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Texas Matters: Red River Bridge War

In July 1931, Texans were wondering if their state was going to war with Oklahoma. The two neighboring states were in a showdown over a bridge over the Red River. While many saw this Red River Bridge War as a farcical episode it was also a watershed moment in history.

Historian Rusty Williams uses this incident to examine life in Texas and Oklahoma in this troubled time of economic collapse, agricultural disaster and tremendous transformation. Williams is the author of the book “The Red River Bridge War: A Texas Oklahoma Border Battle.”

It’s published by Texas A&M University Press.   

David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi