Lake Texoma

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Lake Texoma, right there in Grayson County. Now settle in, because this lake has a story worth hearing. Completed in 1944, Lake Texoma is today the second largest lake in Texas and the eleventh largest reservoir in capacity in the entire United States.

That is not a small thing. Flood control, power generation, recreation. Those are its main purposes, and it delivers on all three.

The waters are held back by Denison Dam, and what those waters cover is something to picture. In normal operation, the lake shoreline runs 550 miles. The Red River arm stretches 45 miles into Texas, the Washita arm reaches 30 miles into Oklahoma, and together they cover 93,080 acres.

Now, a lake that big doesn't just appear without a champion, and Texoma had one of the best. Sam Rayburn, born 1882, died 1961, was a noted Speaker of the House who represented District 4 in Congress for 49 years. Forty-nine years.

He pushed hard for this lake, and the marker credits him as the man who promoted it largely through his own efforts. When Texoma was created, though, the land didn't give itself up quietly. Railroads had to be relocated.

Highways moved. Utilities rerouted. Cemeteries, even, had to be moved.

And some places didn't get moved at all. The site of Preston, historically the Red River crossing for the Butterfield Stage, was submerged. Gone beneath the water.

So were the sites of Hagerman and part of Cedar Mills, Texas. Towns and crossings and history, swallowed whole. By 1966, the lake had drawn 8,500,000 tourists to its numerous recreation areas, and those visitors could also stop at Eisenhower State Park, sitting at the southeast end of the lake, named in honor of Dwight D.

Eisenhower, the thirty-fourth president of the United States. Texoma is one of more than 200 major inland lakes and reservoirs in Texas, all of them contributing to the economic and industrial growth of the state. But there's only one that swallowed a stage crossing and came back as the eleventh largest reservoir in America.

That's Texoma.

What the marker says

Completed 1944, Texoma is today the second largest lake in Texas and the eleventh largest reservoir in capacity in the United States. Its main purposes are flood control, power generation, and recreation. Lake Texoma was promoted largely through the efforts of Sam Rayburn (1882-1961), noted speaker of the house who represented District 4 in Congress for 49 years. In normal operation, lake shoreline covers 550 miles, with the Red River arm (45 miles) in Texas and the Washita arm (30 miles) in Oklahoma covering 93,080 acres. The waters are impounded by Denison Dam. When Texoma was created, it caused the relocation of railroads, highways, utilities, and cemeteries. The site of Preston, historically the Red River crossing for the Butterfield Stage, was submerged, as were the sites of Hagerman and part of Cedar Mills, Texas. In 1966 numerous recreation areas on Texoma drew 8,500,000 tourists, who could also visit Eisenhower State Park at the southeast end of the lake. The park was named in honor of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the thirty-fourth president of the United States. Texoma is one of more than 200 major inland lakes and reservoirs in Texas which contribute greatly to the economic and industrial growth of the state.