today?

MA: Good night, no. We didn't have boxes of toys

GS: But you had some toys

MA: We had some toys

GS: What type of toys?

MA: But we made most of ours.

GS: Yeah

MA: I can remember rolling those little hoop with the stick

GS: Yes

MA: We would crush carnation mint cans on our shoes and walk on them. We set out under the streetlight, taking--I can remember us taking saw blades from the saw

GS: Yes

MA: And we'd throw them, stick them in the light pole

GS: Oh my goodness

MA: And then every once in a while, they'd have to come back and change the pole.

GS: They'd say those kids have been at it again probably

MA: Those kids have been at it again

GS: What kind of laundry apparatus did your mom use? Did she have a washing 00:09:00machine, was it ringer, or--

MA: Number three washtub

GS: Number three washtub

MA: And a rubber [Indecipherable] and I don't know when we got a washer, but I know I can remember laundry and baths were taken on Saturday.

GS: Yup, yup

MA: And that number three washtub just depend on how far the line you were, if you got your turn or not.

GS: What kind of stove did she cook on?

MA: She had a gas stove

GS: Good, mhm

MA: That early, we had a wood heat stove

GS: Okay

MA: [Indecipherable] the best I remember that, I don't remember her ever cooking on it

GS: Was she a good cook?

MA: Correct

GS: What were some of your favorite meals she made?

MA: Great baker, she would bake pies. The ones that I'd always tell people about was her apple pies and mom would sit in front of the oven and baste them with butter and browning

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And she made a hundred of them, they're all just exactly like that

GS: Oh my goodness I envy that, mine never look the same

MA: We had family dinners, you know the kitchen table was full of dessert

GS: Uh-huh

MA: I can remember she asked my older brother "What kind of pie do you want bud?" and he'd say "Well I'll take this first". And then he'd go through the rest of them. She was a wonderful cook.

GS: So you were born, refresh my memory again, what year was it?

MA: 1934

GS: 1934, so you were born in the middle of the depression, do you remember anything of that?

MA: No

GS: Yeah

MA: My dad always had a job during the depression, half of his family, I think they took care of him a very long time. But dad had a job during that time

GS: Was it with the oil and gas company?

MA: It was with Sinclair

GS: With Sinclair, that's wonderful. Did you have chores in the home? Daily 00:11:00chores you had to do?

MA: Not in the house. Well the only, I was made to dry dishes because when I got in the age, my brother older than me had gone to the military soon as he got out of high school. So just me and my baby sister

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And I had to dry dishes and I hated it

GS: So you took care of things on the outside of the house?

MA: I, yeah I did the eggs and mother would, you know, we always had a cat or more, and she sold milk and butter and eggs around the neighborhood

GS: Yup, yup

MA: I had a little cart, a little crate that I carried and I delivered milk and butter to the neighbors

GS: That would be a fun job

MA: Gathered those eggs and [Indecipherable] then I got to do the [Indecipherable]

GS: Oh

MA: Quite often, but I can remember I don't know if I was excited about it, we had to churn with the plunger.

GS: Yes, yes.

MA: Momma would put a dish towel over my lap so I didn't get my pants wet

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And I churned that butter and then in later years we graduated to daisy churn

GS: Yes

MA: With the crank

GS: Yes

MA: That went better

GS: Yes, yes, I have a couple of those at home

MA: Do you?

GS: Do you remember the first time you heard a radio?

MA: I don't remember

GS: Or was there always one in the home?

MA: We were real young, but that was the way my dad started his day

GS: Listening to the radio

MA: He would get up early, eat breakfast, but before he left for work he would sit in front of the radio and listen to the farm show.

GS: Aw

MA: You know the old Purina (ph) song, Get Up and Feed those Chickens

GS: Can you sing it?

MA: Don't know that I can do all of it, but it's started "Get up and feed those chickens, [Indecipherable], gonna make them grow before they're done. Gonna do the right thing, that's everything a chicken needs. It's superior all in one"

GS: I love it, thank you, thank you very much. Alright do you remember--blah, do you remember anything about your grandparents lives?

MA: I do somewhat. My mother's father ran a filming station in Slick

GS: Okay

MA: Way back there, he had lost one, it was [Indecipherable]

GS: Aw

MA: Raised a big family on the farm with--and his plow that had one handle and had a ring on the other side, and he would put that ring up to his elbow so he could run that plow, and--

GS: Disability didn't stop him, did it?

MA: He was on the farm until all his kids were gone, and my dad's parents lived in Bristow. My grandad was--wrote to the Salvation Army, he preached. And so we--they died when I was young, like 8 years old when my grandmother passed away.

GS: Do you remember their names?

MA: Don't know the middle ones

GS: That's okay

MA: But my grandmother Armitage was Hulda (ph) and my granddad Armitage, his name was Henry. And mom's parents were Nellie and RobertGS: Nellie and Robert, and the last name again?

MA: Fletcher

GS: Fletcher, Nellie and Robert Fletcher. Who is the oldest person in your family that you can remember? Would it have been those grandparents?

MA: Those grandparents

GS: Yeah, okay where did you first attend school?

MA: Bristow, Oklahoma Washington school on east 1st street

GS: Alright, and do you remember who your teacher was?

MA: I think my first grade teacher was Mrs. Asher and I had Mrs. Lester as we 00:16:00called her. I think she taught second grade

GS: Okay

MA: And Mrs. Wilson was a principle, lived just a couple of blocks from us

GS: Wow

MA: And I can remember we'd go over there and help her grade papers at times

GS: Oh how fun

MA: But we had a wonderful time there

GS: And--

MA: We had our own playground and softball field and you had to pitch uphill

GS: Oh my

MA: The batter was up on the top and then the ground sloped

GS: That must be before they leveled it and put the blacktop there

MA: Yeah, [Indecipherable] cafeteria where it was [Indecipherable]

GS: Okay

MA: And if you hit it too far, we had a drain collection down at the east end of 00:17:00it, and the water would run into there. But every once in a while the ball would get down there

GS: Aw, was that a home run if it did?

MA: It had to be because it would take a while to get it out. You could get into that hole but it's hard to get out

GS: And so did you go through 6th grade at Washington?

MA: Went to--I went to first and 2nd grade in Bristow, and then we moved to Okemah for a year

GS: Okay

MA: Just happened, and I hate to tell it, but I flunked 2nd grade

GS: Oh well that happens, that's nothing to--no shame in that

MA: And so I went to Okemah

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And took 2nd grade over

GS: Okay

MA: And then we came back and I--so I went to Bristow all 12 years

GS: Well good, yes you did, didn't you?

MA: I didn't skip that one

GS: Just a year you'd like to forget, huh?

MA: Yeah I'd just forget

GS: How many kids were in your classes back then in, you know, in a classroom. Do you remember? I wouldn't know all mine.

MA: There were several, I'm gonna guess 20

GS: Yeah

MA: Or so many of them I still remember

GS: And did you walk to school?

MA: Walked to school

GS: Did you have a best friend that you walked with or with brothers and sisters or?

MA: Walked with my brother, but we had neighbors that we'd pick up along the way

GS: Right

MA: You might, I don't know about best friends because some of them I'd fight with before I got home

GS: So how many blocks did you have to walk?

MA: Let's see, six?

GS: That's not a bad walk

MA: That's not a bad walk, even in the winter

GS: Yeah, and did you graduate from Bristow?

MA: Graduated from Bristow in 1953

GS: Do you have--were you active in sports or organizations in high school?

MA: Probably too much

GS: Aw, well tell me about it

MA: In junior high, I played football, basketball

GS: Yup

MA: And wrestling.

GS: Doesn't seem to have hurt you a bit

MA: No, didn't hurt me any. My only problem was I had two older brothers who were good athletes

GS: Oh, you had to live up to them

MA: Best I could do wasn't gonna be good enough

GS: Aww

MA: I think my mother never saw me play a football game

GS: Aww

MA: But she went to my older brothers

GS: Well that's a shame, that's a shame.

MA: We--they used to tell you know, that's probably the reason they started putting the fence around the football field. When my brother would get hurt, my mom would wanna get down there and check on [Indecipherable]

GS: Well that makes sense, yeah.

MA: But in high school I played basketball and was captain, went on to senior, 00:20:00was the captain of the basketball team

GS: Uh-huh

MA: Didn't have a good year

GS: Aw

MA: But we made all the games

GS: Yup

MA: I think I recall I wrestled one match in high school when I was a sophomore

GS: Just decided that wasn't for you?

MA: Well we had a basketball game scheduled for that night and a wrestling match in the evening

GS: Gosh

MA: So I went up and tried out and made the weight and wound up having to wrestle the captain of the team and it was Oklahoma [Indecipherable]

GS: Aw

MA: I never had such a day in my life

GS: I imagine, I imagine

MA: That's a long seven minutes

GS: I'm sure, I'm sure

MA:I told them, I said "You couldn't even hear me?" when I told him [Indecipherable]

GS: Aw

MA: Oh well. I didn't enjoy sports, but I was active in school

GS: Any class offices or anything like that? Any other organizations?

MA: Well, back then when I was in high school, we had district education plans, which was [Indecipherable]

GS: Okay

MA: And I was president of that for a year. I worked during high school

GS: What did you do?

MA: I worked for, started my career. I turned 13 years old and loaded freight cars for Bill Bursar (ph)

GS: Oh wonderful

MA: For two weeks, I worked a two-week vacation for somebody, that was it. And I turned 13 at that time

GS: Wow

MA: And then at 15 I went to work for C. R. Anthony

GS: Yes

MA: And I made thirty-five cents in an hour

GS: That wasn't bad back then

MA: I could buy all the pop and candy I wanted

GS: Sure you could

MA: And I kept myself in clothes.

GS: There you go

MA: And then I went from C. R. Anthony's to Woolworth (ph), M. W. Woolworth

GS: Uh-huh

MA: Got a raise, made 50cents an hour

GS: Very good! I'm sure you were a great employee

MA: I tell them, I used to take them, one of my jobs was to check the fire extinguisher, which at that time was a two-and-a-half-gallon bucket of water under the counter, floors were all [Indecipherable]

GS: Oh my

MA: Mop them, and when I worked at Woolworth it was during the war, and all the employees were women

GS: Yeah, yeah

MA: And I--

GS: Of course you were a teenager, right?

MA: I was a teenager, I was, well I was worked until I was graduated, so 16, 17 years old.

GS: Uh-huh

MA: I've been--they called, you know they sold canaries and parakeets.

GS: Really?

MA: And inadvertently somebody's gonna leave the door open then they--

GS: Aw

MA: And I remember getting called out of school and I'd go down there and catch some bird with a butterfly net. Put them back in the pen and go back to school

GS: Oh my goodness. And the school let you, didn't they?

MA: The school let me, yeah

GS: It was no problem

MA: They were good

GS: That's wonderful. Okay I'm gonna switch to church life. Did your family attend church when you were growing up?

MA: We attended all of my life, the Nazarene church that started in Slick. I did not--that, here in Bristow our church was located on 8th and--

GS: 8th street

MA: Maple and had a little brown church, doors in the corner, with one by four pews

GS: One by four, yup

MA: And then we later built a frame [Indecipherable]

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And I know my dad was on the board of the church, one day we were redecorating it and they were painting it and apparently gasoline caught fire and exploded, blew that church to pieces.

GS: Aw

MA: and I mean [indecipherable]

GS: How disappointing

MA: Nobody injured

GS: Well that's good

MA: They rebuilt it, and then that brick church on top of the basement

GS: Yeah

MA: And I can remember my dad telling me we cannot afford a brick church, it just cost too much

GS: Yeah

MA: We struggled, but we had a brick church

GS: But you made it, and it that the church that's still standing there today?

MA: That's the church that's still standing there, and a lot of wonderful memories there

GS: I'm sure

MA: Yeah

GS: Can you tell me about any of them?

MA: A few. I know as a teenager, I was a head of our youth group. The one thing I remember about it, we had a convention in Okmulgee, and I was probably 15, and one of the ladies was taking us down there the road from Bristow to Slick, down through there. And I [Indecipherable], it was rutty, muddy, and she drove down 00:26:00there in the mud in an old [Indecipherable]. But when she got to Okmulgee, she couldn't parallel park

GS: Oh, she could drive on the muddy roads but not parallel park

MA: So I parallel parked the car for her

GS: You probably didn't even have your license yet

MA: Oh no, no I didn't at the time.

GS: Well that's a neat memory, any others?

MA: We really enjoyed it, growing up there. Lots of young people

GS: Good youth group

MA: I was looking at some pictures not long ago, the pictures of our classroom. Sunday school teachers name was Gladys Banks (ph), and she lived out between Bristow and Slick

GS: Okay

MA: [Indecipherable]

GS: Yup

MA: And we've had problems before getting in that class [Indecipherable] and it would, we just covered the whole stairs, steps going up into the church. Lot of 00:27:00wonderful people, there's a lot of memories

GS: That's wonderful. What were the Sunday, what were the services like on Sunday? You know, did you have Sunday school then worship service?

MA: We had Sunday school, just basically like we do today. I mean, we had Sunday school early and as I recall, we sang a little song about 9:45, gotta be at Sunday school at 9:45

GS: Yup

MA: Back then during the war, they had a bus

GS: And you're saying during the war, which war are you referring to?

MA: World War II

GS: Okay

MA: They had a bus that would run and it would come to your house and would, it would come and we would walk about a block I think, and catch the bus if dad wasn't able to go. Normally he was.

GS: Yeah

MA: And, but we rode the bus home just because it was gasoline was rationed

GS: Right, oh yeah.

MA: So, but we had some wonderful times there, good times.

GS: Did your--you said your dad helped build the church, did they have a choir back then? Did, because now aren't you a singer? Don't you sing?

MA: Well choir, yeah. I didn't sing

GS: Okay

MA: It was best I didn't

GS: Oh

MA: But we did have a choir, and you know a couple pews in the choir, not a big one

GS: Uh-huh

MA: 'Cause we didn't have, you know, [Indecipherable]

GS: Did your mom or dad sing in the choir?

MA: No

GS: No

MA: No, they did not sing in the choir, but they were faithful.

GS: Okay, now you've already said Franks Sisler was your doctor, did he make house calls?

MA: As I recall, he did early

GS: Okay, you probably didn't need him very often, did you?

MA: Not very often, I recall having pneumonia when I was real young, and they called it then double pneumonia, but and I was really sick and I believe he came to the house then.

GS: But you didn't go to the hospital?

MA: No

GS: Did we have a hospital in Bristow at that time?

MA: We did

GS: Sisler, was it Sisler Clinic or the one that was before that?

MA: Cowart and Sisler

GS: Okay

MA: It was on west 8th street next to the American Legion

GS: Okay

MA: I spent one night there

GS: Oh you did?

MA: Had my tonsils taken out, almost bled out

GS: Oh my

MA: But it was I remember two or three stories tall that I can remember. Looking out the window, and the school's having a bonfire before a football game

GS: Aw

MA: And, but as far as I know, till I was old, it was the only night I spent in 00:30:00the hospital

GS: Well that's wonderful. Okay, what was Bristow like when you were growing up?

MA: Bristow was a lot like it is today

GS: Really?

MA: Buildings are mostly the same

GS: Uh-huh

MA: As usual, drug stores

GS: Few more things for kids to do maybe

MA: Few more things, well we played baseball in the summer, [Indecipherable]

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And the swimming pool was there, I can remember I couldn't swim but I went to the swimming pool

GS: Did they have the day camp and pre-swim back then?

MA: Not that, not the day camp

GS: Okay

MA: Not that far back

GS: Okay

MA: They had the building out by the swimming pool and I'm trying to think of the name, they had a junior college

GS: Yes

MA: And they--and I can remember that building

GS: Oh it was not; it was not in the old high school? The junior college?

MA: As I recalled it was in that building that later became the farm center for state

GS: Okay, out by the lake?

MA: Had a gin out by the lake, yeah

GS: Okay

MA: There's just a parking lot there now

GS: Okay

MA: But they had it in [Indecipherable]. I think they had a gin and that's where the junior college started

GS: Was, where it started

MA: Huh?

GS: Where it started, where it began. Do you remember, were there theatres in town? Where there--you know?

MA: We had Walmer (ph) and the ones I remember was Walmer and The Princess (ph)

GS: Uh-huh

MA: I didn't go hardly

GS: Yeah, you didn't get to go to the movies?

MA: I didn't have the time

GS: Oh yeah, you were too busy in sports, weren't you? And working

MA: But the Walmer was between 6th and 7th and the Princess was between 7th and 8th

GS: And was it always there or do you remember when it was built or?

MA: I don't remember, but they were there as far as I can remember. We had several drug stores

GS: Okay

MA: You know, Smiths Drug and S&M (ph) and Rexal (ph)

GS: Yes

MA: And Kemps was there

GS: Oh

MA: And--

GS: Well yes because Max Kemp took it over from his father, didn't he?

MA: It was his family, right

GS: That's right. Did you ever eat out at restaurants in town?

MA: Very seldom, the only thing I can really remember is maybe a hamburger

GS: Uh-huh

MA: Mom cooked

GS: Yeah

MA: It was better coking at home [Indecipherable]

GS: I'm sure it was. Did you have a favourite hamburger place?

MA: I can remember some, I never did eat much of it, but I can remember one that we had which would be, would've been right across from the fire station now.

GS: Okay

MA: Little old building on the ally way

GS: Okay

MA: And you could get ten hamburgers for a dollar

GS: Oh my goodness

MA: But you didn't go in and sit down, you just buy them, take them out the window

GS: Just to go place strictly, huh?

MA: Just to go

GS: Was there a place that was a teen hangout?

MA: We had a teen youth center above what would be now the old Route Hometown Furniture

GS: Okay

MA: Where J. C. Pennys was

GS: Yes

MA: Upstairs was the youth center

GS: Yes, I didn't realize that

MA: [Indecipherable] and had music they played, I never did dance, but you could

GS: Uh-huh

MA: They would just sit and visit primarily

GS: Well that's wonderful they had that place

MA: It was nice for that time

GS: Sure, my parents square danced in that area in the 60's

MA: Yeah

GS: How did people dress back then?

MA: Well, the girls wore penny loafers and they put the penny in the little slot in the front of it

GS: Yes, yes

MA: I recall in high school what we would do, we went through a spell of wearing white shirt and overall cowboy boots

GS: Oh

MA: We wore blue overalls, or the striped ones

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And I used to sell them at Anthony's

GS: Ah

MA: And--

GS: So that would've been early 50's?

MA: Early 50's, yeah, late 40's.

GS: Okay, that's interesting. Was that kind of a general trend across maybe the 00:35:00area, or just a Bristow thing?

MA: As far as I know it was Bristow, we didn't know about the other areas, we didn't get out of town much

GS: Did you ever take the train out of town?

MA: We did, we took the train when I was in grade school, and went to the Will Rogers memorial in Claremore

GS: Oh wonderful, uh-huh

MA: And the thing I remember is when we went to the, I called it the tunnel in Tulsa, it was dark for a short time, that's where their depot was apparently up there.

GS: Oh okay

MA: But we went to Will Rogers memorial and then toured it when I was in--

GS: Took the train there, did you come down here to the depot? Was it this depot or was it the one before?

MA: It's the same one that's here now

GS: Well that's wonderful. Now we've talked about your jobs already, did you ever serve in the military?

MA: No I didn't

GS: Lucky youMA: I can recall [Indecipherable], back then a lot of our classmates was on the national guard

GS: Okay

MA: And during my hospital deal when it was activated for Korea

GS: Okay

MA: And several of my classmates went to Korea with the national guard bureau 45th division, but I had some issues with--the doctor told me, he said if they call you let me know because they don't need you

GS: Well very good, very good

MA: Had a vision problem

GS: Yeah, that's alright

MA: Well I would've gone, they tried to get me to join the national guard 00:37:00and--no I'll go when they call me

GS: There you go

MA: But I don't need to

GS: Yeah, yeah. Okay, let's see. Did you go to Tulsa or Oklahoma City much growing up?

MA: We would go to Tulsa a lot, I had relatives in Oklahoma City

GS: Okay

MA: And several summers I would go spend a week or two

GS: Oh that's nice

MA: With my cousins up there. But that was our vacation was to go to Oklahoma City on the weekend

GS: Ah, what would you do when you were there? Just visit with the relatives?

MA: Just visit with the relatives

GS: And the kids probably played and--

MA: I was telling Joy (ph) earlier that that was our vacation where you go up on Saturday, spend a night, then come back on Sunday

GS: Yeah

MA: And now we run up there and eat lunch

GS: That's true, don't have to make it an overnight trip

MA: Don't have to make it an overnight trip

GS: Did your family have a car?

MA: We did, now as far back as I can remember

GS: Do you remember what kind?

MA: Yeah, my dad had a--I think probably the first one I recall what's the name. 38' Cheverolette, four door sedan

GS: Uh-huh

MA: We never had a new car

GS: Yeah, yeah

MA: Dad says you can fix them, his concern was if the body's good you can fix them up.

GS: And back then you could

MA: Yeah

GS: Without all the computer stuff on it

MA: But I can remember a lot of them he had, I can remember when my brother was a senior, he was working part time during school, and we bought a 37' Chevy [Indecipherable]

GS: Oh yeah

MA: I said we did, he did and old [Indecipherable] went out north of town that I can remember [Indecipherable] hotel, and Jay, if those boys want that car to last, tell them to just drive it like it was new, like they were breaking it in. So it's never been over 35 miles an hour, and we did it.

GS: Wow, yup

MA: And when he went to the service, I got to drive the car to school once. I've even, it was so seldom, I can remember walking home from school, leaving it at the school, because I forgot I had it

GS: Oh my goodness

MA: Georgia, I went up and I came back [Indecipherable] several years ago now, went up and talked to the class at school and when I walked through the parking lot there and saw all the cars, and I remember going to school and all the cars that the kids drove to school you could park on elm street between 8th and 9th

GS: Yeah

MA: Between the catholic church and school, there were probably five or six is all the cars that were at school

GS: Yup

MA: First thing he couldn't afford

GS: Right, exactly. Yeah it's a lot different today

MA: A lot different, a lot.

GS: Okay we're gonna really shift gears here now, do you remember if Bristow is segregated when you were growing up?

MA: It was

GS: Mhm

MA: Black school was on north east side of town

GS: Do you remember the name of it by chance?

MA: Lincoln

GS: Lincoln, okay

MA: Lincoln high school. I lived about three blocks from it

GS: Okay, okay

MA: So pretty much 8th street was the dividing line, you know

GS: Okay

MA: At that time

GS: Yeah

MA: A few of us, I mixed with them, you know

GS: Yeah, you had some friends

MA: I had some friends at that time, I didn't run with them in school, of course we weren't in school

GS: 'Cause you weren't in school together, right?

MA: Right, but I can remember an incident though which is not good, but when I was visiting one of them downtown, and I said "Well let's go drink a coke" and I went in Smiths drugstore, and they served it. But the next time I went in there, they called me out and I said "Don't you do that, don't do that no more"

GS: Aw how sad, but that was pretty common back then

MA: That was common, that was common

GS: Yes, a sad time in our history. Do you remember the names of any black people in the city back then?

MA: Well it's gonna be hard

GS: That's alright, that's alright

MA: I do remember an old gentleman called Roosevelt Joseph (ph)

GS: Roosevelt Joseph

MA: Yup, and then there was one that worked for P. M. Moore at the tire shop, and then there was a black girl that worked for Joe Mouse (ph) at his station, and of course one of the ones I remember most was Lafayette Johnson (ph) at the shoe store

GS: Sure, I think a lot of people remember Lafayette

MA: Shoe shine. Lafayette was remembered by everybody

GS: Yes, yes

MA: Then there was one that was a janitor at the high school, they lived on east 8th street, just about three blocks from me, just wonderful and encouraging to 00:43:00all of us young kids, and I can't remember his name

GS: Yup, yup

MA: I know where he lives, his house is still there

GS: Yup, I understand. Some of those names slip my memory too anymore. You mentioned going, well you mentioned the pool. Did you ever go to the pool, and were black children admitted to the swimming pool? I mean it was total segregation back then, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah.

MA: I don't remember any in there at all, and I didn't go often

GS: Yeah, do you know if there were any freedmen in Bristow? Freedmen?

MA: Freedmen?

GS: Freedmen

MA: No, I don't remember

GS: Okay, were there ever any episodes of racism that you remember growing up, other than what you just told me about the drug store

MA: No

GS: Yeah, I don't think we had it bad here

MA: To my knowledge we didn't

GS: Yeah

MA: They were all [Indecipherable] in the north east part of town and that was pretty much it

GS: Yeah. What about Indians? We were Indian territory, were Indians treated well in town, did you know any Indian families?

MA: I did, I went to school with some and I don't ever recall an incident. Now I remember some that would, you know, get drunk

GS: Yeah, do you remember--

MA: They threw them in jail overnight, you know

GS: Yeah, do you remember any that were employed, like you know some of the blacks you remembered working. Do you remember any Indians being employed at certain places? It's okay if you can't

MA: One I remember was if I can recall his name, he was a son-in-law for Henry Kemp, and he worked at the station [Indecipherable], there was a real nice home 00:45:00over on the east 1st street just as you started out of town, the Indians lived in

GS: Okay

MA: But I can't recall their names

GS: Yup, yup. That gas station you mentioned, is it the one that's just back here behind?

MA: Right

GS: Do you remember the name of that gas station? Was it a DX Station?

MA: I don't think it was DX, an independent station

GS: We were trying to think of it the other day

MA: I think we were just, Henry Kemp ran it

GS: Okay

MA: And then he later had a [Indecipherable] that's when Merle Baker went in 00:46:00partnership with the Kemps

GS: Okay

MA: And then he had a [Indecipherable] across the street

GS: Okay

MA: [Indecipherable]

GS: Okay

MA: Which used to be, when I was a kid, there was a purple store

GS: Where the skating rink?

MA: Huh?

GS: Where the--

MA: Skating rink wasn't there then

GS: Okay

MA: It was on the corner, Foslers (ph) had a [Indecipherable] where they sold chicken

GS: Oh

MA: And a guy name Alonzo (ph) used to pick chickens there, a black boy

GS: Okay

MA: And you could buy fresh chickens there

GS: Well

MA: And I can remember going in there, he had a rubber chicken picker

GS: A rubber chicken picker

MA: That old electric deal that would just take the feathers off of it

GS: Huh

MA: But he would, you know, hang them up by their feet and just cut their throat and let them bleed out there in the store, it was all over

GS: In the store? Oh my goodness

MA: And you'd just buy them fresh

GS: Wow

MA: And the Fosters owned the business

GS: Uh-huh, the Fosters you say?

MA: Yeah

GS: Okay

MA: Arthur Fosters dad I think was the one that had it

GS: Okay, that's interesting. Anybody in your family involved in the oil industry that went on here?

MA: My dad worked for Prairie Pipeline, which later became Sinclair

GS: Right

MA: And he worked with them all his working years until he was dead. And of course my brother, oldest brother worked for them, and later he worked for [Indecipherable]. At one time, [Indecipherable] wasn't headquartered in Bristow

GS: Yeah

MA: Worked out in Cushing

GS: Okay, okay I'm gonna switch to World War II. What kind of memories do you have of World War II? You were a teenager or preteen during the years?

MA: I was a preteen

GS: Preteen

MA: I was--my brother graduated high school here in 43', and went straight to the navy

GS: Okay

MA: And that was the year we lived in Okemah, and as I remember him being gone then coming back home

GS: Was he stationed on a ship?

MA: He was on a what they call an LST, which is [Indecipherable], but he used to describe it as one that goes over one wave and under two. But it was at the end 00:49:00of it would drop down and make it rain so that you were just [Indecipherable]

GS: Oh okay

MA: He had [Indecipherable]

GS: I see; I've seen those in movies

MA: He was a welder in Sallisaw

GS: Okay

MA: Boxed while he was there

GS: And he made it, oh he was a boxer in the army--in the navy?

MA: He was a boxer, he boxed in the navy

GS: My uncle boxed during the war also

MA: Dad had him boxing when he was two or three years' old

GS: Oh my goodness, really? Were you ever a boxer?

MA: But, not me, not me. I told him, you know, in my family the three boys, there was a boxer, and a fighter, and a diplomat

GS: And you were the diplomat, weren't you?

MA: I was the diplomat. My oldest brother boxed a lot and was good, my middle brother would fight anybody

GS: Wow

MA: And he was pretty good at that.

GS: He was good at it

MA: Bob ran around with Buck [Indecipherable]

GS: Okay, he goes to my church

MA: Yeah

GS: Buck does

MA: Yeah, and see I graduated--

GS: Sits right in front of me

MA: And I graduated with his younger brother Kenny

GS: Okay

MA: Still know a lot of people in town

GS: Yeah, yeah. Did rationing affect your family a lot during the war?

MA: To some extent, yes. I remember lard was hard to get and momma always had to use lard

GS: I'm sure if she was a baker

MA: I can remember when, I remember when we couldn't get candy bars, you know some of those places they got them, one of them would have, if they had any, they put them under the counter for certain people

GS: Oh

MA: But I could walk by that thing look in the window to see if they had any

GS: Could you talk them out of it if you--

MA: Not often. I remember that the sugar was short, gasoline wasn't that--we 00:51:00didn't need a lot of gasoline cause we wasn't going anywhere

GS: Uh-huh, uh-huh

MA: I--hose, silk stockings were not readily available

GS: Right, right

MA: That's about it

GS: Okay, tell me about after you got married here in Bristow. I think I failed to ask you earlier about your children. You and your wife, did you have children?

MA: We had one son

GS: Mark

MA: And--

GS: What was his name?

MA: His name was Marcus Allen (ph) and he graduated from--he was the next one to 00:52:00graduate from high school after I did

GS: Aw

MA: When we came back from Bristow. Mark grew up in Sapulpa, we transferred to Sapulpa not long after I went to work O&G here in Bristow

GS: When did you go to work for O&G?

MA: Went to work for O&G the Monday after I graduated high school

GS: And you worked for them all those years

MA: Worked for them a little over 41 years

GS: Wow, I did not realize that Marland

MA: I took my test for them while I was in high school, graduated Thursday night, took my physical on Friday and went to work Monday morning

GS: That's fantastic

MA: And I transferred to Sapulpa and we raised our son in Sapulpa, he came back to Bristow midterm Junior

GS: Okay

MA: In 1971

GS: Okay

MA: And graduated in 72'

GS: He was in my graduating class

MA: Right, with you

GS: Yup, and--

MA: Had a wonderful, I got to come back and be manager of the office where I went to work

GS: Aw, that is neat, that is neat. And O&G isn't based in Bristow anymore

MA: They're not based in Bristow, I was there during the transition back in 86', and they had a downsizing and the crews that we had here moved to Sapulpa, and they had an early out push. We only had to have 10 years of service, but you had to be 55 years old, and I had gotten thirty something years of service

GS: Right

MA: But I was 52, so I went back to Sapulpa, which is where I transferred from 00:54:00in the beginning of it

GS: Right

MA: I went from Bristow to Sapulpa to Tulsa and from Tulsa back to Bristow

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And then went from Bristow back to Sapulpa

GS: But you were able to still live here the whole time, weren't you?

MA: I didn't move back to Sapulpa in 86'

GS: Yeah

MA: I commuted

GS: Right

MA: From then and we were able to keep the office open for just [Indecipherable] just attached here inside until I retired in 94', and when I retired then they closed the office.

GS: I missed the offices being open

MA: I do, I miss--

GS: I think it had hurt the communities when that happened

MA: And it just-- right

GS: Tell me about your work with O&G

MA: I started out as a meter reader

GS: Okay

MA: Transferred from here to Sapulpa, went into the county department, with no county training at all, but I could add and subtract, I could do that

GS: Right, and you were a fast learner I'm sure

MA: And I went into the county there, and in the mid 60's I transferred to Tulsa still in the county, went to a nice school at TU for a couple of years, got some accounting courses in that they told me I needed

GS: Yeah

MA: To promote

GS: Yeah

MA: Then I transferred into the budget department, went to our service center out on east 15th, worked out there a couple of years, and then transferred into 00:56:00marketing department you know back downtown, and worked in our marketing department for about three years. And then transferred back to Bristow as manager of the office where I went to work

GS: Okay, what can you tell me about Bristow during those years? For instance, were you active in any organizations here in Bristow?

MA: This year I would've completed 50 years as a member of the Lions Club, I went into the Lions Club, I've always been active in city [Indecipherable]

GS: I thought you had

MA: And when I was in Sapulpa I was in the J.C.s (ph), went to the J.C.s, wasn't old enough to join. You had to be 21, I'm 19, and--

GS: They took you anyway?

MA: They let me to go meetings until I got old enough to join, and then when I went into Tulsa I did fundraising for a YMCA, was active over there with the boy scouts, did fundraising for the boy scouts, salvation army, and then when I come back here I've always been active here in Bristow

GS: Yes, you have

MA: President of Chamber of Commerce, president of the Lions Club

GS: Okay

MA: And I've actually was awarded citizen of the year

GS: Do you remember what year that was Marland?

MA: I think it was 76', in that area

GS: Okay

MA: I can tell you, I can give you the exact dates but I'd have to go home

GS: Right, right

MA: And then I was chosen for lifetime achievement, [Indecipherable] the chambers highest honour.

GS: That's quite an honour

MA: And one of the few who had got it, well it was [Indecipherable]

GS: That makes it even better, doesn't it?

MA: Makes it even better

GS: A little bit sweeter

MA: And I tried to be, you know, a good citizen and to participate in--

GS: Now you attend--Oh I'm sorry, go ahead

MA: And I've--was received the highest honour that the Lions had, which was the [Indecipherable] award

GS: Wonderful

MA: And my club here bought me a lifetime membership in the Lions Club, I was going to retire

GS: Aw

MA: And they said no, when I turned 80 I was gonna retire, and they said no 00:59:00you're not gonna retire, you just come when you want to

GS: Well that's nice, that's nice

MA: So I still try to go

GS: They know valuable people when they see them, they don't wanna let them go

MA: I've shared the united way drive twice, and I've tried to do my part to be a good citizen

GS: Well and I think you've done an outstanding job

MA: For in the church and all of that

GS: Now you currently go to the Freewill Baptist, don't you?

MA: Right

GS: How long have you been going there?

MA: We went to Freewill Baptist in Sapulpa, I was raised a Nazarene, but when we went to Sapulpa, Nazarene church was big. Martha and I, you know, we were kids, so we went for a while to the Assembly of God church, which was smaller, and her 01:00:00sister and her family went

GS: Uh-huh

MA: And then while we lived in Sapulpa, her Brother, who is a minister, took the Freewill Baptist church in Sapulpa so we began to go with him, and then of course when we came back to Bristow, we transferred back, we went [Indecipherable]. We've been in the Freewill church here for 50 years

GS: I thought you'd been there a long time

MA: We came back to Bristow in 1971, and--

GS: And you probably are on the boards of elders and about everything that there is in the church

MA: Sure I'm on the board, I was treasurer for several years, taught Sunday school class, then I got too old

GS: You're not too old Marland. Alright now we're gonna shift a little bit. We've just, we're just coming out of a pandemic from COVID 19, how has that 01:01:00affected you?

MA: Caused me to spend a lot more time at home

GS: Yes

MA: My usual routine was to get up and go to coffee, with a whole bunch of coffee drinkers about 9 o'clock in the morning for about an hour

GS: And that stopped that for about a year and a half, didn't it?

MA: That stopped that for about a year and a half, and in fact we had our first session back yesterday

GS: Oh wonderful, wonderful

MA: But it has made a difference on it, it's something to respect

GS: It is

MA: We were able to--we got the shots fairly early

GS: Good

MA: And, but we've--we respect it

GS: Amen, mhm

MA: The danger of it and so I spent a lot more time at home, which was good

GS: Yes

MA: [Indecipherable]

GS: Did you lose anybody in your family due to COVID?

MA: We have not, my sister had it, a light case, several of her family had had the COVID

GS: Uh-huh

MA: But we did not

GS: Good

MA: Our grandson was exposed to it early in his work, and took the test, but never did have it

GS: But it didn't affect him much, good. Good, good, good. Looking back over your life, what would you consider to be some of the most important, or the most important, inventions during your lifetime?

MA: It would be hard to decide which one. Of course the cars were already here, 01:03:00they had washing machines, we didn't happen to have one of them but, but I think, you know, refrigeration. We grew up with an ice man coming to the door

GS: Yes, yes

MA: And putting a chunk of ice in the box

GS: In the bottom of the fridge

MA: In the wooden ice box

GS: Uh-huh

MA: At our house, we had a window box

GS: Okay

MA: In the winter time, we just left our stuff out. They had to build a box outside the window and you just raised the window up and put the milk and the butter and stuff, screen wire over it. And in the winter time, it would stay real cold out there.

GS: Well sure it would, that's the first time I've heard of that

MA: And I can remember in the kitchens, you know, that's what it was and you could raise the window and mom would get the milk and stuff

GS: How fun, that time we lost electricity for nine months, nine months--nine days

MA: Nine days

GS: We did that, we put our food outside because it was cold

MA: And during that time, I didn't lose mine

GS: Good for you

MA: I'm served off the transmission deal out there, and we were off for two to three hours

GS: Wow, wow well you were lucky because most of the rest of the town was out. As you see it, what are some of the biggest problems that face our nation right now and how do you think they could be solved?

MA: Well, just the relationship of people is something that bothers me

GS: Yes

MA: It seems like it's nothing. You know, I grew up with if there's something that needs to get done, we'd go and do it

GS: Exactly

MA: Now it's, you know, you do it. And the kids today, the younger generations, 01:05:00I've told my family, you know, just two words they know and that's me and I

GS: Mhm

MA: If it's not and if it doesn't benefit me, I don't care about it

GS: That's so sad

MA: And it bothers me

GS: Yeah, you're not the only person I've interviewed who has said this

MA: Church is important to me

GS: Yes

MA: And the attendance at church is not nearly--

GS: No it isn't

MA: --What it should be. Salvation is something that seems like people have just forgotten

GS: I agree 100%, it is

MA: God's still there, God's still on the throne, and his time is gonna come one of these days

GS: I agree with you Marland

MA: I just hope I've made mine right

GS: Do what?

MA: I just hope I've made my life right

GS: Well I know you have. Okay is there anything that you would like to tell us that I haven't thought to ask?

MA: Georgia, it's just that I came to Bristow early, I like Bristow. When I came back here, I told them when I was elected for citizen of the year, I didn't have to come to Bristow

GS: No

MA: But it's home

GS: You chose Bristow

MA: I chose to

GS: Mhm

MA: And I chose to stay here, when I was-- opportunity to go out of town again. My mother was still alive, which was up in her 90's and I chose to stay here and drive for 8 years to Sapulpa and back everyday

GS: Yeah, it was a longer trip back then than it is now too

MA: Yeah, and but the only thing, the bad part of going from here to Sapulpa and 01:07:00doing a day job is that you drive into the sun going--