Monument to Commemorate Will Rogers' Last Polo Game - Last of its Kind on Waymarking.com

On August 6, 1935, Will Rogers played his last game of polo at the Olympic Riding and Driving Club in Lake City, Seattle, days before he died in a tragic plane crash.

Reports say that in his final game Rogers sported a "garish red shirt and a pair of bibless overalls." After the game, Rogers attended a polo club dinner at the Washington Athletic Club.

The next day, Rogers took off from Renton en route to Siberia with aviator Wiley Post, whose Lockheed Orion was fit with floats to allow them to make the journey via Alaska. During their journey, Post landed on a river near Point Barrow, Alaska to ask some Native Alaskans for directions. On takeoff from this spot, the Orion lost power and crashed, killing both pilot and passenger.

The Olympic Riding and Driving Club commissioned this monument in 1938 to commemorate Rogers' life and his last polo game on the grounds, which were renamed Will Rogers Field in his honor. The original location of the monument was between 15th Place and 16th Avenue NE along 137th Street. In 1966, the Lake City Lions Club had the monument moved to the Lake City Community Center, and as of 2001 the monument stands at the Western entrance of Albert Davis Park, just behind the Lake City branch of Seattle Public Library.

Monument Inscription:

In Memory of Will Rogers
On this field Will Rogers took his last ride. Shrines erected by the world will commemorate his passing but none could be more hallowed than this little patch of ground where the kindly, chuckling, hard-riding cow-boy played his last game of polo before he went roaring to his last round-up. We still hear his cheery halloo as with broad grin on weather-lined face he urged his pony into the thick of play. To the spirit of a mighty adventure hail and farewell.

Related links: [Web Link] additional Related links: [Web Link] parking coordinates: N 47° 43.195 W 122° 17.931

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.