Millionaires to Mermaids

Welcome back.  Millionaires to mermaids, you’ll find it all in Rockport, Texas and friends there’s a tie to the Bartlesville area that this week I thought you might find interesting. Water Street in Rockport is only a mile long and runs right along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. The area often floods but most of the houses are built on stilts and there are few full-time residents. The beauty of the place outweighs the sometimes-rough weather that coastal living can bring. Here small waterfront lots can bring as much as half a million dollars and there are few of them available. If you put a nice house on a lot it would be common to have at least a million dollars tied up in a home on this street.

Walking this piece of high-end real estate most mornings I’ve found another road about a quarter mile south where the lots are even more expensive. This is a small unmarked peninsula which during high tide can become an island and this is where the connection to Washington and Osage counties starts.

It was 1967 when John Mecom, Jr. and his wife Katsy Kay Mullendore of Cross Bell Ranch fame, bought the newly established New Orleans Saints football team. At the time the pair also owned Mecom Racing which had all the top drivers under contract including A.J. Foyt and Gram Hill who had just won the Indianapolis 500. For twelve years their football team grew in popularity until in 1985 New Orleans billionaire Tom Benson came a knocking with a check for sixty-four million and with that the football team sold.

After some research I learned that Tom was a hardworking man who started his career as a car salesman, and went on to own several dealerships in Texas and Louisiana as well as multiple other investments. He bought the Saints with his first wife Shirley who died several years later. The couple had three adopted children,

Robert, Renee and Jeannie. Tom remarried but his second wife died of Parkinson’s Disease. Then in 2004 he married Gayle Marie Lajaunie.

Tom was actively involved with his businesses until he died in 2018, adding the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Pelicans team along with several banks and ranches to his portfolio.

Tom’s death made Gayle the first female owner of two major sports teams and gave her a net worth of 3.3 billion, putting her in a class of her own. Of Tom’s kids only Renee has survived and every morning I walk by a fancy ten-foot-high concrete fences at the end of this mysterious street which encloses her personal retreat. Her father has now become a part of Louisiana’s history and I’m hoping to learn more from Renee who I’ve made contact with down here, looking for more of a connection between her family and the Mullendores.

Now for the mermaid part of this story. A fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a human and the tail of a fish, mermaids and mermen have existed in folklore going back hundreds of years. My encounter happened in the early morning while I was walking along this remote part of the island where Renee’s home is located. My head was down as I was thinking about the connection I’d just made with the Benson family when out of nowhere two sirens or mermaids as they’re called appeared out of nowhere. Well, I’m out of space so this story will have to be continued.

              Till next time I’ll see ya down the road…………….

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The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

Welcome back. Located in Oklahoma’s Osage County, Osage Hills State Park was built in 1937 during the depression era by the Civilian Conservation Corps as were several other parks around the State. The park was created by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt who decreed that the land not be developed but set aside for the enjoyment of mankind. Here in Rockport, Texas I’ve found another preserve that President Roosevelt had the vision to establish and a truer gift you’ll have a hard time finding.

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was first named the Blackjacks in the 1880s by Europeans who had an early settlement in the area. Prior to their settlement the Karankawa Indians had lived there but the tribe was almost completely killed off fighting for their ancestral land against Texas cattlemen in the 1850s.  This area was also home to the legendary pirate Jean Lafitte who plundered many Spanish ships full of gold and legend has it hid it in what is now the refuge.

This wildlife refuge is on a peninsula which sticks out into the Gulf of Mexico and is part of a long chain of land forming a barrier island which is home to an amazing number of wildlife species. Sea turtles, alligators, deer and coyotes all live here but what draws the most visitors at this time of year is the whooping crane, a bird that was almost extinct in 1941 when there were only 15 birds remaining. These magnificent birds have made somewhat of a comeback thanks to the generosity of wealthy philanthropists and the donations of common men and women all of whom have made it possible to purchase additional land for the refuge in an effort to expand the cranes’ winter habitat. Yes friends, just like a visit to the Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie, on a road trip to this preserve you never know what you might see.

I’ll end this week where I left off last week with the question of the legacy we leave in life. Paul Endacott, the Phillips man I highlighted last week left his own. My late friends brothers Bill and Don Creel, both of whom I’ve written about in the past, left theirs through community involvement as did Don Cone, the longtime Woolaroc docent who never met a stranger.

The famous musician Bruce Springsteen. recently wrote that what people leave behind are like dreams to him. He often sees the faces of people who have been important to him and not just when he’s sleeping but whenever something reminds him of them. Now if part of your legacy is that people still envision you after your death than I’m with Bruce because I can still see the faces of people who made a difference to me in my dreams as well.

The great Bartlesville architect Derry Ebert, a man who also served three times as Board President at the YMCA. Mike May, another early Y guy who also served on many other Boards for organizations benefiting the town. John F. and Dick Kane who did so many good things for the community we may never know the extent of all of them. There are dozens more, some who have been gone for years and some like Don Cone and Frederick Drummond have only recently died but I can see them all in my dreams. It may be my legacy that I keep these people alive through my writing, so, what is your legacy? That is something only you can determine.

Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road …………

Leave A Legacy

Welcome back.  Traveling the country in search of interesting stories for almost 18 years I have had the opportunity to meet many fascinating people. I was recently in the company of one such person, an eighty-year-old friend of mine who thanked me for being part of his legacy. After looking up the definition of legacy in the dictionary I found two meanings

1.a gift by will especially of money or other personal property 

2: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past

Clearly, he was referring to the second meaning and it got me thinking of the people I’ve known in my coming on seventy years on this earth and the legacies they have left.

Early in life I met Paul Endacott and his wife Lucille as they both got their hair cut at Barbara’s Beauty Shop which was located in the Price Tower. As a small boy whose mother did hair for Barbara, at the time I had little knowledge of what this man meant to Bartlesville.

A graduate of the University of Kansas at 21 with a degree in civil engineering, Paul as his friends called him, was also named the outstanding collegiate basketball player of the year in 1923 and became a member of the all-time All-American team the same year. In addition, Paul was the first student at KU to receive the Honor Award for academic excellence.

After hearing L.E. Phillips speak at a banquet during the university’s engineering day, Paul decided to pursue a career with Phillips Petroleum Company which was only six years old at the time. His first four years were spent developing boom towns, building roads, tank farms, gasoline plants and company camps to support Phillips’ oil discoveries. He went on to create a new marketing plan for the company’s fledgling propane gas business which he directed in Michigan.

In 1934 Paul came back to Bartlesville and began his rise to executive leadership as the Director of Employee Relations and Boots Adams’ right-hand man. When Boots Adams became Chairman of Phillips after Frank Phillips’ death in 1951, Paul was named President of the company. This was a period of great growth for Phillips when they acquired one patent after another, particularly in Marlax plastics which brought in millions of dollars but the biggest achievement was yet to come.

In the early 1960s Paul had become Vice-Chairman of Phillips and he led the company to make a major drilling investment in the North Sea where he believed there was a major oilfield. The discovery of this field and the creation of new drilling technology to explore and develop it put Phillips in a class of their own.

Paul retired in 1967 and his retirement was reported in PhilNews, a paper he had started in 1937. It stated:

“Throughout his long career (Endacott) has retained the common touch and personal qualities of consideration for others.”

After retirement Paul and Lucille committed their energy and resources to many philanthropic activies in both Oklahoma and Kansas. I crossed paths with them by chance shortly before Paul’s death in 1997 and I still felt the depth of his concern for other people. Now that my friends is quite a legacy to leave.

So, what will be your legacy or mine/ A question well worth some thought.

Till next time I’ll see ya down the road….

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Travel in the COVID 19 Era

Welcome back. Recreational vehicles or RVs as they are commonly called, over the years I’ve owned about a dozen of them and camped out in RV parks across the country. On the west coast Mugu State Park was my home for two weeks while I was investigating the Whitey Bulger story. Bulger had an apartment in Santa Monica where he was captured which is not far from the campground. Will Rogers and movie star Joel McCray both had ranches close by as well which I also visited regularly and always on a budget I preferred to save money by tent camping at RV parks.

When I arrived in Rockport, Texas recently I learned that there are over 80 RV parks here which accommodate both workers and the “snow birds” who come here every year from northern Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and other more northern states to enjoy the mild climate. Many of these RV parks offer a full range of amenities including shower houses, swimming pools and hot tubs along with washers and dryers and WIFI and most also have dog parks, playgrounds and water access for fishing and boating on the Gulf of Mexico. All of this in a town that has just around 10,000 full time residents.

In Bartlesville travelers have two options for RV camping with all the amenities of a big time RV park like these. At 1211 SE Adams you’ll find Riverside RV Park a place that offers 80 spots all with electric and everything a good RV park should have. Riverside also offers a sparkling swimming pool which is the oldest public pool in the country. I’m told that the health department monitors the pool and Riverside’s management has been told that it is always one of the cleanest inspectors see. Family run, clean and handy to all the attractions in downtown Bartlesville, Riverside is one of those places that visitors hate to leave.

The other RV park in Bartlesville has years of history as well and if you ever need repairs to your camper Bell Camper Sales can help you out there as well. Located between Bartlesville and Dewy, like Riverside Bell RV Village has an employee on site 24/7. You old timers may remember Blackie Bell, the man who started it all, who was known not only for his service to

his customers but also for his acrobatics in human kite flying.

It was back in the 1960s when Blackie did his airborne work while being pulled by a fast boat. Although it’s all history now back in the day Blackie drew quite a crowd to watch him perform at Hulah Lake which was the big lake at the time. If you want to learn more check out Bell Camper Sales’ new office where the whole story of Blackie Bell is kept alive with a photo exhibit of his accomplishments.

Yes, friends these two local businesses, along with all the other ones, are just another reason

out-of-towners passing through praise the area.

Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road……………….

A Unique Venue for PBR Event

Welcome back.  Over the years I’ve brought you readers many stories I hope you’ve found interesting from Whitey Bulger’s trial in Boston, the American Sniper trial in Stephenville, Texas and even the heartbreaking trial in Aurora, Colorado where a deranged kid killed dozens of people in a movie theater. I’ve also brought you inspiring stories about camping out in places like the Grand Canyon, visits to great museums that I’ve been lucky enough to explore across the country and this week it’s a story about the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) who held their big championship a few months ago at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

Now the PBR has come to Corpus Christi, Texas with a show like none other so here’s the scoop. The event last week wasn’t held in a big arena but on the top deck of the retired aircraft carrier the USS Lexington which was decommissioned in 1991 and now is docked permanently in a harbor in Corpus Christi. At the time it was retired the Lexington was the oldest working carrier in the U.S. Navy. Also known as the “Blue Ghost” the ship was originally named the USS Cabot but during WWII the first USS Lexington was sunk during the battle of the Coral Sea.  After that the Cabot changed its name to Lexington and joined the fifth fleet at Pearl Harbor. Throughout the war the carrier was involved in every military action in the pacific, destroying 372 enemy aircraft in air battles and another 475 planes on land. The carrier was also responsible for sinking 300,000 tons of ships all while traveling over 209,000 miles roughly equivalent to eight trips around the world.

In preparation for the PBR event the Lexington was closed to the public this past weekend and over 300,000 tons of dirt and steel were brought in to build a bucking bull arena on the top deck of this massive ship. Only people holding PBR tickets along with the media, livestock contractors and the cowboys themselves were allowed on board. The event was televised last Sunday right after the NFL football game on CBS and you might still be able to replay it. I also need to mention that the competition was sponsored by the Airforce Reserves and all the proceeds were donated to charities supporting military service people and their families.

When it is not hosting a special event, the Lexington offers a wide variety of exhibits and attractions to the general public including a self-guided tour of the flight deck that features 20 aircraft on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation, anti-aircraft guns, and landing gear. On the main Hangar Deck, you can participate in the Virtual Battle Stations which will give you the experiences of a crew in combat, bringing to life real battles aboard different classes of ships and planes. There is also a flight simulator that puts you in the cockpit of an F-18 fighter jet as well as an extensive exhibit on the history of Pearl Harbor and much more. I have toured the Lexington myself and believe me you don’t want to miss it if you are in Corpus Christi, it’s truly an amazing piece of history that we should never forget.

Till next time I’ll see ya down the road…………….

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The Art of Giving

Welcome back. Friends. We all need them and when one of your best friends is C.J. “Pete” Silas, the Chairman and CEO of Phillips Petroleum Company from 1985-1994 and you are Glenn Cox his second in command good things can happen. If you weren’t around in those days, I can tell it was a magical time, not only for Phillips but also for every non-profit and church in Bartlesville and everywhere around the world where Phillips did business. I bring this small tribute to these fellows because following the death of his wonderful wife Glenn decided to move and sell their extensive personal memorabilia. The sale was conducted last week by Minuteman Auction Company and at Glenn’s request each person attending the sale was required to pay $20. All of these proceeds were donated to the Pete Silas Boys and Girls Club, raising almost $1,500 for their important programs. This is another reason that the residents of this area should never forget the generosity of people like Pete and Glenn. As long as my column runs, I will try to make sure that we always remember the men and women whose contributions of both time and money make our community such a special place.

While I was researching this story, I also learned from the owner of Minuteman Auction Company Wayne Vineyard that he is holding another sale on behalf of a prominent local man this weekend. Former State Senator Steve Martin is downsizing and Wayne said it would be a quality sale with many unusual items that Steve and his wife collected.

Also, on the local front, if you heard dozens of ambulance, fire truck and police car sirens last week going off it wasn’t a practice drill for a tornado, it was a celebration for a local celebrity’s recovery from COVID19. His name, as I’m sure many of you know him, is Mike Smith and a finer fellow you’ll never meet.

While I’m still traveling on the south coast of Texas as always when I come across a museum I stop. The nearby Texas Maritime Museum enlightened me about the history, not of Texas cowboys but Texas sailors. This museum takes you back in time to when the French and the Spanish landed here. You follow Texas maritime history not only in words but also in hundreds of displays containing artifacts from an era before the English colonies were established.

Present day life on the coast is part of the displays at the museum as well including information about shipping and off shore drilling in the area along with the role of big companies like Phillips66 in the coastal communities. I’ve been to many museums but none quite like this one. If you’re ever in the Rockport, Texas area, which lies just about thirty miles from Corpus Christi your time won’t be wasted visiting the Texas Maritime Museum.

Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road……………….

Hurricanes on the Texas Coast

Welcome back. With hundreds of ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 employees in the Houston area and many more located along the Gulf of Mexico down to the big shipping center of Port Aransas, the impact of Hurricane Harvey has had is in many ways still reaching all the way to Bartlesville. This week with all the hurricanes we’ve had this year, I’m taking you back in time to August 25, 2017 when Hurricane Harvey first hit San Jose Island before making a bee line for the popular fishing town of Rockport, Texas.  The slow-moving storm dumped more than 40 inches of rain on the town over a four-day period and battered it with 130 mph winds, breaking records. Thousands of homes were flooded and there were 17,000 recorded water rescues. Just to show you how bad it was, prior to Harvey there were 9,223 tax paying properties in Rockport and after the storm only 1,002 remained.

The loss to the county was estimated at 812 million in housing and 134 million in business destruction. The town itself received close to 500 million dollars in property damages and suffered at least 100 million dollars in lost tourism revenue. Nursing homes, post offices, government buildings, churches and marinas were just some of the facilities that were either totally destroyed or left incapacitated for years. With all of this damage of course there were deaths, 107 in all and the first one occurred just a few blocks away from my current location.

Five years later this town is still struggling to recover as many motels and houses are still boarded up. Piers where hundreds of tourists come every year to fish are still not rebuilt and on San Jose Island several massive shipping barges that washed up there during the hurricane are sitting on dry ground hundreds of feet inland rusting away. There is also a labor shortage because most of the affordable housing was wiped out and has yet to be rebuilt.

One place I found that has rebuilt is the Schoenstatt (beautiful place) convent and retreat center which includes an important shrine. Most of the buildings on the property were heavily damaged by Harvey but today they have all been repaired or replaced, including construction of a new retreat center. If you are like me and have never heard of Schoenstatt, here’s a bit of history about the order.

The shrine is a replica of the original shrine in Germany, where the founder, Father Joseph Kentenich, together with a group of seminarians dedicated their lives to Mary, Mother Thrice Admirable in the covenant of love Oct. 18, 1914. Their mission was for the renewal of the world in Christ through Mary. This movement also established an order of nuns known as the Sisters of Mary. Today there are over 1800 Sisters of Mary throughout the world serving as advocates for women and children and devoting themselves to a life of piety. The shrines that they build at their convents are refuges of spiritual help and guidance, welcoming visitors of all faiths.

 Yes friends, there were a lot of people here and in Bartlesville who were impacted by this catastrophic storm Harvey which was one for the record books, proving that this part of the world can be both beautiful and dangerous.

Till next time I’ll see ya down the road…………….

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San Jose Island-A Retreat for the Rich and Powerful

Welcome back. You may not know their names but down in Rockport, Texas where I’m “chasing a ghost”, Sid Richardson, Clint Murchison and the Bass family represent money, big money and yes there’s a tie to the Bartlesville area. But first I’m taking you back in time to 1937 when these oil tycoons owned a string of islands off the shores of Rockport which lies roughly thirty miles east of Corpus Christi. They were called the “islands of the oil kings” and it was Sid Richardson’s San Jose Island where Franklin Roosevelt sailed in on the presidential yacht to meet Murchison and Richardson who at the time were two of the richest men in the country.

Richardson built a house on the island that was designed to be hurricane proof. The compound included a separate house for the staff, shelter for cattle, dedicated sources of water and power and an airstrip but interestingly, no phone service. Richardson never married but he hosted many gatherings so the main house could sleep thirty-five people.

This island, along with Clint Murchison’s Matagorda Island which was close by hosted many prominent political figures including Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson and former Texas Governor John Connolly all of whom benefited from Murchison’s and Richardson’s support.

In 1945 Murchison founded Delhi Oil Corporation which grew into one of the largest integrated independent oil companies in the country and his investment in gas reserves in western Canada led him to build the 2,100 miles Trans Canada Pipeline. The H.C. Price Pipeline Company, headquartered in Bartlesville, was involved in the construction of the pipeline.

Like Waite Phillips, Sid Richardson was a big supporter of the Boy Scouts and he built a ranch specifically for the scouts on Lake Bridgeport near Decatur, Texas. I discovered this description of the ranch on their website:

“Sid Richardson Scout Ranch (SR2) is a Texas–size camp with 15 miles of rugged shoreline on 10,000-acre Lake Bridgeport and 2,500 acres of scenic cliffs, prairie, and forests. The camp’s historic 1870’s U.S. Cavalry site is a centerpiece of the Chisholm Trail Adventure program at our Texas High Adventure Base.

SR2 offers over 70 Merit Badges, an air-conditioned dining hall, large pool, Technology Center, Flight Simulation Center with 16 F-16 cockpits (featured in Scouting magazine), horsemanship program, Space Shuttle Simulator, working Blacksmith Shop, Sailing Base with 24 sailboats, sporting clays range, Viking Ship, Trail to First Class first–year camper program, Climbing tower and cliffs, 2 Blobs, windsurfing, Mile Swim, Snorkeling, BSA Lifeguard, and much more.”

After his death Richardson left his nephew Perry Richardson Bass a sizeable inheritance which he grew into an oil and ranching empire. Bass had four sons all of whom attended Yale University and went on to very successful careers in energy and finance. The brothers are also known for their philanthropy, giving millions to universities, medical centers, conservation projects and the arts. One of the brothers, Lee Bass owns the former Chapman Ranch adjacent to the Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska among many ranching investments.

Today the Bass family still owns San Jose Island where they operate a cattle ranch and maintain Sid Richardson’s original compound which has undergone several renovations through the years. Clint Murchison’s Matagorda Island is operated as a wildlife management area, jointly owned by the Texas General Land Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is cooperatively managed as the Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge and State Natural Area.

Yes, this week is the history of two men who had a profound Impact not only on Texas but on the whole world. While I continue my own investigation look for more from the Rockport, Texas area.

Till next time I’ll see ya down the road…………….

Frederick Drummond, Leader and Patriarch of the Drummond Clan

Welcome back. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County represents mother nature at her finest and back in the 1980s several people had the vision to protect it, one of whom passed away last week. The Tallgrass Prairie is just one small piece of his legacy. Born on July 13, 1931 in Enid, Oklahoma, he graduated from high school in Hominy, Oklahoma before getting a B.S. in Animal Science from OSU. After college he served in the Army where he attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and was stationed in Germany as an artillery officer. After his service to our country he earned an MBA from Stanford University in 1957 and went to work in a Kansas City bank for several years before moving back home to Hominy.

During the following years he built a ranch, got married, became the devoted father of four kids and was elected chairman of a local bank, all while learning the ins and outs of the oil business. Generous with his time and money, he served on the boards of many organizations, both statewide and national, and the list of his honors and awards could take up half my column. The Cattleman’s Hall of Fame, the OSU Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Western Heritage Center’s Hall of Great Westerners are just a few of the organizations which recognized his accomplishments and friends the list goes on.

You may have guessed who I’m talking about by now and you may also wonder how I know so much about this “legend.” I don’t use that word very often but it is appropriate for Frederick Ford Drummond, a man I had the honor to have known personally.  Yes, this humble man was who friends with most everyone he met, has died.

I had several lunches and dinners with Frederick at social events even going on a couple of trail rides with him. He was one of those guys who from the very first time you met him felt like he was your lifelong friend. We’ve lost several exceptional men and women in this area lately and Frederick is another. If you want to learn more about him check out his obituary which was published in the Tulsa World on October 20th and the original Drummond Family Home in Hominy is a museum and it’s a great little road trip that I think you’ll enjoy.

Moving on to another story that has its roots in Osage County, it’s Act III of Chasing A Ghost. Over the last few weeks, I’ve brought you the story of a missing girl that still keeps former District Attorney Bill Hall up at night. If you missed the earlier installments check out my website www.originalbuffalodale.com or stop by the Examiner where they have hard copies of past issues.

Pawhuska to Bartlesville is 29 miles, Tulsa is another 49 miles then on to Dallas, 257 miles and finally 431 miles to a small beach town outside of Corpus Christi. It’s a place I’ve never been before, full of history and also a town that now has a tie to Pawhuska. Next week I’ll be bringing you more.

Till then I’ll see ya down the road…………….

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Ghost Writing

Welcome back. Giving Up the Ghost is a book written by my late friend Sanford “Sandy” Doty, a man whose writing career spanned over fifty years. Sandy lived in New York City where he was the ghost writer for the biographies of numerous famous people including Bette Davis, Helen Hayes and Elaine Barrymore along with many others. So just what is a ghost writer you may ask. According to Wikipedia:

“A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, memoirs, magazine articles, or other written material. Memoir ghostwriters often pride themselves in “disappearing” when impersonating others since such disappearance signals the quality of their craftsmanship. Sometimes the ghostwriter is acknowledged by the author or publisher for his or her writing services, euphemistically called a “researcher” or “research assistant”, but often the ghostwriter is not credited.”

Having published well over a hundred biographical profiles, now I find myself in Sandy’s shoes. In his book he says that for every life story that he wrote, a little bit of him died and friends I know what he was talking about. When you spend hours, days or even years learning everything you can about your subject your life changes and you become the person you are writing about. Your own life becomes secondary and you lose a bit of your soul but it’s what I do. Now let me set the stage for another life story I’m working on, one with a tragic ending that’s sure to bring a tear to your eye.         

Act I.: Pawhuska, Oklahoma in 1976 when the town was booming. Houses were being built, new banks and other businesses were opening and many others were looking for buildings to rent but nothing was available in the downtown area. It’s a typical day in June and the weather was expected to be clear and dry.

It was a normal day for District Attorney Bill Hall until around noon when he got the first call from the Pawhuska Police Chief about a missing girl. A runaway Hall suggested. No way replied the chief. Boyfriend problems Hall asked. Again, the answer was no. She was just 15, a good student and a cheerleader from a well-respected loving family.

Bill quickly realized that foul play was involved in the girl’s disappearance and that he needed the assistance of the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation. A purse, a half-eaten donut and the girl’s pom-poms was all the evidence that could be found in the laundromat where she had last been seen before she vanished. By the entrance investigators also found a washing machine half full of laundry with a sack of dirty clothes on the floor next to it but they could not determine if there was a connection to the missing girl or not.

These were the only clues law enforcement would find and the case has remained unsolved for 44 years as I put together another true story, next week Act II of “Give Up the Ghost.”

Till next time I’ll see ya down the road…….