Santa Monica Ranch

CLAREMORE — Will Rogers Park officials in Santa Monica, Calif., will be merging the life and times of Will Rogers as an Indian Territory- Cherokee boy with the man who built a life and raised a family in California. Will Rogers’ ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains is part of the California State Parks system. Kathleen Franklin, California State Parks, Santa Monica Mountains section superintendent, spent a few days in Oklahoma, learning more about how to “interpret the man of Will Rogers. “They have done a magnificent job of that here,” Franklin said at the Claremore museum, “telling of the life and times of Will Rogers. “Out there (at the California ranch),” where they know about the movie star, the family man, the life he lived in California, “ we have the potential to make connections, to present the different facets in every balance of his life … to be sure every facet of his life is well represented. “The new generation doesn’t know who he is and he transcends generations,” she said. Michelle Lefebvre-Carter, director of the Claremore museums and Will Rogers Memorial Commission, along with museum staff spent hours will Franklin introducing her to the Claremore Museum and Oologah Ranch birthplace as well as the community, looking at how “we can complement each other.” Franklin was especially complimentary of the way the Claremore-Oologah museums have “contributed to more understanding,” scholarly books, exhibits, events. She expects to join in a cooperative effort to “share information on each other’s websites and dovetail special events” including the grand re-opening of Santa Monica Ranch in March. Several million dollars of proceeds from a California parks bond issue is being used to stabilize historic buildings on the ranch — the house, carpenter shop, black smith shop, repair and restore damage to the historical stables, livestock management plan, restore pastures and contour and landscape. “We are restoring horses to the park. Right now it houses the Santa Monica police department horses and Will had a history with them,” according to Franklin. Plans call for complete ranch tours (the house has been closed to the public during the restoration), bringing back school programs so kids can enjoy all the ranch, restored to look like a working ranch. “To be able to accomplish all this, we will need a lot of volunteers and will be starting a foundation to help support the project. “Will Rogers would have loved this,” Franklin and Rogers’ family members involved in the restoration project agree. “He loved the outdoors. You can feel this when you see the house,” Franklin said. “ From about every room you can see the out-of-doors. It give a great sense of the man … You can see the room where he wrote, gathering places of the family, a sense of who he was as a family man.” Will Rogers Park, Franklin said, “is the best of the best. The weather is magnificent. My office was there for a while. You can look out on incredible bright sunshine, see the ocean.” The Will Rogers Polo Club continues on Will’s old polo field, there is a arena for practicing, hiking and trail rides in the Santa Monica Mountains is still big. Pony rides, roping, music and barbecue, just like the days when Will and Betty Rogers raised their family on the ranch, was repeated in a recent event at the ranch. “It was gratifying and surprising,” Franklin said, to see the children. “ A lot of the children had never seen a horse up close. The results tell us we are right on track.” Although she traveled all her life as an Air Force brat born in Virginia and transplanted in California, Franklin said she felt at home in Claremore. “I found a rare kind of hospitality and I would have to say and handsome men and pretty women. Everyone at the Museum was so knowledgeable, welcoming and encouraging.” While Franklin was in Oklahoma soaking up the lore of Will Rogers, she was also learning something about food, a favorite subject of many of his writings. “I had my first biscuits and gravy at Hugo’s,” she said with excitement. “And chicken fried steak and the Hammett House pies. Wow.”