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Photograph of James C. Nance Memorial Bridge
Photograph by Scott5114, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

US Highway 77 Bridge at Canadian River

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

From the record

“Nance Memorial Bridge connecting Purcell and Lexington was originally built as a circa 1938 deck truss two-lane bridge and in 2019 rebuilt as a concrete pier four-lane bridge crossing the Canadian River and the BNSF Railway between Purcell and Lexington, Oklahoma. The bridge designated on the list of state highways in Oklahoma carries U.S.”

Wikipedia article James C. Nance Memorial Bridge, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 6 National Register listings published here for McClain County · listed in 2003 · category: Structure.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 structure as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. US 77 over the Canadian R, Purcell, 73080
  • When was it listed? September 2003
  • Category. structure
  • Census division. Purcell
  • National Register reference number. 03000882 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

1 since 2020

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of US Highway 77 Bridge at Canadian River in 2020, burning about 2 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
21 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.5 acresChickasaw AgencyBULL

Every fire recorded in McClain County

Mines and quarries near this property

7 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of US Highway 77 Bridge at Canadian River: 7 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in McClain County

Storms near this property

60 of 84 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Purcell, the town this property stands in, in 84 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 53 hail, 17 thunderstorm wind, 7 tornado, 5 flash flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1997Tornado (F2)Purcell2 hurt, $900,000This description was taken almost entirely, and with minimal editing, from a damage survey conducted Monday May 26th (Memorial Day), the day after the tornado, by a National Weather Service meteorologist.This tornado, rated F2, began 5 miles east of Criner, or 7 miles west-southwest of downtown Purcell, in southern McClain County. The beginning time of this tornado is not entirely certain but is believed to be near or just after 16:00 CST. This tornado tracked just south of due east for 6 miles, ending about 4 miles northwest of Wayne or 4 miles south of downtown Purcell at around 16:24 CST. At its widest, the damage path was estimated to be 3/4 mile wide. Numerous power lines were downed, prompting the temporary closing of both Highways 24 and 74 for a time during the evening. At least 18 dwellings, including mobile homes and permanent dwellings, were destroyed or suffered major damage. This probably was a multiple-vortex tornado, at least in its latter stages, based on eyewitness reports. No one was killed or seriously injured by this tornado, but two minor injuries were reported. Damage began along a concentrated path from along Highway 24 around 3 miles south and 1 mile east of Woody Chapel (which is located at the intersection of Highways 39 and 24 about 3 miles south of Washington). Details are described below, highlighting six areas along the damage track.Along Hwy 24, 5 miles east of Criner, sheet metal was scattered over about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile path, apparently the remnants of a destroyed outbuilding. Several large trees were toppled or heavily damaged in this area. Damage was F1. Tree damage also was noted over a larger area 1 mile west of this location (or 3 miles south of Woody Chapel on Highway 24), along with a few pieces of sheet metal debris. Since damage in this area was more minor (small to medium size branches broken) and notconcentrated, straight-line winds were considered the likely source. Also along Hwy 24, from Hwy 112 southward for about a mile, power lines were downed along a 1/4 to 1/2 mile stretch of the road. Considerable debris was found from fallen trees, metal outbuildings, etc. Damage was F1. About 1 mile east of Hwy 24 and 1 mile south of Hwy 112, a home was unroofed. Widespread but mostly minor tree damage was noted, with trees uprooted and/or branches snapped off. Aside from the home with the damaged roof, there were few if any other manmade structures in the area. Damage probably was F1, but an exact determination could not be made since the roof was being repaired at the time of the survey.On Emu Road, 1/2 to 1 mile south of Hwy 112 and 2 miles east of Hwy 24, one permanent home was destroyed. Numerous large trees were downed - some snapped off, and others uprooted. Several of the uprooted trees fell toward the northwest, others to the southwest. Damage was considered F2. At Highway 74 and Horse Road, (3.5 to 4.5 miles east of Hwy 24 and 1 mile south of Hwy 112), the worst damage and widest damage path (about 3/4 mile wide) were in this area. Power lines were downed along Hwy 74 for nearly a mile. Numerous large trees were snapped off or uprooted. In one area between the two roads, nearly every tree suffered some kind of significant damage. Two mobile homes were destroyed along Horse Road. One was blown east and landed across the street near a church. The other rolled three times and landed 50 to 100 feet northeast of its original location. Two women, a mother and daughter, were inside the second mobile home and were lucky to escape with only minor injuries. Metal outbuildings, satellite dishes, fences, and at least one pickup truck were destroyed - mostly by impacts from other blown objects. However, the church, which was brick, sustained only minor structural damage to the exterior, as the roof was intact and only a few shingles were missing. (Broken windows in the church led to more substantial damage on the interior as rain and wind entered the building.) Damage in this area was considered F2, but the fact that the church escaped with such minor damage to its exterior suggests either a lower rating or the possibility of a multiple-vortex tornado. At least one eyewitness indicated a second tornado. Although the entire damage track appeared consistent and more-or-less continuous, suggesting only one tornado, the eyewitness account and the observed gradients in damage intensity suggest that this probably was a multiple-vortex tornado, at least in its latter stages.From 1/4 to 1/2 mile east of Horse Road, a large home suffered major damage, with most of the second floor destroyed. Downed trees were widespread. Damage was rated F2. Another home immediately east of this location lost part of its roof. But farther east, near Interstate 35, several homes were undamaged and no significant damage could be found - except for a lone uprooted tree immediately west of the interstate.
January 2026Tornado (EF2)Purcell$400,000This tornado developed near 180th Street and Ladd Road southwest of Purcell and moved northeast. One home about 3 miles southwest of Purcell had the roof removed. A semi on Interstate 35 just west of Purcell was pushed over injuring one person. The tornado then moved through Purcell causing roof damage to a few homes and damaging utility poles and trees. Moving out of the northeast side of Purcell, the tornado crossed the Canadian River into Cleveland County.
July 2007Flash FloodPurcell$400,000Numerous city streets and alleys were closed due to high water. One-fourth of 180th Street was washed away. Monetary damages were estimated.
November 1998Tornado (F1)Purcell$100,000no account filed
April 1999Tornado (F1)Purcell$40,000no account filed
May 2000LightningPurcell$25,000Lightning struck a new, uninhabited mobile home, causing a fire which destroyed the entire home.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindPurcell$20,000Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 to 80 mph downed large trees and power lines in town. One large tree was uprooted and landed on a minivan. Another uprooted tree landed on power lines, cutting power to most of the south part of town.
May 2018Tornado (EF1)Purcell$10,000A tornado developed southwest of Purcell and moved northeast passing near Purcell Lake and into the north side of Purcell. Large trees were uprooted and outbuildings destroyed in the north side of Purcell. The tornado crossed the Canadian River into Cleveland County north of Lexington.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindPurcell$10,000A deck was damaged at a residence north of Purcell. Monetary damages were estimated.
May 2001Thunderstorm WindPurcell$10,000The front end of the Hope Hardware Store was blown off.
June 1996Thunderstorm WindPurcell$7,500no account filed
May 1997Thunderstorm WindPurcell$7,000Severe thunderstorm winds blew a roof off a barn, uprooted trees, blew siding off a house, and destroyed small metal storage buildings.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindPurcell$5,000Wind gusts downed several 6 to 8 inch diameter tree limbs. Damages estimated.
August 2007Flash FloodPurcell$5,000A barn was flooded north of State HWY 39 and Sooner Road. Juneau Street was also flooded in Purcell. Monetary damages were estimated.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindPurcell$4,000Several power poles were blown down. Monetary damages were estimated.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindPurcell$4,000A Bradford pear tree was downed at Adams and 7th Street. Numerous tree limbs were downed by the high winds. Monetary damages were estimated.
November 1998LightningPurcell$100no account filed
March 2025HailPurcell-MPing report. Event time adjusted based on radar observations.
April 2025HailPurcell-The report was relayed through mPING.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindPurcell-Social media image showing a very large (2436-inch diameter) tree split in half. Time is radar estimated.
May 2020HailPurcell-Time estimate.
June 2019Flash FloodPurcell-Numerous reports of street flooding with depths over one-half foot.
December 2018Thunderstorm WindPurcell-Power outages were reported in south Purcell.
September 2018Flash FloodPurcell-Significant water reported over roadway.
May 2015Tornado (EF0)Purcell-Live coverage from helicopters of OKC television stations showed a brief tornado develop southwest of Purcell. No damage was reported and the location is estimated.
April 2013HailPurcell-No damage was reported.
April 2012HailPurcell-The hail occurred near the McClain/Cleveland county line.
April 2011HailPurcell-The hail was reported near Highway 74.
September 2010Flash FloodPurcell-Water was over the 180th Street, west of Highway 174. Other county roads also had to be closed due to water running over top of them.
May 2009Thunderstorm WindPurcell-Trees were blown down, a flag pole was bent, and minor roof damage was reported to a residence on Highway 74 in Purcell. Monetary damage estimates were not available.
April 2008HailPurcell-The hail reportedly covered the ground.
March 2022HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2019HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2018HailPurcell-no account filed
March 2017HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2017HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2017HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2017HailPurcell-no account filed
June 2017HailPurcell-no account filed
March 2016HailPurcell-no account filed
March 2015HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2013HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2012HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2012HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2012HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2012HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2009HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2009HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2008HailPurcell-no account filed
June 2008HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2005HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2004HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2004HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2004HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2004HailPurcell-no account filed
March 2003HailPurcell-no account filed
March 2003HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2002HailPurcell-no account filed
May 2001HailPurcell-no account filed
April 2000HailPurcell-no account filed

Every storm recorded in McClain County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

3 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
McClain County Courthouse0.2 miles1984
Hotel Love0.3 miles1995
United States Post Office Purcell0.3 miles2018

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 03000882 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
McClain CountyAll 6 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.