The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Ardmore by local author Charlsie Foust Allen. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images, and memories of days gone by.
Although part of the Chickasaw Nation, virgin soil lured pioneers into Indian Territory. By 1900, intruders outnumbered Native Americans 10 to 1, building communities throughout Native American lands. In 1887, on a grassy prairie where buffalo had roamed, men gathered where the Santa Fe Railroad planned to build a station.
By 1898, Ardmore was a thriving city with businesses, churches, electricity and telephones. Under a new federal law in late 1898, Ardmore became an incorporated city. Several disasters including a massive explosion and two major fires almost destroyed the town, but the people who built Ardmore came from sturdy stock. After each disaster, they rebuilt, and Ardmore continued to prosper.
Another facet of Ardmore's legacy is the historical pride that is enriched by the Greater Southwest Historical Museum, the Main Street Authority office and a myriad of local historians including Sally Gray and Butch Bridges. Of special value to the history of Ardmore is the vast Mac McGalliard collection of pictures and artifacts housed at Ardmore Public Library.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
