Will Rogers in Oklahoma Rt. 66 Hall of Fame

Steve Gragert, Will Rogers Memorial Museums executive director, received a duplicate plaque and acknowledged induction of Will Rogers into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame in the Route 66 Museum in Clinton on May 26. Also inducted was Carol Duncan, Clinton community leader. Third District U.S. Congressman Frank Lucas was keynote speaker. The occasion marked the grand opening of renovated exhibit galleries of the Clinton Museum and Clinton’s Route 66 Festival. Will Rogers is featured in several segments of the exhibit. Clinton is on Highway 66 between Oklahoma City and the Texas border. Three years after Will Rogers’ death in 1935, the entire length of 2,200-plus mile route of United States Highway 66 was officially designated as Will Rogers Highway.


Posted by Rick Mobley

Route 66 Cruise through Tulsa ends at Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Rev your engines and join the Saturday, June 23, first annual Will Rogers Memorial Cruise on Historic Route 66. The event is open to all cars and clubs. Sign-up will begin at 1 p.m. at Historic Crystal City Shopping Center, 4200 Southwest Blvd. in Tulsa and end on Will Rogers Boulevard.

The final destination is Claremore and the Will Rogers Memorial Museum about 6 p.m.

For the full Cruise, sign up at the shopping center. Highlights along the route will be World’s Tallest Oil Derrick/Frisco 4500 Steam Locomotive in Route 66 Village, in  Tulsa, drive-through at Cyrus Avery Plaza, a drive path through downtown Tulsa,  stop at Meadow Gold sign, drive by Desert Hill Inn, stop at Blue Whale in Catoosa, drive by Will Rogers Hotel, Claremore, and stop at J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum.

Cruisers will end their journey at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, where cars will be parked for showing. Events inside and on the Museum’s south patio, overlooking Claremore, will be showing of A Journey Down Route 66, narrated by Michael and Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis, live music, sock hop and dinner.

Cost is $20 per car for the day of activities, including dancing to the live music of Bill Holden Band at the Memorial Museum. Admission at the door is $10. Will Rogers Memorial Ropers (docents) will have a Will Rogers Memorial Foundation fund-raiser food booth of barbecue on bun, chips, cookies and drinks  for individual purchase.

The day of cruising Historic Route 66 is hosted by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in cooperation with Route 66 Cruisers, Claremore. For information visit the web site http://www.route66cruisersok.org/willrogersmemorial.htm or call the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 918-341-0719.

Posted by Rick Mobley