 State Highway 56 traces its origins to August 28, 1929, its original date of commissioning.At that time, the highway only consisted of the portion of the route extending from the SH-99 junction (then SH-48) east to Sasakwa, thence north to end at SH-3 south of Wewoka.The highway underwent its first extension just under two years later, on June 15, 1931, when it was extended to end at US-62 in Okemah.