Will Rogers was born in 1879 in the white house...White House on the Verdigris River that is.  More specifically, it was the Dog Iron Ranch in Indian Territory, near present day Oologah, Oklahoma.  His parents were both part of the Cherokee ancestry, making Will just over 1/4 Cherokee.  He was proud of that 1/4, and would often boast that his ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but they “met the boat.”   He had a good upbringing, as he was the youngest of 8 children.  His father was a Cherokee judge, who served several terms on the Cherokee Senate and his mother was known for her mastery of literature, music and good humor—probably where Will got his sense of humor.  Unfortunately for Will, his mother passed away when he was only eleven, but not before leaving a lasting impression on her son.  Will was able to translate that into humor and wit, with simple words that everyone could understand.  As is the case with many interesting people, they tend to start out as precarious or “spunky” kids.  During Will’s adolescent years, he and his father didn’t see eye-to-eye.  His father had expectations of his son as that of a responsible, business minded individual.  Will on the other hand, was more easy going and tended to day dream about adventures beyond the classroom. 

Read the complete article in the Bevil Newsletter,

which accompanies the cover when collected!