Famous people are fairly common in the landscape of Oklahoma and the U.S. but to find one who was instrumental in the actual tangiblelandscapeofTexoma is a true jewel. Wilburn Cartwright is this month’s famous Oklahoman.
Some might call Wilburn Cartwright “the father of Lake Texoma”, in a manner of speaking. Cartwright was born in Georgetown, Tenn. on January 12, 1892. He movednearWapanucka,and attended school in Ada.
He attended the State Teachers College at Durant, Okla. Cartwright taught school in Atoka, Bryan, Coal and Pittsburg County school districts. Cartwright served first in the state legislature in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1914 - 1918 and the Oklahoma senate 1918-1922.
He later graduated from the University of Oklahoma college of Law in 1920. Cartwright was admitted to the bar in 1917 and practiced in McAlester, Okla.
He landed a seat in 1926 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Cartwright served in this position 1927-1943 where he sat on committees including Indian Affairs and Roads.
In 1933, he became chairman of the Roads where, along with Senator Carl Hayden of Arizona, he authored the Hayden-Cartwright Act, a key law in the financing of the U.S. highway system.
Cartwrightalsosupported the New Deal public works projects in his district where heandSamRayburnofTexas secured the construction of the Denison Dam across the Red River in 1939 and 1940 creating Lake Texoma, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society website.
During the construction of the Denison Dam, a community of shelters for workmen was erected in BryanCounty,Okla.ofwhich was named Cartwright and a post office was established in 1940. The community remains today.
In 1942, Cartwright lost the Democratic primary to Paul Stewart and left congress immediately joining theU.S.Armyservingduring W.W.II until he was injured in combat in 1943 returning to the U.S. in 1945 and became an instructor at Fort Custer.
He then was employed by the Veterans Administration atMuskogee,Okla.,according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. In 1946, he was elected as secretary of state and in 1950, he was elected as state auditor of which he resigned in 1954. Governor JohnstonMurray(Chickasaw citizen) appointed him to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and later winning these seats.
It seems Cartwright was destined for politics as he had many family members who also served but perhaps the relative who stands out the most is a great, great uncle Peter Cartwright who defeated Abraham Lincoln in 1832 race for Illinois House of Representatives.
FamousactsofCartwright are inked all over Oklahoma and in fact, he even called himself“themostelectedman in Oklahoma government.” This seems like a true description as he held offices during seven decades.
Cartwright definitely did his fair share of serving his state and country but his work with the New Deal public works project leading to the Denison dam during the Great Depression, a time when many folks felt the only hope left was a choice between communism and fascism, definitely changed SouthernOklahomainmany ways and seems to be the main asset in its existence today.
Furthermore, theDenison Dam is designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The purpose of thedamisfloodcontrol,water supply, hydroelectric power production, river regulation, navigation and recreation. The effect of the dedication and service of Cartwright’s efforts toward the Great Deal is unarguably iconic whether completely good or bad and continues to serve the people surrounding it.