Oklahoma Vacation and Travel Ideas for Literary Tours
Washington Irving Trail Museum
Route 1
Box 880
Ripley, OK 74062
Website http://www.stillwater.ok.us/non-profit/irving/
Email: - none listed
Phone: (405) 624-9130
Washington Irving (1783 ?¢?? 1859) is best known for his short stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Rip Wan Winkle. He was also a prolific writer of essays and biographies, including several volumes about Christopher Columbus and a five-volume biography of George Washington. He was one of the first American writers to be hailed as a major talent in Europe, and is said to have advised Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Edgar Allen Poe.
In 1832, Irving traveled through what is now central Oklahoma with Captain Jesse Bean and his U.S. Rangers. He described the journey in A Tour on the Prairies, which provides a vivid account of life in Oklahoma before settlement. The Washington Irving Trail Museum is located on the site where Irving camped during the expedition.
In addition to material relating to Irving, the museum includes displays about other significant history of the region, including Southwest Indian artifacts, the beginnings of country music, and early American explorers. A room called ?¢??History?¢??s Forgotten Treasures?¢?? houses rare artifacts that tell stories of the Oklahoma past.
Also of interest is Washington Irving?¢??s Sunnyside. For more information, see , visit: http://www.hudsonvalley.org/sunnyside/index.htm, or call: (914) 631-8200.
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Will Rogers Memorial Museum
1720 West Will Rogers Boulevard
Claremore, OK 74017
Website: http://www.willrogers.com/museum/museum.html
Email: wrinfo@willrogers.com
Phone: (918) 341-0719
Will Rogers (1879 ?¢?? 1935) was a phenomenally popular film and stage actor, radio commentator, vaudeville performer, and journalist. He began his career as a ?¢??Wild West?¢?? show performer, and quickly became known for his witty on-stage comments. He was a popular performer in the Ziegfeld Follies from 1916 to 1925, entertaining audiences with his roping and also his satiric commentary on the daily news. He appeared in many films, including the first talking film version of Mark Twain?¢??s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur?¢??s Court, Young as You Feel, and Life Begins at 40. At the time of his death in an airplane crash, Rogers was the most widely read newspaper columnist, and his Sunday night radio broadcasts were the most listened-to weekly broadcast. In 1934 he was the country?¢??s top-ranking box office draw.
Although best remembered as an actor and comedian, Rogers was also well known for his political commentary. He wrote a popular syndicated daily column called ?¢??Will Rogers Says,?¢?? which was composed like a telegram. He often expressed criticism of the government, especially during the Depression, while remaining a staunch Democrat and supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He liked to quip, ?¢??I don?¢??t belong to any organized party. I?¢??m a Democrat.?¢?? He penned many other quotable phrases, including ?¢??I never met a man I didn?¢??t like,?¢?? and ?¢??Be thankful we are not getting all the government we are paying for.?¢?? Rogers?¢??s columns, radio broadcast transcripts, and other writings, have been collected in a number of books.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum sits on twenty acres of land which Rogers had purchased to be the site of his retirement home. Following his unexpected death, his widow, Betty, donated the land, and an extensive collection of artifacts, to be the location for a museum dedicated to Rogers?¢??s memory. The museum includes nine galleries, three theaters, and a children?¢??s museum. Exhibits include Roger?¢??s memorabilia, a saddle collection, photographs, and a research library and archive. On the grounds is the Rogers Family Tomb, where Rogers and his wife are buried.
Also of interest to admirers of Will Rogers will be the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma. For more information, see , visit: http://www.willrogers.com/index3.html, or call: (918) 341-0719 or (800) 324-9455.
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Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
(Dog Iron Ranch)
2 miles east of
Oologah, OK
Website: http://www.willrogers.com/ranch/ranch.html
Email: wrinfo@willrogers.com
Phone: (918) 341-0719 or (800) 324-9455
Will Rogers (1879 ?¢?? 1935) was a phenomenally popular film and stage actor, radio commentator, vaudeville performer, and journalist. He began his career as a ?¢??Wild West?¢?? show performer, and quickly became known for his witty on-stage comments. He was a popular performer in the Ziegfeld Follies from 1916 to 1925, entertaining audiences with his roping and also his satiric commentary on the daily news. He appeared in many films, including the first talking film version of Mark Twain?¢??s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur?¢??s Court, Young as You Feel, and Life Begins at 40. At the time of his death in an airplane crash, Rogers was the most widely read newspaper columnist, and his Sunday night radio broadcasts were the most listened-to weekly broadcast. In 1934 he was the country?¢??s top-ranking box office draw.
Although best remembered as an actor and comedian, Rogers was also well known for his political commentary as well. He wrote a popular syndicated daily column called ?¢??Will Rogers Says,?¢?? which was composed like a telegram. He often expressed criticism of the government, especially during the Depression, while remaining a staunch Democrat and supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He liked to quip, ?¢??I don?¢??t belong to any organized party. I?¢??m a Democrat.?¢?? He penned many other quotable phrases, including ?¢??I never met a man I didn?¢??t like,?¢?? and ?¢??Be thankful we are not getting all the government we are paying for.?¢?? Rogers?¢??s columns, radio broadcast transcripts, and other writings, have been collected in a number of books.
Will Rogers was born in 1879 on the Dog Iron Ranch on the shores of lake Oologah in Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma. His father, Clement Vann Rogers, was a Cherokee senator and judge who helped to write the Oklahoma Constitution. His mother, Mary America Schrimsher, also had Cherokee heritage. Clement was a successful businessman and rancher, and the Dog Iron Ranch was a center of civic and social life in the area. The Greek Revival house was built in 1875 and is a rather rare example of surviving buildings on the former Indian Territory frontier. Clement covered the exterior of the log-walled house with clapboard siding. The original barn was destroyed by wildfire, and in 1993 a faithful replica of an 1879 barn was erected on the property.
Clement Rogers?¢??s ranch extended over 60,000 acres, with up to 10,000 head of Texas Longhorn cattle along with other farming operations. Visitors to the ranch, which today encompasses 400 acres, can see a much smaller herd of 50 Texas Longhorns and other livestock.
Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, will also be of interest to Will Rogers fans. For more information see , visit: http://www.willrogers.com/museum/museum.html, or call: (918) 341-0719.
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Sequoyah?¢??s Cabin
Route 1, Box 141
Sallisaw, OK 74955
Website: http://www.okhistory.org/Homes/SequaoyahCabin.html
Email: - none listed
Phone: (918) 775-2413
Sequoyah (c. 1767 ?¢?? 1843) was a Cherokee silversmith who developed the Cherokee syllabary. Sequoyah?¢??s work
Sequoyah was the creator of the Cherokee alphabet. His cabin was not of interest until recently, when it underwent a $10,000 renovation. The cabin boasts a hand-hewn roof and floor beams, both in their original states and in excellent condition. The authentic wood is native oak. It is believed that the Chief lived here around 1826-1828. He died in Mexico in 1841, and no one has discovered his grave, thus the cabin is his only legacy. Special note: It is best to call for information.
asBeing a silversmith brought him into regular contact with white traders, and he became intrigued by their use of writing. He began working to create a system of writing for the Cherokee language around 1809. He used the Roman alphabet and possibly the Cyrillic alphabet to create 86 characters representing the various syllables in the Cherokee language. The endeavor would take him 12 years to complete. By 1823 the syllabary was in full use throughout the Cherokee Nation, and it was officially adopted in 1825.
Born in Tennesse, Sequoyah moved to Arkansas before settling in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Sequoyah?¢??s one-room cabin, which he built shortly after moving here in 1829, was enclosed in a stone cover building during the 1930s, and is preserved for visitors by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
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