New Will Rogers Highway Marker Installed in Wellston
Special envelopes with postmark cancellations with the new Will Rogers Highway granite marker in Wellston, Oklahoma.
On June 18th, a new granite historical marker was unveiled in Wellston, Oklahoma for the Will Rogers Highway. It’s the first new marker in the series since one was installed in Afton nearly fifteen years ago.
US Highway 66 was given the Will Rogers Highway nickname in 1935, shortly after the famous actor and humorist died in a plane crash. The road was already becoming an American icon, much like Rogers, and its path symbolized his journey from Oklahoma to California. In the late 1990s, Darrell Ray of Joplin resurrected the original logo and worked with Willis Granite in southwestern Oklahoma to create a historical marker in Vinita. Wellston’s new marker is the eleventh marker in this series which covers Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, and southwest Missouri.
“For the Centennial of Route 66, we wanted to pay tribute to all of its eras,” said Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. “Will Rogers is still Oklahoma’s Favorite Son and we felt it was time for a new marker that not only kept his legacy going, but also told the story of how the citizens of Wellston came together to advocate for their town.” The Oklahoma Route 66 Association received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and several individual donations to help with the cost of the marker.
The text on the marker tells the story of the infamous ‘Wellston Gap’ and how the highway was re-routed to exclude the town’s Main Street. The citizens banded together to ensure that they weren’t forgotten and that the original alignment of the road was paved and that they were still recognized. That segment was the first part of the highway in Oklahoma designated as Oklahoma State Highway 66, and when the rest of Route 66 became a state highway, it became the only Highway 66b in the country.
Special envelopes with postmark cancellations with the new Will Rogers Highway granite marker in Wellston, Oklahoma.
The unveiling of the marker was timed to coincide with the arrival of the Route 66 Centennial Caravan, an eastbound cruise from Santa Monica to Chicago celebrating preservation projects and highlighting the road’s evolving story for its 100 year anniversary. Jennifer Rogers, Will’s great-granddaughter, was also present to mark the occasion along with scores of locals. There was also a special Will Rogers Highway postmark cancellation stamp available.
The next time you’re in Wellston, stop on the east side of town near the Butcher BBQ Stand and YaYa’s Matchstick Collectibles, check out the new marker, and take note of Will’s quote at the bottom:
“People are marvelous in their generosity if they just know the cause is there.”
If you’d like to get one of the special postmark cancellations, you can send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Wellston Post Office until July 18th:
Will Rogers Highway Station Postmaster
401 2nd Street, Wellston OK 74881
