Some things stay the same, including primaries, potholes, and pokes. Peruse these headlines from county history and see how things have changed in our own backyard…and how they’ve stayed the same.

100 years ago – 1922

Primary Season – State and local primary elections dominated local headlines leading up to Tuesday, Aug. 1, 1922. The Ardmore Daily Press reported the elections would include the first state ballots by women, who were granted the right to vote after the 19th Amendment was ratified only two years earlier. Another group of voters receiving heavy newspaper coverage ahead of the election was the Ku Klux Klan. According to The Daily Ardmoreite, the group was scrambling to deny a “Klan slate” on election day in multiple newspapers across the state.

Popular primary races included the Democratic nomination for governor and county sheriff, the latter also involving a charge of slander by Sheriff Ewing London who would eventually win a four-way Democratic primary. Election numbers were updated through the week until final results were announced on Friday, Aug. 4, 1922.

50 years ago – 1972

‘Gullied’ Road Closed – A small portion of 9th Avenue Southeast was permanently closed after a vote by the Ardmore Planning Commission. The vote came at the request of resident Effie Lewis, a property owner who was wanting to build a home in the area. According to The Daily Ardmoreite on Friday, Aug. 4, 1972, Lewis said the section of road between Bailey Street and Heath Street had not been used in several years and had been “severely gullied.” The commission voted to close the roughly 500 feet of road with a 20-foot utility easement.

25 years ago – 1997

Vaccine Requirements Updated – Among headlines preparing families for a new school year were updates to students’ vaccine requirements. According to The Daily Ardmoreite on July 31, 1997, a three-dose vaccine against Hepatitis B was required for all incoming seventh-grade students. The new vaccine was in addition to required polio, DTaP, and MMR vaccines for all students.

Ahead of the 2022-2023 school year, the Oklahoma State Department of Education requires up to seven vaccinations against communicable diseases like influenza, strep, and Hepatitis A.