New Will Rogers Highway Monument Coming to Route 66

The first modern Will Rogers Highway Marker, installed in Vinita in 1999.

For the first time in over more than a decade, a new Will Rogers Highway monument is coming to Oklahoma Route 66…and supporters can add their name to this historic installation.

Route 66 has had many nicknames over the last 100 years: the Main Street of America, the Mother Road…even Route 66 itself is a nickname. But in 1935, to honor the recent passing of cultural icon Will Rogers, the highway that connects Chicago to Santa Monica was given the name The Will Rogers Highway. The cross-country roadway became forever tied to the cross-country star of stage, radio, writing, and film. Nearly two decades later, the name was immortalized with a caravan that installed bronze plaques at state borders to let the world know that Will was not forgotten.

That association was resurrected in the late 1990s by a man from Joplin, Darrell Ray, and other partners including Willis Granite in southwestern Oklahoma. A new marker was designed using the 1935 Will Rogers Highway emblem created by the US 66 Highway Association, with the first marker dedicated in Vinita, Oklahoma in October of 1999. For more than a decade, additional markers were installed in Claremore, Clinton, Tulsa, Texola, and Hydro. Markers were also built in Galena, Kansas, and Joplin, Missouri. The most recent marker was installed in Afton, Oklahoma in November of 2011, next to a small segment of Ribbon Road. Many of these markers were made possible by fundraising and partnerships established with the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and passionate supporters like Carol Duncan of Clinton.

“When we were looking at ways to commemorate the Centennial of Route 66, we looked at the existing Will Rogers Highway markers and realized there was a pretty big gap between Tulsa and Hydro,” said Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. “We also saw an opportunity to tell a story about the history of the road and tie it into Will’s strength of connecting people.” Working with the Butcher BBQ Stand in Wellston, the Association identified a spot along the highway that would tell a story about citizen engagement and civic pride.

“Back when Highway 66 was being paved, a decision was made at a state level to bypass downtown Wellston and pave a straighter path, where State Highway 66 runs today,” Martin continued. “Of course, that left main street in the dirt. The townspeople and local leaders advocated to have the original part of the road paved, too, and were successful…thus closing the so-called Wellston Gap.”

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help shoulder the cost of this new marker, but additional fundraising is needed to, once again, close the gap. “We are so grateful to the National Trust for this award, which will cover about half of the cost of having this new marker created, shipped, and installed. We are making sure it’s done right and will be here for travelers to experience for decades to come.”

For parties that donate $750 or more, their name or business name will be inscribed on the back of the marker. Interested parties should reach out to the Association directly OR you can make a donation directly on our website here. The Association plans to have the marker installed and unveiled on June 18th, 2026, as the Route 66 Centennial Caravan comes through Wellston.