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The Cherokee Nation announced plans to purchase the historic Will Rogers Birthplace Museum in Rogers County on Wednesday, Nov. 4th.

The announcement coincided with Will Rogers’ birthday and formalized the acquisition from the Oklahoma Historical Society. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the property will be full of people celebrating Will Rogers, celebrating Cherokee history, and celebrating the great friendship between the Cherokee Nation and the State of Oklahoma. He said they will be just as optimistic about the future as Will Rogers was during his life.

William Penn Adair Rogers was born to Clement Vann Rogers and Mary America Schrimsher on Nov. 4th, 1879. He was the youngest of eight children and grew up on his family’s ranch in the Cooweescoowee District of the Cherokee Nation.

After leaving the ranch around 1905, Rogers pursued an entertainment career in Hollywood. Often referred to as ‘The Cherokee Kid’ and ‘Oklahoma’s Favorite Son,' Rogers became one of the highest paid Hollywood actors in the 1930s. He appeared in more than 70 films, had a syndicated newspaper column and made numerous radio appearances.

Hoskin Jr. said Will Rogers belonged to the world in terms of what he did with his career, his service to his fellow man, and his legacy. He said Rogers' legacy included that he was a proud Cherokee; being Cherokee was Rogers' proudest possession.

A dose of Will Rogers is something that Hoskin Jr. believes would be great for this country, this nation today. Hoskin Jr. said he believes that Rogers would be particularly proud that the Cherokee Nation is reclaiming in so many ways opportunities to tell its story. He said Will Rogers and the area that the Will Rogers Birthplace Museum encapsulates is part of the Cherokee Nation's story.

There is a renaissance going on across the Cherokee Nation. Hoskin Jr. said that renaissance is allowing the Cherokee Nation to tell its story again. Hoskin Jr. said they're going to tell their story at the Will Rogers Birthplace Museum and boost tourism in the area. He said among their priorities is historical preservation.

If you're on the right track but you sit still, you're bound to get ran over. Hoskin Jr. said this is something Will Rogers believed in during his lifetime. Hoskin Jr. said the Cherokee Nation is on the right track and they're moving forward when it comes to restoring historic sites and preserving history.

Hoskin Jr. said they have to stay on the right track even in the most difficult of times. He said that keeps optimism up, it keeps them on task, and it means that the work that they do will amount to something.

Photo courtesy of the Cherokee Nation. Below is video from the Cherokee Nation announcing the plans to purchase the property.