CRITTENDEN NATIVE SECOND GOVENOR OF OKLAHOMA
Lee Cruce, the second governor of the young 4-year old state of Oklahoma, was born and raised in Crittenden County, near the small town of Crayneville. He was born July 8, 1863, to James W. and Jane (Hill) Cruce.
His story is an amazing one, one of adventure and ambition.
From the archives of the Crittenden Press it tells of Lee's activities.
Lee's early years were spent on the farm. His education was obtained in the common schools, with one year at Marion Academy. Deciding to qualify himself for the practice of law, he attended the law school of Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, but remained there only one year.
His law studies were completed in the office of his brother, Andrew Cavit Cruce, in Marion. He was admitted to the Kentucky Bar in 1887, but never practice until he moved to Ardmore, Indian Territory, Oklahoma. Andrew C., his brother, had moved his law practice to Oklahoma and Lee joined the firm when he moved there.
In the years 1888-1889 Lee was a member of the firm of Cruce Bros., and was selling goods at their family store in Crayneville. Lee could measure off a couple of yards of bleached domestic, wrap it up and make the change with lightning rapidity.
He always said if he could make enough money he would go west, therefore he practiced close economy and attended strictly to business.
By a master stroke of good fortune Cruce Bros., of Crayneville sold out. Lee gathered his hard earning together and counted it. He had $38.49. In the year 1891, he boarded a train and went west to Ardmore, where his brother was already located.
After settling in his new home, Lee practiced law for ten years and then entered the financial world as the first cashier of the Ardmore National Bank, of which he would later serve as the bank's president. In 1901 Cruce was elected as a municipal legislative member in the local government of Ardmore.
When the movement towards statehood in late 1906, with Cruce's combined positions of power in the Bank and the local government, his local Democratic party submitted his name on the primary for the 1st Governor of the newly created state of Oklahoma.
Unfortunately, his powerful and popular opponent, Charles N. Haskell defeated Cruce for the nomination. The opinion of the paper was that the over-confidence of Cruce's friends might have cost him the nomination. The vote was very light in the Chickasaw nation and Carter County, the people of Ardmore just knew he would be elected, so they didn't turn out to vote.
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Lee Cruce died on July 5, 1933 at his daughter's home in Los Angeles, California. He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in his adopted state of Ardmore, Oklahoma.
His parents and other members of the Cruce family are buried in their little Cruce family cemetery just a short distant from their home near Crayne. It is completely overgrown with brambles and small trees. Once it was cared for but has been in this shape now for many years.
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