Roadside monuments reflect city’s heritage

By Tom Fink Progress Staff Writer Supporting the axiom that great things come in threes, Hollisters Monument Company and the Will Rogers Memorial, in conjunction with the city of Claremore, have joined to beautify Claremore with three roadside monuments as part of the city’s median beautification project on Highway 66 (Lynn Riggs Boulevard). Two of the monuments, those on the north and south ends of Lynn Riggs, were commissioned to Hollisters by the city, while the third was donated by the Will Rogers Memorial. Will’s welcome to Claremore Three roadside monuments down historic Highway 66 through Claremore point to the city’s heritage of Will Rogers. Will’s grandchildren (back from left) Kem Rogers, Betty Rogers Brandin and Chuck Rogers unveiled this statue joined by Kory and Ron Hollister of Hollisters Monument Company (front), who installed the landmarks and (back) Claremore Street Department Director Daryl Golbek, Will Rogers Memorial Commission Chairman Jim Hartz, Claremore City Manager Troy Powell and Claremore Mayor Brant Shallenburger. “The city approached us (Hollisters Monument) in October about coming up with some kind of landmark to add to what they were doing to Lynn Riggs,” said Kory Hollister, Hollisters Monument owner. “We worked closely with Michelle (Lefebvre-Carter) at the Memorial and came up with the landmark that reflected the character of the city, while paying tribute to Will Rogers.” The monuments created by Hollisters – weighing a hefty 1,500 to 1,800 pounds each, by Kory’s estimate — bear the image of Rogers and some of his more famous quotes, as well as noting the significance of Historic Route 66. The granite from both monuments was mined from a quarry in Oklahoma, as were the bases, which weigh 1,000 pounds each. The center monument, a built-to-scale reproduction of a statue on display at the Will Rogers Memorial, depicts a thoughtful Rogers on horseback, facing east. “We are pleased to be a part of the city’s median project, and what better way to beautify one of Claremore’s main streets than with a tribute to the city’s heritage of being the home of Will Rogers,” said Michelle Lefebvre-Carter, director, Will Rogers Memorial. The statuette, placed near the old Will Rogers Hotel, is a one-fourth scale replica of artist Electra Waggoner Biggs’ “Riding Dawn 66,” currently on display at the grounds of the Memorial. “I really like them — they’re very detailed and a good representation of Claremore,” said Friday afternoon motorist Thomas Sunny of Broken Arrow. “Whenever I’m driving through Claremore, I always think of Will Rogers and these new monuments are exceptionally good at capturing his personality. I really like them.” So, while the newest additions to Lynn Riggs are pleasant reminders of the city’s history to those that see them, to whose who were involved in their production, they’re even more.“ Shortly after my dad and I put the monuments in Friday, we drove by them and we couldn’t get over how good they looked,” Hollister said. “We were really proud to be asked to be part of something that turned out so well and will be seen by people for years to come.”

(Reprinted with permission from the Claremore Progress)