Andy Payne - Oklahoma City, OK - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

In 1928 famed sports agent and promoter C. C. Pyle organized the "Bunion Derby," a foot race from California to New York that covered the entire length of Route 66. Andy Payne, a part-Cherokee from Foyil, Oklahoma, won that race when he crossed the finish line after 573 hours, 4 minutes, and 34 seconds - an 87-day race. Payne used his winnings to pay off the mortgage on his father's farm. He was later elected clerk to the supreme court in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and was re-elected to that position 5 times afterwards. A statue of Payne appears on a walking trail in Route 66 Park that depicts the Mother Road from California to Chicago.

The bronze status is life-sized and depicts Mr. Payne wearing 1920-s style running attire. Cast by artists John Free Sr. and his son John Free Jr, four of these statues can be found in Oklahoma; the other three are located at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, OK; along Route 66 in Foyil; and at the Claremore, Oklahoma Museum of History. The Claremore statue was modified by the artists so that Payne's jersey matches one of his from the race that is in the museum's collection. An article about these statues can be found here.

URL of the statue: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/29/2018 vulture1957 visited it