He also is known for the initial construction of the West Virginia Turnpike, which was to be a 4-lane road system throughout the state, although, after his term, it was superseded by the interstate highway system, with only a 2-lane section between Charleston and Princeton ever completed. During his term, the legislature created the position of state Tax Commissioner and authorized cities to levy sales taxes. He was praised by crime writer Erle Stanley Gardner for his careful re-investigation of the case of convicted murderer Robert Ballard Bailey when doubts were raised about the validity of the conviction. Gardner dedicated his detective novel Top of the Heap to Patteson. References External links patteson.html Biography of Okey L. Patteson Inaugural Address of Okey L. Patteson 1898 births 1989 deaths American amputees American bank presidents Methodists from West Virginia American politicians with disabilities Democratic Party governors of West Virginia People from Mount Hope, West Virginia People from Mingo County, West Virginia West Virginia sheriffs West Virginia Wesleyan College alumni 20th-century American politicians West Virginia Wesleyan College trustees 20th-century American academics