CATHEY: OK State Highway 113: Jim Lewallen Memorial Highway

McAlester News-Capital
 By Mike Cathey, Guest columnist

May 8, 2021

On Friday, April 18, 1958 Oklahoma Gov. Raymond Gary rolled into Indianola in a cloud of dust to share with a reported 2,000 in-number-crowd from Indianola, Canadian and McAlester, from the back of a semi-trailer speaker stand, his success in getting State Highway 113 on the Oklahoma road system and with a promise of future paving.
 Pittsburg County District No.3 Commissioner Jim Lewallen, who had spent considerable time and effort on this project was in attendance. Twelve years later, with the highway project completed, it would officially be designated the Jim Lewallen Memorial Highway following the construction accident death of Commissioner Lewallen on May 27, 1972.
 On the spring evening in 1958 Gov. Gary was the guest of honor at an Indianola barbecue celebration staged in appreciation for addition of Highway 113 to the state system. The governor predicted the newly named highway, fanning out from U.S. 69 soon would connect Indianola and McAlester with a hard surface road. However, he cautioned that it would take time and much money to complete the project. Gary said he was confident another such celebration could be expected when the project is completed.

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