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CLAREMORE — John Feary, Claremore’s city manager, reminded a gathering of people Monday that Oklahoma has the most Route 66 miles of any state and Rogers County is home to more miles of Route 66 than any county in Oklahoma. Feary made that observation during a ceremony in which Claremore strengthened its Mother Road embrace by unveiling a new Route 66 centennial monument. Route 66 will turn 100 in two years.
A Route 66 Centennial Monument Project was birthed as a ramp-up to the milestone. The project is a nationwide initiative to honor and preserve the legacy of Route 66. The plan is for Route 66 monuments to spring up in states all along the Mother Road, from Chicago to Santa Monica Pier, according to project director Brian Brown.
Two Route 66 centennial monuments have been unveiled in Oklahoma so far. The Claremore ceremony was described by Brown as the first “community” unveiling in the state. The only previous monument debuted at Lucille’s, an iconic Route 66 gas station in western Oklahoma.
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The Claremore ceremony was scheduled for Nov. 11 to coincide with the 98th birthday of Route 66 and Veterans Day. The monument was made possible through a BancFirst donation.
Steven Burris, president of BancFirst Claremore, was a speaker at the unveiling and talked about the sacrifices of veterans and how BancFirst was honored to be part of the Route 66 Centennial Monument Project. Feary said Claremore will be working to perhaps install two more monuments, if funds can be raised. “As you know, Route 66 separates and comes back together at the north and south ends of town,” he said.
“We would love to see one on each end, so we’re taking donations now.” Endorsed by the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission, the Route 66 Centennial Monument Project is a collaborative endeavor between VOX Industries and Oklahoma City artist Stan Carroll, co-designer of the Skydance Bridge in Oklahoma City. Each monument stands 16 feet tall, is double-sided, was crafted from routed steel and is illuminated with LED lighting to ensure visibility day and night.
Monuments that are part of the endeavor will be equipped with a unique QR code that links visitors to historical insights and tourism information for that specific location. Brown provided background on the project while speaking at the ceremony, saying he and a business partner were previously involved in an Oklahoma Centennial street clock project. That led to a question: What if there was something Route 66 communities could share that would connect those communities? “It would also serve as an important placemaking opportunity and something that would delight travelers as they traverse the Mother Road,” he said.
A subsequent lunch at an Oklahoma Route 66 landmark — the Rock Cafe in Stroud — got the project rolling and Carroll, who is passionate about Route 66, was enlisted for monument creation. More monument installations will take place in the next few weeks across the state, according to Brown. How many will monuments will there eventually be in Oklahoma? Brown said it will be up to communities and/or private sponsors.
Information about the project can be found at oklahomaroute66monuments.com . Brown said the goal is to create, for Route 66 centennial monument sites, a historical repository that will be housed in perpetuity on the web — and to create an anticipatory experience for Route 66 travelers.
He said travelers can be drawn to “Where’s the next monument so I can get my selfie in front of the monuments?” “And then that website will list where the monuments are,” Brown said. “So then they can even plan their vacations around it.” The Tulsa World is where your story lives.
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