| Another destination I decided on while
on the trip was the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore. |
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| There's a statue of Oklahoma's favorite
son. |
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| He started his show business career as
a trick roper and was eventually featured in the Ziegfeld Follies.
This led to films and radio appearances. |
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| A replica of his study at his ranch in
Pacific Palisades. |
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| There is a room showing clips of his
movies and a larger theatre with more movies. |
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| Given the current crop of candidates we
had, we could do a lot worse than Will Rogers (and have). |
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| In August 1935, Will Rogers and fellow
Oklahoman aviator Wiley Post were on a trip to Alaska. On the 15th,
on a flight from Fairbanks to Point Barrow, they had trouble finding
their position. Post landed their plane to ask directions from the
locals. Upon takeoff, the engine failed and the aircraft crashed
into the lagoon, killing both Rogers and Post. |
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| These items were recovered from the
wreckage, including eyeglasses, stamps, a magnifying glass, a pocket
knife, watches and puzzle boxes which were found in his pocket. |
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| Will Rogers worked on his newspaper
columns wherever he happened to be. This portable typewriter was
with him on the plane. |
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| He was initially buried in Forest Lawn
Park in Glendale, California but was later interred here. |
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| The home where Will Rogers was born in
nearby Oologah. The house was moved to this higher location when the
Verdigris River was dammed to create Oologah Lake. |
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| It was kind of weird that there was no
one at the house like a guide or anything. Just a recording that
played on a loop. |
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| He may have been born in this room. I
think with the crib thing there that's probably what they want you
to assume. |
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| It makes more sense than being born in
the dining room. |
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| The house is on a working ranch. Look
at those longhorns. |
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| And at the end of my Route 66 trip is
Tulsa. Here is the Golden Driller statue. It's (literally) kind of a
big thing. |
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| You can see quite a few Route 66 things
in Tulsa. Like this old Meadow Gold sign. |
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| Here is an old gas station that was
turned into a Route 66 gift shop. |
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| They also have a muffler man, although
I don't think it is old. He is holding a rocket. |
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| The Warehouse Market Building, an Art
Deco building constructed in 1929. At one time. this 50,000 square
foot market held several grocery stores, a bakery, drug store, cafe
and soda fountain. When the Great Depression took hold of the city,
the public market was closed and the building spent a few years as
Club Lido, which hosted performers such as Cab Calloway and Duke
Ellington. |
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| I don't know if this building was an
old Route 66 building, but it looks like it might be. |
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| The Best Western Plus Downtown
Tulsa/Route 66 is very near Route 66. |
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| Another large room with a kitchenette. |
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| When you think of Tulsa, Oklahoma, you
naturally think of Irish pubs. I had the best steak and Guinness pie
I've ever had. |
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