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Will Rogers Marker

Main St. at 5th, Galena, KS
Phone:

East < GO > West

This plaque was originally located at the Kansas / Missouri stateline. This marker was dedicated in 1952 and reads:

"Will Rogers Highway

Dedicated 1952
to
Will Rogers
Humorist - World Traveler - Good Neighbor
This Main Street of America
Highway 66
Was the first road he traveled in
a carreer that led him straight to
the hearts of his countrymen"

The easy way to spot the Will Rogers Highway marker in the Litch Memorial Park is to look for the standing marker that commemorates both the highway and the city As well as a brief description of the history of Galena the inscription on this marker lets you know that Kansas has 13.2 miles of Route 66 at this point there are 1794 miles west and 606 miles east of America's US Historic Will Rogers Memorial Highwaym US 66." The standing marker was installed in 2001.

The standing marker mentions a 1935 dedication date for the Will Rogers Highway. Apparently different states and/or cities dedicated portions of 66 as the Will Rogers Highway before the national dedication in 1952. That's a little hard to track down, but I have found one other 1935 reference from New Mexico.

Photo(s): 2012