Kerr Alumni Park: A Hub of History, Recreation, and Community in Claremore
Northeast Oklahoma is a vibrant and active region with a rich tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty. Nestled in the heart of Green Country, Claremore stands out as a happening college town that values community, service, hospitality, and small-town charm. Kerr Alumni Park, while not explicitly mentioned in the provided text as being in Claremore, embodies the spirit of the region and offers a glimpse into the area's attractions. While the provided text doesn't focus solely on Kerr Alumni Park, it sets the stage by highlighting the surrounding area's rich offerings, which could all be features of the park itself.
Claremore: A Town Steeped in History and Charm
Claremore is a place that values community, service, hospitality, and small town charm. Named for a towering and enlightening chief, Claremore holds stories of the Osage, the Cherokee and the cowboy alike. Great storytellers like Will Rogers and Lynn Riggs shared our humor with the world and made everyone fall in love with Oklahoma. We are a community of museums that commemorate and preserve our history. Claremore is a happening college town! The downtown and university districts have an array of restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques. Shop antiques and charming boutiques in our quaint, recently revitalized downtown, the Lilac District. Eat at one of our many restaurants. Claremore boasts of a variety of local eateries as well as about every national chain imaginable, many of which are located near campus. Claremore offers the charm of a small town with the amenities of a growing city-and it’s just 25 minutes from Tulsa, a metro area of over 800,000.
Recreation and Natural Beauty
Located just on the outskirts of the Tulsa metro, it is home to fun events, annual festivals and outdoor recreation including a lake, parks and mountain bike trails. Boat or ski at one of our many area lakes, featuring hundreds of miles of shoreline. Northeast Oklahoma is vibrant and active with sights to see in each direction.
Cultural and Historical Landmarks in and Around Claremore
You don’t have to travel far from the RSU campus in Claremore to visit several nationally recognized historic sites. In fact, you don’t have to leave the campus. Located just across the street from the campus, the museums are one of Oklahoma’s top tourist attractions.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum: This is the seminal museum on America’s favorite son and features exhibits of art, artifacts, and memorabilia (including original paintings by Charles Russell, Charles Banks Wilson, and others); internationally recognized library and archives; the Rogers family tomb; statues of Will Rogers; theaters; and a special children’s museum. The Will Rogers Birthplace and Ranch are located nearby in Oologah, Okla.
Read also: Legacy of Fordham University
The J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum: Home to the unique collection of J.M. Davis of over 12,000 firearms and thousands of non-firearm artifacts ranging from Old West saddles and spurs, John Rogers statuary, Toby mugs and Beer Steins, World War I posters, and local Claremore and Rogers county history.
The Claremore Museum of History: The Claremore Museum of History showcases multiple collections of artifacts from Claremore’s notable individuals, including Lynn Riggs, Andy Payne, Patti Page, Stuart Roosa, and Helen Robson Walton.
Belvidere Mansion: The “belle” of Rogers County, the Belvidere Mansion stands proudly on the corner of 4th and Chickasaw in historic Claremore, Oklahoma.
Swan Bros. Dairy: Swan Bros. Dairy is a family owned and operated fourth generation dairy farm nestled in the northeast corner of Oklahoma.
The Blue Whale of Catoosa: One of the most recognizable icons on Route 66, the attraction was built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s as an anniversary gift to his wife Zelta, who collected whale figurines.
Read also: Baylor's Notable Alumni
Totem Pole Park: Totem Pole Park in Foyil/Chelsea, Oklahoma, owned and operated by the Rogers County Historical Society, is a frequent Route 66 destination. The World’s Largest Concrete Totem Pole located in this unique sculpture park is most impressive.
The Maritime Education Center: The Maritime Education Center is a free exhibit that features interactive video kiosks teaching visitors about the Port’s history and economic impact on Oklahoma.
Green Country: A Scenic Oasis
Claremore is nestled in the heart of Green Country, a popular nickname for northeast Oklahoma that stems from the region’s green vegetation and relatively high number of hills and lakes compared to central and western areas of Oklahoma. RSU also has campuses in Bartlesville and Pryor, which are both unique and interesting communities in their own rights.
Alumni-Focused Spaces: A Parallel Example
While the original text does not have information about Kerr Alumni Park, we can use the information provided about other alumni spaces as an example.
Alumni House is located on the south side of the UC Berkeley campus, east of the Haas Pavilion, north of Zellerbach Hall, and southwest of Dwinelle Hall. Alumni House features four distinctive rooms and a lovely patio to accommodate large and small gatherings, conferences, weddings, banquets, and more. There is nearby parking and a full-service kitchen available. Continue on Frank Schlessinger Way and you will see the tan, cement and glass one-story building that is Alumni House.
Read also: Columbia University Legacy
Student Life and Residence Halls: Parallels to Park Amenities
The provided text offers detailed descriptions of various student residence halls, which, while not directly related to Kerr Alumni Park, provide insight into the types of amenities and features that might be found in a community-oriented space. These include:
- Common Areas: Lounges, kitchens, and study spaces.
- Recreational Facilities: Pool tables, TV lounges, and outdoor areas.
- Housing Options: Single and double rooms, suites, and apartments.
- Community Building: Theme houses and programming events.
These examples suggest that Kerr Alumni Park might include similar amenities to foster a sense of community and provide spaces for recreation and relaxation.
Kerr McGee and the History of West Chicago
The parking lot at Kerr McGee, situated at the cross of W. Stimmel Street and Wood Street, has been quite a treasure over the years, providing additional parking for West Chicago Community High School and its students. School Resource Officer Mike Levato explained, “Basically, Kerr McGee is pretty good. Levato has served as an officer for the past 14 years, guarding the parking lot among other responsibilities. Students park terribly because they are sleep-deprived, after working long shifts and waking up early. Almost every car is parked crookedly, and nearly every single day, there is someone who screeches their tires while leaving the parking lot. The parking lot is situated near the train track port on Ann Street, right next to the area where the flat plain is currently. Back in the 1930s, The Lindsay Light Company shipped thorium, a source of nuclear energy, from a building known as The Rare Earths Facility in West Chicago. The Rare Earths Facility processed and extracted thorium using the purest form of the element, making gaslights before electric street lights were mainstream. The Rare Earths Facility was left with radioactive waste, which was given to truck drivers to dump at set destinations, including Reed Keppler Park. Additionally, radioactive waste in the form of mill tailings was given out to the public to use on their lawns, gardens, etc. Radioactive waste is removed from the area by Kerr McGee. When the people of West Chicago become ill from all of the radioactive exposure they had, Kerr McGee was finally forced to clean-up. The thorium had to be excavated from properties around the area - sometimes up to 25 feet deep - and properly disposing of the radioactive waste would take years. Even with its old history, in which the sins committed by Kerr McGee were largely forgiven, the normal day-to-day of the Kerr McGee parking lot gains little traction besides some students deciding to burn rubber or play music a little too loudly. However, Levato said, “We generally don’t write tickets in the lot anymore. Since the school stopped charging for parking permits to be there, there aren’t very many tickets to write.
tags: #kerr #alumni #park #history #and #features
