Wellston is getting ready to plant its flag, in granite, on Route 66. A new roadside marker honoring Will Rogers is in the works for the historic highway through town, and organizers say they are still hustling to cover the bill.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association has launched a short fundraising push that gives higher-dollar donors a literal way to leave their mark. Anyone who contributes $750 or more can have their name or business name etched on the back of the stone. If everything stays on schedule, the group aims to install and unveil the monument in mid June, just as national Route 66 centennial celebrations roll along the Mother Road.
National Trust seed grant gets the project rolling
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has already put some gas in the tank. The organization awarded $10,000 to the Oklahoma Route 66 Association for a Will Rogers Highway granite monument, according to a press release from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The award is part of roughly $410,000 in Preserve Route 66 grants meant to support small preservation projects up and down the corridor.
Donor perks and the fundraising window
The association says it still needs local backing to cover fabrication, site work and installation. From last Tuesday through Mar. 31, the group is running a special window for recognition gifts. Donors who give $750 or more during that period can have their name or business name engraved on the back of the marker, according to the association’s online donation information. Contributions are being collected through the group’s website, and organizers ask anyone with questions about inscriptions or timing to contact them directly via the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. Translation: if you have ever wanted your name carved into Route 66 history, this is the moment.
Planned unveiling lines up with centennial caravan
Organizers are working toward a June 18, 2026 unveiling in Wellston, coordinated with the Route 66 centennial events, as the national Main Street of America caravan passes through Oklahoma, according to FOX23. The caravan itself is scheduled to run June 5 to 24, according to the event organizers at the Route 66 Centennial Caravan.
Why Wellston?
Wellston sits on a historic alignment of Route 66 and has been lining up centennial-ready projects in hopes of pulling more travelers off the highway and into town. Local revitalization work, including a state Route 66 revitalization grant, has laid the groundwork for new roadside features like the Will Rogers marker that are meant to boost visitor stops. The town’s grants page details the broader effort and how the marker fits into that picture, according to the Town of Wellston.
What the money will pay for
Association leaders note that the National Trust award covers only part of the overall cost. The remaining funds will go toward carving the granite marker, shipping and preparing the installation site in Wellston. The Preserve Route 66 grants are designed as seed money that encourages local matching funds and community buy in, an approach the association is leaning into, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Supporters who want to be part of the centennial tribute can make a tax-deductible donation through the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. The site lists contribution levels and provides contact details for anyone with questions about inscriptions or timing.
