O. A. Cargill

Who is O. A. Cargill?

O. A. Cargill was a very prominent lawyer, author, politician and buffalo rancher during Oklahoma's early days. April 4, 1923 - April 12, 1927

Otto “O.A.” Cargill was born in Viola, Arkansas on February 26, 1885. He married Delia Arnold in May of 1905 in Cushing, Oklahoma, and they settled in Oklahoma City in 1912. Upon settling in Oklahoma City, Cargill worked as a streetcar conductor and later joined the City’s police force. He studied law at night and was admitted to the State Bar in 1916. He served as County Attorney from 1919 to 1920. Cargill defeated Allen Street in the 1923 mayoral election.

When Mayor Cargill assumed office, the City was in poor financial shape. Reform efforts were stymied by members of former Mayor Walton’s administration who remained in office. The citizens lost faith in the City government and voted in 1926 to replace the Commission government with a Mayor-Council-Manager government as set forth in a new City Charter.

Successful lobbying efforts during Mayor Cargill’s term led to the US Postmaster General’s office officially declaring that the City’s Post Office would be named the Oklahoma City Post Office. After law school he was active in politics, having been elected mayor of Oklahoma City and also serving as Special Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and un-successful run for governor. During his early days in Oklahoma and Indian territories he served as a Deputy U.S. Marshal under Bill Depew. O.A. Cargill had four children O.A. "Buck" Cargill Jr, Keet Cargill, Oklahoma Cargill Hood & Otha Westcott. Cargill worked as an Oklahoma City police officer before and during WW I. Cargill attended night school studying law.