[3] The area at 51st Avenue and Thomas Road was settled and homesteaded by Reddick Jasper Cartwright (1837–1914), a native of Illinois, in 1877.

In 1884, Tom Brockman, a native of California and fellow homesteader, donated land at 59th Avenue and Thomas Road for a school site.

Cartwright and his neighbors raised enough funds to build the first one-room school house.

Mr. Downs and his family lived in the residence which is currently the Cartwright Heritage House.

The Cartwright School was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.