'Bristow Here We Live'

Interviewer:

Interviewee:

Other Persons:

Date of Interview:

Location: Bristow, Creek County Oklahoma

Transcriber: Riley Wilson

Organization: Bristow Historical Society, Inc.

Original Cassette Tape Location:

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.

H: [Indecipherable] Hugh

H: Thank you

H: Mr. Arthur Foster started with the Community State Bank in 1927 running errands, and when were you made president Mr. Foster?

AF: 1954

H: And we have an old time resident here who is quite young uh in ideas maybe a little old in years but Mrs. Groom how long have you been in Bristow and do you mind telling us your age?

MG: No, I'm 84 and I'm still running the hardware and furniture store and when I get old I shall retire.

H: (laughter) Mr. Foster do you think you'll make 84 years? I don't know whether I ever will.

AF: I don't know ether, but I sure hope so.

H: I sure hope I'm this young and spry when I'm 84 I'll tell you that.

AF: Well I always hoped so, Mrs. Groom was my neighbor and I always hoped that I could have the speed that she has and then the outlook on life that she has when I'm half that old.

H: Well both of you have seen a lot of Bristow. How has the growth of Bristow compared uh this past 10 years compared to the recent 10 years?

AF: In the last 10 years Bristow has grown in the way of uh housing and the volume of business has grown, the dollar volume has increased quite a bit.

H: Both of the banks here have grown along with it

AF: Both banks have increased their resources and uh have grown.

H: Well Mr. Foster we want to thank you very much for allowing our here we live cameras to visit the Community State Bank in Bristow and it just so happened Mrs. Groom was here and we're very happy for that to. Thank you very much

AF: We're happy to have you in town

H: Thank you

H: Moe Einstein is a transplanted Texan; he came to Bristow some 10 years ago. This year was honored as president of the Chamber of Commerce. Moe, what caused you to come to Bristow, Oklahoma?

ME: I married a Bristow girl and Oklahoma is my home now.

H: Well that's wonderful, you've uh certainly over the past 10 years done very well here and this year being honored as president of the Chamber of Commerce. Let's talk a little but now about the aims of the chamber this year

ME: Well we have a progressive little town here. We have some wonderful people, friendly people, we have good industrial sites. We're trying to get industry to come to Bristow, and we're succeeding in getting industry to come to Bristow. We feel Bristow is the hub of eastern Oklahoma roadways, we have the turnpike, we have Highway 66, 48, 27, in other words we can go North, South, East or West.

H: Now a few years ago, Bristow was one of the cities, and there were many, that felt the turnpike might almost put them completely out of business. Has that happened?

ME: No Hugh it hasn't.

H: As a matter of fact, you've gone forward since the [Indecipherable]

ME: We have and we're going to go forward more

H: Well with men like you at the helm who have the future of Bristow at heart well I don't see how it do anything but go forward.

ME: No, we'll-we'll go forward. Uh we're trying to get industry in and we're succeeding at getting industry in as I said before. Last year we got SprayLine boat manufacturing company to locate here. Uh we have the industrial sites, we have the man power, we have the electricity, we have the water facilities, we have an industrial board. And we are gonna go forward.

H: Fine, thank you very much.

ME: Yes, thank you.

H: Virgil and Earl Griffin literally grew up with Otasco. Virgil uh when did you first start to work for them?

VG: In February 1938.

H: And Earl when did you start?

EG: June 39 I believe it was.

H:Well you fellas have had quite a bit of experience with em. Actually Otasco closed this store down in what year?

VG: Uh 42 due to the work conditions, [Indecipherable], and manpower along with five other stores.

H: And then a little later on you and Earl uh purchased the stores and associate stores.

VG: That's correct, 1947, we'll be here 13 years in May.

H: Now its unique in that you have two stores here in Bristow across the street from each other.

VG: That's right. 00:05:00H: And uh I understand you're going however to put the entire Otasco line under one roof shortly.

VG: Possibly in about 12 months.

S: Well fine. Earl has it been a rewarding experience for you in the last 13 years?

EG: It sure has.

H: Um, Virgil uh how about the associate store now uh do you feel that it offers a businessman the opportunity to be on his own and still be a part of an organization of buying?

VG: Well I definitely do, I feel that uh it certainty eliminates you of a lot of salesman's, and uh figuring out advertising promotions and after all they have a trained personnel to handle those things and knowing big in furniture business what that amounts to, it certainly uh well it's just something you get in the average, ordinary store

H: Fine. Thank you very much. Virgil and Earl Griffin, the co-owners of the associate store here in Bristow of the Oklahoma Tire and Supply Stores, Otasco.

H: [Indecipherable] Cunningham was a teacher and superintendent of schools for 21 years. 5 years ago he moved to Bristow from Beggs, Oklahoma and now has the Cunningham Chevrolet Company. Mr. Cunningham that's quite a chance from school teaching to the automobile business. Uh what prompted you?

MC: Uh my first interest was that we might gain finically and second that we 00:10:00might have something more stable that we wouldn't have to move around as often as superintendent of schools would move and third we had two young boys coming along that we thought would be uh given them an opportunity to learn something other than just books.

H: Mr. Cunningham how is the acceptance of the 1960 Chevrolet been?

MC: Uh I feel that it has been the best of any car that we've ever had since I've been in the Chevrolet business, and I've been in for 10 years' present time.

H: Now uh you mentioned that many folks who drive the Chevrolet for the first time this year are amazed at the luxury ride they get, uh better than any previous car?

MC: That's right. If we can get them to take a ride in a Chevrolet and do uh the driving themselves, I'll guarantee they'll be satisfied with it.

H: Fine, thank you. It looks like you've learned the automobile business quite well over the past few years. This is Glenn Cunningham, who has a famous name, and is a sophomore down at the University of Oklahoma. What are you studying down there Glenn?

GC: I'm studying letters, which is comprised, its comprised of history, English and philosophy

H: Preparatory to a possible teaching profession?

GC: Correct or perhaps law.

H: You're also going out for the football team down there aren't you?

GC: Yes, sir.

H: What do you think your changes are? Pretty confident?

GC: Well it's pretty tough, I hope to get a place on this next year.

H: How does the squad look?

GC: I think we look real well .H: [Indecipherable] What one more week before?

GC: We have one more week before the varsity [Indecipherable] game

H: Good luck Glen. Well we wanna wish you the best of luck down here [Indecipherable]

GC: Thank you very much

H: Mr. Cunningham we want to wish you the best of luck for many many more years here at Cunningham Chevrolet.

MC: Thank you. People have been very nice to us here at Bristow. We appreciate the business we've had.

H: Thank you

H: Here in McAdams pipe and supply company in Bristow, Oklahoma we're talking to Tom McAdams. Tom what kind of a machine is this?

TM: This is a pipe threading machine with threads from five inch through eight inch. It is a [Indecipherable] machine with a tangent head on it, has the very latest in air chucks on it and has a tapered attachment on it. It's the very 00:14:00latest type of pipe threading machine equipment.

H: Tom this is one of three pipe threaders that you have isn't it?

TM: That is right. We can chop pipes from two inch through thirteen inch in these pipe machines.

H: You have an additional [Indecipherable] to the pipe threading machines here quite a supply to don't you?

TM: We have a general office supplies specializing in secondary [Indecipherable] equipment primarily. We handle both new and used and reconditioned equipment.

H: Now when did you start here in Bristow?

TM: We came, we moved to Bristow in 1947.

H: And uh how many stores do you have now?

TM: We have four stores in Oklahoma, one store in Kansas. My dad and I are in business together here

H: How many employees did you start with?

TM: We had five employees tha- initially now we have approximately 50 employees.

H: Boy that's been quite a growth over 13 years hasn't it?

TM: That is right

H: Well Tom uh we'll look at some of the other operations, this is just one of the many operations that you have here in the McAdams Pipe and Supply Company isn't it?

TM: That is correct. We have pipe testing equipment, all kinds of general office supplies 00:15:00H: Thank you very much

H: Mr. Harold Sims has been the school teacher for 31 years. He has been in the system here in Bristow for how many years Mr. Sims?

HS: Since 42

H: And you have been superintendent for the last 4 years?

HS: Yes, sir.

H: How many schools do you have under your jurisdiction?

HS: We have three um well four of course. Two elementary schools, a junior high and a senior high school.

H: And Mr. Sims what do you feel is the primary need in education circles today?

HS: Well I, for Bristow schools our biggest need is to have more money and with which to employ uh teachers in special education field to take care of those marginal students who really should not be in the regular classrooms.

H: It is unfair to them and to the student who are progressing uh in a normal way that they should be in that class isn't that right?

HS: That is right yes sir.

H: And of course the big problem with specialized education is that it takes uh one teacher to about six or seven students

HS: That's right, yes sir.

H: And that becomes quite uh expensive, but it you find more students who have that problem today than 10 years ago don't you?

HS: Yes, we have been told um that that number is increasing and we think so by observing their own schools.

H: Well Mr. Sims we certainly hope that in the future the population of this city and many cities throughout the nation will see fit to provide adequate financing for this specialized type of education because it certainly on the upsurge, there's no question about that.

HS: Right.

H: Thank you very much.

HS: Yes, sir.

H: One of the pioneer stores here in Bristow is the Globe store. Mrs. Glaser(ph), your father founded this store didn't he?

MG: That's right.

H: What year?

MG: In 1916

H: And then in 1920 you

MG: When I got married in 1920 why we bought the store from my father

H: And now you're carrying on that tradition in that the co-owner is your son in law here, Moe, right?

MG: That's right. I hope so (laughter)

H: Moe, you're not only interested in the Globe store here but you've done a fine job with the Chamber of Commerce, your president of the chamber this year. You have a beautiful store and this is part of the modernization program isn't it?

ME: That's correct. Yes, that's correct, this is part of our faith and progress of Bristow

H: Well fine, that's just last August that you opened this remodeled store

MG: Yes.

H: And have you always been an exclusively ladies store?

MG: No we weren't, up until uh 1929 we weren't. When we opened, we started in 1932 turning it into a ladies store, exclusively a ladies' store.

H: You've certainly done a great job over the years

MG: I think we have a beautiful store

H: Yes, you certainly do. And folk may we suggest that you visit the Globe store here in Bristow, and visit with Mrs. Glaser and Moe here and all of the other fine folks.

H: [Indecipherable] Rhodes has been mayor of Bristow for the past 11 months, prior to that time for 30 years he was with the Deep Rock Oil Company as superintendent of pipelines in this district. Mr. Rhodes what possessed you to run for mayor?

MR: Well it was a lot of things that I figured need to be done in Bristow and I had quite a bit of time on my hand and I could make a full time mayor, something Bristow hadn't had for years. I don't know when there was a full time mayor for Bristow and we're getting things done that uh need to be done. We got a bond issue coming up, we wanna get our streets fixed up and uh water system up to date and uh streets we need uh quite a bit of our streets down there and the water department both uh so good things to make time, save time and working, save labor.

H: When did you first come to Bristow?

MR: I came to Bristow in uh July the 19th 1914.

H: What was your first job here? What did you do?

MR: Well I get a look around and uh get acquainted with people, didn't make it into this [Indecipherable] where I stayed I just had a little grit with me and I had three shirts, one dirty one, one clean one and uh one on my back, that's all I had. [Indecipherable] where I stopped and that was where I stayed all night.

H: Mr. and Mrs. Camp started in the oil business in 1946 after being in the 00:21:00grocery business. Mrs. Camp, when did you take on the distribution of Deep Rock products?

MC: In the fall of the 1956.

H: You operate how many stations here in Bristow of your own?

MC: Two

H: And how many do you service approximately?

MC: About 12

H: I understand Mr. Camp that you're building another station, this one in Sapulpa. Is that right?

MC: That's right.

H: When do you plan on opening that?

MC: We're gonna try to open it May the first.

H: There was a trend a few years ago toward the 10-W-30 motor oil, it that still continuing?

MC: Yes, uh to a great extent

H: Does it take; do you have a special type car normally which is best suited to that?

MC: Well yes uh not necessarily but a car has got to be in good condition to uh that will require a 10-W-30 motor oil.

H: Now in the dead of Summer many people say I use 20 weight all year round actually they should use a about a 30 sometimes even a 40 weight shouldn't they?

MC: Well uh in heavier, heavy equipment, or heavy trucks it'd be uh that would be okay to use a heavier oil

H: We wanna thank you very much Mr. and Mrs. Camp for visiting with us on "Here we Live" and you folks are in Bristow be sure and stop by at either of the two fine Deep Rock stations here or the new station soon to be open in Sapulpa.

H: Mr. Elide(ph) Massey(ph) has just reached superintendent at the Halliburton Oil Well Cementers in Bristow. Mr. Massey how many service points do you have around world?

MM: We have about 282 service points in the United States and foreign countries.

H: When was this one in Bristow established?

MM: Um this camp was established in 1938.

H: How many employees do you have here?

MM: We have about 35 employees present time

H: You have, you were telling me you have equipment in Russia, but do you have any men over there?

MM: No, we don't have any men over there. All of our equipment uh in countries uh like that, why we build equipment and sell it to them outright.

H: But in other countries in the world you also have your men there don't you?

MM: We have men in practically all foreign countries.

H: Mr. Massey I know that Bristow and talking to the folks here are very proud to have Halliburton Oil Well Cementers here as part of their community.

MM: Well we are very happy to be part of the Bristow community

H: Thank you very much.

H: We're visiting with Mr. Ray Baker, of the B.F Goodrich store here in Bristow. Mr. Baker how long have you associated with Goodrich?

RB: Since 1948 Hugh.

H: How is the fourteen inch tire coming now, is it one of the most popular?

RB: Its uh vastly uh taken over as your most popular tire its coming on your new automobiles, its original equipment on in low price field.

H: What's the advantage of it?

RB: Uh, it lowers your frame of your automobile closer to the ground which gives the driver a better steering qualities and then also it gives you a little better ride.

H: Are most tires low pressure tires these day?

RB: Most tires uh what's is uh comes on like a sound new automobiles are low pressure tires. Now you get into some of your commercial uh light equipment why uh they're-they're not low pressure, but even some of your uh half ton pickups coming out now are on low pressure tires which gives a little better ride even.

H: What's the most significant uh advancement you feel over the past 10 or 15 years as far as Goodrich is concerned?

RB: Oh I definitely feel that the tubeless tire which is a first of B.F Goodrich has been uh has put our company on the map in the rubber business and all your other companies has followed the same trend.

H: You're selling a lot of nylon tires today?

RB: The nylon are-is getting more and pop-more popular all the time and it's taken over uh I'd say over the rayon. Now it hasn't come out on original equipments yet, but been some talk of it coming out and I think possibly in the near future it will be.

H: Thank you very much. Folks when you're in the need of tires, or television or any of the other fine appliances that are sold here at B.F Goodrich be sure to stop by and see Mr. Baker and all of the other fine folks who serve you here at the B.F Goodrich store in Bristow, Oklahoma.

End