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History · Cartwright

Cartwright’s post office opened in 1940

Most of Cartwright was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: maps from 1957 on.

1940first post office
0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Cartwright began

When was Cartwright founded?

1940

The Cartwright post office opened in 1940, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 49286 years
Founding year: the first Cartwright post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Cartwright’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Cartwright are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cartwright’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cartwright’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Cartwright, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Cartwright yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Cartwright is an unincorporated rural community and census-designated place in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 492.' The post office opened April 25, 1940, and it is one of the newest communities in Bryan County. The ZIP code is 74731. It is named for Congressman Wilburn Cartwright. Cartwright was established because of the construction of Denison Dam when a community of shelters for workmen was erected.

Its first post office opened in 1940. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 609 to 492 (-19%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Cartwright, decade by decade

Today3 recent
United States Postal Service post office2021United States Postal Service post officeTexoma Inn2021Texoma InnCartwright, Oklahoma2021Cartwright, Oklahoma
On the map

Cartwright on the map, 1957 to 1973

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cartwright. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Cartwright on the 1957 USGS mapCartwright on the 1973 USGS map1957Denison Dam sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cartwright.

Famous people

Famous people close to Cartwright

Nobody well known was born in Cartwright itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Chesley SullenbergerAmerican commercial airline pilot · b. 1951
John HillermanAmerican actor · b. 1932
Buck OwensAmerican country singer-songwriter · b. 1929
Denean HowardAthletics competitor, sprinter, 400 metres runn… · b. 1964
S
Sherri HowardAthletics competitor, sprinter, 400 metres runn… · b. 1962
Bess FlowersAmerican actress · b. 1898

Questions about Cartwright’s history

What year was Cartwright founded?

The Cartwright post office opened in 1940, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.