In response to Kyle Burch of Spiro Oklahoma on my Beale Wagon Road Facebook site of January,27, 2020 where he mentioned finding a sign plate that read Beale, J. W. Murphy’s Pt. 59 Whipple Bridge. This absolutely the best evidence found to verify that six iron bridges were built in Indian Territory, Oklahoma during the years 1859-60. You could call this the holy grail of Historic Archaeology. Bridge signs identify the builder of the bridge, and the biggest surprise to me Jack Beale Smith is the fact that Lt. Beale’s name is on the sign. This tells the reader or viewer that Lt. Edward F. Beale was responsible for the building of the iron bridges that were built on the Beale Wagon Road that went from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Los Angeles, California. It was the first federally funded interstate east-west highway built in the American Southwest.Photo by Kyle Burch Also the Red Bank Creek Abutment photo was taken by Mr. Burch.
