When Texas and Oklahoma Went to War

The Story of the Red River Bridge War

By Sharon Harper

The Red River became the scene of an unusual interstate showdown in 1931, when a newly constructed free bridge between Denison, Texas, and Oklahoma became the center of what newspapers dubbed the Red River Bridge War.

The new bridge was intended to provide a free alternative to the privately operated toll bridge that had carried Jefferson Highway travelers across the Red River. Historic photographs of the toll bridge even show the familiar “JH” marker on its truss.

Before the new bridge could open, however, the company operating the old toll bridge went to court, arguing that the free crossing would destroy the value of its business. A federal injunction prompted Texas Gov. Ross Sterling to order barricades placed across the Texas side. Oklahoma Gov. William “Alfalfa Bill” Murray responded by opening the Oklahoma side. When Texas continued to block the new bridge, Murray raised the stakes by ordering the Oklahoma approach to the old toll bridge torn up, effectively stopping traffic there as well. Motorists suddenly found themselves caught in the middle, with Texas blocking the new free bridge and Oklahoma cutting off access to the old toll bridge.

The dispute escalated further when Murray called out the Oklahoma National Guard, while Texas Rangers were sent to enforce the closure on the Texas side. For several tense days, Rangers and Guardsmen faced one another across the river as newspapers around the country followed the standoff. Despite the dramatic name, no shots were fired, and the legal issues were eventually resolved.

By then, the Jefferson Highway corridor was becoming part of the numbered state and federal highway system, and the new free bridge carried the growing stream of traffic between Denison and Oklahoma. Interestingly, the old toll bridge did not immediately disappear. Texas acquired it, and it continued carrying southbound U.S. 75 traffic for years before being permanently closed.

The 1931 free bridge remained in service until it was replaced in 1995. Although the original Red River crossing is gone, a section of the historic bridge was preserved and relocated to a park in Colbert, Oklahoma.