A6 - THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday, January 30, 2014
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HISTORY
Continued h'om Page A5
the Cimarron River south
of Perkins, replacing one
of the state's oldest river
crossings built in 1905.
Lee Kirk, former Payne
County commissioner
for 30 years, recalled, "I
had quite a "time getting
this last bridge in here.
H. E. Bailey was a good
friend. I said tO H. E. one
day, 'When will you be
up in Payne County?' He
said any time he could. I
told him we needed a new
bridge. The old one was
rattling and about to fall in,
so he set a date one day and
he and his wife came to my
place for dinner. 'Course
I'd framed up on him
quite a bit to get him down
here," Kirk admitted.
After dinner, Lee told
Bailey he wanted to take
him down to the bridge and
take him across and see
what he was trying to tell
him. As a result, he said,
"H. E. promised if it was
in his power or any way he
could help, he'd get a new
bridge here."
Lee said he told every-
body Bailey was coming,
so they had gathered on
the south side with wagons
and teams. "We walked
across from the north side
ad Bailey said, 'What's all
that?' I said they wanted
to meet you. He said, 'My
Gawd!' Then I motioned
for everyone and they all
camr"upon the bridge
where he was at. He'd
done told me he was going
to grant me a bridge if he
could get it done. I knew
he could do it. I said to
the people that this was
H. E,*Bailey, and he could
do it, and I wanted him to
tell you just like I told you
folks that we were going
to get a new bridge here
before long. H. E. said
he'd never seen so many
interested people, but he
told them, 'I'm going
to grant you a bridge.'
Someone said, 'When?'
He said when I leave here
and the capitol opens in
the morning, I'm going
to grant Lee Kirk a bridge
here, and he did."
Construction on the
bridge was started May
11, 1953; by R. R. Quay,
an Oklahoma City con-
tractor. The $288,633
contract specified an 800
foot long bridge, with 28
feet of roadbed, three foot
wide sidewalks on either
side, and it was a hanging
1-beam structure, allow-
ing it to "give" as weight
was put on it. Additional
work to the roadway, State
Highway 40, cost another
$115,311. Construction
was completed in January
1954, and the bridge was
opened to traffic. The Per-
kins Lions Club sponsored
a dedication program on
Sunday, January 24, 1954,
that was attended by an
estimated 4,000 people.
Prior to the dedication a
contest was held to select
a bridge queen, a tradition
started with the first bridge
in 1891 The thirteen young
ladies competing for the
title were Rosetta Brixey,
representing Sandyland
Community; Nedra Hal-
brook, Washington Irving
H. D. Club; Julia Sadler, F,
F. A.; Edna Westfall, W. S.
C. S.; Marilyn Youngker,
band; Edwina Albright,
Forest Valley H. D. Cluib;
Betty Jamison, footballl;
Shirley Jenkins, Lions
Club; Yvonne Lacy,
Women's Council of the
Christian Church; May-
belle Redus, M. W. U.;
Norma Sue Smith, Perkins
H. D. Club; Doris Spillers,
Rainbow; and Leta Sue
Westfall, F. H. A. The
candidates were judged on
the basis of looks, poise,
and personality, by a panel
of judges from Oklahoma
A & M College. Miss
Julia Sadler was chosen
as Queen of the Cimarron
River Bridge, with Betty
Jamison, first runner-up.
On dedication Sunday,
a parade line formed at
the Community Building.
At 2:00 p.m. the parade,
headed by the Oklahoma
Highway Patrol, proceeded
to the corner of Main and
Stumbo for the crowning
of the bridge queen, 'then
down Main Street to the
bridge. There was a color
guard, the Perkins High
School band under the
direction of drum majors
Maybelle Redus and
Johnny Rusco, convert-
ibles carrying the bridge
queens, dignitaries, and
Perkins old timers, includ-
ing William Knipe, Sig
McDaniel, Frank Eaton,
and Rassie Hert. They
were followed by the Coyle
round-up club. Arriving at
the bridge, the band played
the Star Spangled Banner,
and Queen Sadler snipped
the blue and gold ribbon
across the bridge, using a
pair of engraved scissors
presented to her by Elmo
Barnes, president of the
Lions Club. Attending
Sadler were Betty Jamison,
Shirley Jenkins, and Leta
Sue Westfall. Also taking
part were Mrs. Nellie
Stumbo Mote, queen of
the 1891 bridge, and Mrs.
Daisy Clark Holbrook,
queen of the 1905 bridge.
The parade then continued
across the bridge to the
speakers platform located
at the southwest comer of
the bridge.
At the speakers stand,
Representative James
Arrington, master of cer-
emonies, suggested the
structure be known as the
Lee Kirk Bridge, named
after the long time county
commissioner from this
district. Speeches were
given by Senator Robert S.
Kerr, former governor Roy
J. Turner, District Judge
Robert L. Hert, and state
Senator Everett Collins.
Chilton Swank presented
Miss Sadler a commission
from Governor Johnston
Murray making her queen of
the Oklahoma Navy. Dig-
nitaries present included Lt.
Queen Judy Sadler about to cut the ribbon officially opening the new Cimarron river
bridge, January 24, 1954. Watching are (I to r) Mrs. Nellie (Stumbo) Mote, Queen of the
1891 Bridge; Miss Betty Jamison (Moser), Miss Leta Sue Westfall (Rusco), attendants;
Mrs. Daisy (Clark) Holbrook, Queen of the 1905 Bridge; Miss Shirley Jenkins (hemphill),
attendant; and Elmo Barnes, Lions Club President.
Cimarron river bridge, January 1954. Portions of the old bridge can be seen to the rigt of
the old structure. The truck belonged to Weaver Wright.
Gov. James E. Berry; C. A.
Stoldt, director of the State
Department of Highways,
C. O. Brewster, division
engineer; S. T. White, R.
A. Ward, and Nell Chesnutt,
State Highway Department;
Lee Kirk, Payne County
commissioner; Jack Tway,
contractor for the bridge;
Grant Williams, foreman
of the bridge crew; Dr.
Oliver S. Willham, presi-
dent of Oklahoma A & M
College; Rep. Lou Allard;
Ray Sadler, Carney; Harley
Thomas, Stillwater; Bob
Barr, State Highway Com-
mission; and delegations
from Cushing and Ponca
City.
The bridge underwent
repairs in 1977 including
resurfacing and a rededi-
cation was planned for
Sunday, April 24, 1977,
at 2:30 p.m. In 1954, it
was suggested the bridge
be known as the Lee Kirk
bridge, but nothing had
officially been done. The
Oklahoma Department of
Transportation agreed that
this should be done 23 years
later. The Perkins Lions
Club organized the event
frllowing the original pro-
gram as closely as possible.
Robert L. Heft, Jr., was the
master of ceremonies, and
Jim Arrington presented
Lee Kirk and then unveiled
a bronze plaque at each end
of the bridge designating it
the Lee Kirk Bridge. A
reception was held at the
middle school gym follow-
ing the dedication hosted by
the Perkins Lions Club and
the Mutual Improvement
Club.
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