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Lynn Riggs Memorial


category : Memorials
Lynn Riggs Memorial The south wing of the Old Will Rogers Library is the Lynn Riggs Memorial. Rollie Lynn Riggs was born in 1899, 3 miles southwest of Claremore in Indian Territory. He became an internationally famous author and playwright of "Green Grow the Lilacs", from which the musical "Oklahoma!" was adapted by Rodgers & Hammerstein. The play, set in 1900 in Claremore, is a vibrantly descriptive and colorful tale of life in Indian Territory. Lynn's mother died when he was two years old. As a child, he often visited his Aunt Mary, and she became the basis for the character, "Aunt Eller" in the play...even down to the butter churn and sassafras tea.

In his Oklahoma plays, Riggs depicts primitive Oklahoma people and writes authentic Oklahoma dialect with wonderful spirit and rhythm. Many of the characters were based upon his own family and close friends from the Claremore area. The play provided an outlet for eleven cowboy and folk songs that Riggs remembered from his youth. According to Oscar Hammerstein, "I should like to go on record as saying that Mr. Riggs' play is the well-spring of almost all that is good in Oklahoma. I kept many of the lines of the original play without making any changes in them at all for the simple reason that they could not be improved on...Lynn Riggs and Green Grow The Lilacs are the very soul of "Oklahoma!"

Lynn Riggs died in 1954 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. The Lynn Riggs Memorial houses the original surrey with the fringe on top from the movie, "Oklahoma!"


Hours: Monday thru Friday until 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Address: 4th Street and Weenonah
Phone: 918-627-2716
Our Email: lynn.riggs@mindspring.com

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Lynn Riggs Memorial

The south wing of the Old Will Rogers Library is the Lynn Riggs Memorial. Rollie Lynn Riggs was born in 1899, 3 miles southwest of Claremore in Indian Territory. He became an internationally famous author and playwright of "Green Grow the Lilacs", from which the musical "Oklahoma!"

Claremore, OK Memorials

Will Rogers Center

The WILL ROGERS HOTEL, listed on the National Register of Historic Places was dedicated in 1930. The fireproof structure of concrete and steel originally contained 78 rooms and 7 apartments. During World War II, it was designated as a bomb shelter. Mineral water baths called "radium water"

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J. Bartley Milam Home

This private home was originally built by J. BARTLEY MILAM, Principal Chief of the Cherokees. The Cherokee government had been dismantled in 1907 when Oklahoma became a state. In 1941, Milam was appointed Chief for a year by Franklin D. Roosevelt and was reappointed until his death in 1949

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Belvidere

This magnificent Victorian mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was started circa 1902

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Nine miles north of Claremore on Route 66 is Foyil, the hometown of ANDY PAYNE, a Cherokee Indian who was born on a ranch between Claremore and Foyil. At "66" and 28A, turn south, and you will be on the main street of Foyil and a portion of the original Route "66"

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