Volume 6 , Issue 12

Carl Etling & Lute Murrow...

"In your latest letter, you menioned Lake Carl Etling in far northwest Oklahoma's (Panhandle Empire.) The lake is named, of course, for Carl Etling, who served with my grandfather (A. L. Lute Murrow) in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in the early 1960s. Grandpa Murrow served from 1956 to 1966, but I do not remember the dates precisely. My brother and I, our cousins Rob and Steve Nida, and several of our friends, all had the opportunity to serve as pages in the Oklahoma House (on more than one occasion). It was on those visits that we were able to meet many of our state's elected officials (right up to the Governor, Henry Bellmon). Carl Etling is one of those I remember fairly vividly. He was a kind, gentle soul and was one of my grandfather's good friends and associates in the House of Representatives. He, too, was able to provide opportunities for young men and women from the Oklahoma panhandle to serve as pages and to learn something of the way our state government operates. It was during those years (perhaps at the time of his retirement??) that the lake was named in his honor. As I remember it from a few visits, it is nestled in the landscape almost like one would imagine an oasis and a place of sanctuary from the sometimes harsh landscape (though beautiful, of course).
     I wonder if there are any who might mention some special memories of Mr. Etling? Or... for that matter, I would be very much interested to read any memories of the work my grandfather did in his term as representative from Woods county - and later from Woods and Woodward counties. Grandpa's was originally elected to represent the people of Woods county, but after the 1960 census, the maps were redrawn and his district was extended to include Woods and Woodward counties.
     I have one of my grandfather's photos from the years he was in the legislature - and grandmother was a member of the organization called Ohoyohoma - wives of members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (even though there was at least one female member of the House in those days, it was still largely a male-dominated group).
     My grandparents owned Murrow's Grocery in Dacoma, having bought out the interest of the Smith family (formerly called Smith and Murrow). After my father, Dean Murrow, got out of the US Navy at the end of WWII, he bought into the business and it was known thereafter as Murrow and Murrow. They built the new locker plant in the store in 1947, the year my brother Randy was born. The store today is the ever-popular Whittet's Country Store, owned and operated by Billy Wayne and Floy Whittet. It is my understanding that in Dacoma's early days, the building was the site of the roller-skating rink. A. L. Lute Murrow, member of Oklahoma House of Representatives 1956-1966 and Mildred M. Murrow, member of Ohoyohoma, 1956-1966. (It may be spelled Ohoyahoma).
     I don't remember where I saw it, but I have seen a photo of the interior of the bank. When I was a kid, the tile floor of the bank was all that remained of it, just north of the old post office building - we used to skate on it when we were little. The sidewalks in Dacoma were built by one D. R. Carpenter, I think -- seems like there was a brass marker in one of the walks with his name inscribed. The old gymnasium at Dacoma was built as part of the WPA movement after FDR came into the presidency, made with bricks built on site. I have a postcard with the old bank and the other businesses that were along that side of the street, taken when it was all "new" construction. I also have a postcard of the "new" high school at Dacoma, before construction was completed. There was a dry cleaners in Dacoma at one time, along the east side of Main Street, I think, though the building has long since been razed. " -- Rod Murrow, Freedom, OK - Email: rod@murrow.com   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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