Record set here as mercury hits 107
— Sequoyah County Times, Aug. 3, 1923
From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times
25 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 6, 1998, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Improvements to U.S. Highway 59, from Spiro to Interstate 40 in Sallisaw, will be discussed at a public hearing in Spiro Aug. 13.
The hearing will be held to obtain resident’s comments on the state’s plans to widen U.S. Highway 59 from its intersection with U.S. Highway 271 and State Highway 9 to Interstate 40 from two lanes to four lanes.
The plan calls first for the replacement of the U.S. Highway 59 bridge over the Arkansas River.
A spokesperson for ODOT said another concern for engineers is Wildhorse Mountain, south of Sallisaw, because U.S. 59 becomes dangerous there during ice and snow conditions.
50 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 2, 1973, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Vandals entered the Sallisaw IGA Foodstore sometime between 9 and 10 p.m. Saturday night and took an estimated $25 to $30 in cash, Jim Marvin Jr., manager of the business, said Monday.
Marvin said that someone entered the store by breaking the hinges off the back door that opens onto the alley of Cherokee.
—Matthews Grocery, 112 E. Cherokee in Sallisaw, will soon be opened every day for business, Ralph Matthews, owner, said this week.
The business was partially destroyed by fire on May 28 and has been operating only at about half capacity since.
Matthews said this week that he has ordered his beef supply and the pork has already arrived at the store. He commented that the major problem in getting the business open on a fulltime basis was getting the stock to sell.
—Oklahoma car owners apparently will use their red and white 1973 auto license tags for another year as result of the riot at the state penitentiary at McAlester.
Tax commission chairman Mike Connors said Monday it is believed that two-thirds of the more than two million 1974 auto license tags were destroyed in the weekend rioting.
He said Pat Nimrod, superintendent of prison industries, had informed him that the tag plant “was in the worst part of the fire.” 75 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 6, 1948, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Injuries inflicted by a frightened mule proved fatal Wednesday for L.H. Kibbee, 74, farmer living southwest of Sallisaw. He died in a Fort Smith hospital where he was taken Saturday after the accident.
Kibbee was pawed and stomped by the animal after he approached a wagon. His chest was slashed by the front hoofs of the mule.
100 years ago
(From the Aug. 3, 1923, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —John E. Johnston, sheriff of this county returned home Wednesday at noon from McAlester, where he took Eddie Baker, self-confessed bigamist who entered a plea of guilty before Judge J.T. Parks on Monday of having two wives. The judge sentenced the bigamist to one year in the state penitentiary.
—The temperature in Sallisaw Wednesday was 107 degrees the highest mark this summer. The thermometer reached 107 mark at 3:36 Wednesday afternoon after hovering around 106 for more than two hours. The record was adjudged from the First National Bank thermometer, which is one of the most accurate in this county.
It was noticed Wednesday many persons were seeking the creek banks for a cool spot, while others mingled around without realizing that they were passing through the hottest day of the summer. Even bill collectors found the going too “hot” for them and they had to retire until the following day. The soda fountains increased their sales, while other concerns found their sales were below the usual mark. The sale of tobacco was made the “goat” as smoking proves to be a hot job when the mercury begins to boil.
Sallisaw was not the only hot spot in the state, as other places in the western sections reported 106 to 109 degrees.
