A Moment of Peace

A MOMENT

Photograph by Efren Lopez/Route66Images

OF PEACE

In the southernmost state that the Mother Road passes through sits the fortunate town of Amarillo, Texas. Unlike many cities along Route 66, Amarillo was never bypassed during several decades of change in transportation. From cows being herded through, to the construction of the railroad, and the formation of Route 66 and Interstate 40, Amarillo remained a valued stop along the way.

“Amarillo is in the perfect spot geographically,” said Braley Beck, the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau Director of Finance. “We were lucky enough to get Route 66 and that really is when you started seeing the city grow. I think Route 66 has brought in a lot of the quirky atmosphere that we have here.”

Undeniably famous for being the home of Cadillac Ranch and the quirky Big Texan, there is another lesser-known treasure that has become a destination of sorts in more recent days. Standing amongst barren farmland on the north side of old Route 66 rests a large rainbow peace sign. Actually, it’s a 13-foot-tall metal peace sign, within another peace sign, all within another peace sign that is 350-feet in diameter embedded into the farmland. Could it be any more “peaceful”? This roadside attraction is a mystery to many, but is actually an (eventual) “glorified graveyard” for a local Amarillo farmer.

The Richard Daniel Baker Peace Park was created about seven years ago by Amarillo native Richard Daniel Baker, who grew up on the land that hosts the park. Baker was born in 1951 in Fort Worth before being adopted into a farming family in Amarillo. He joined the family occupation himself, alongside working for the local phone company for 35 years. The farmland where Baker’s Peace Park is located has been in the family since 1889, when his grandfather first homesteaded the land. Baker had maintained the spot for years before finally deciding to turn it into the creation it is today.

“We had a drought for three years up here where we couldn’t grow any crops. So, I thought I might as well just make a graveyard for myself, and my hired hand kept wanting to learn how to weld. So, I thought, shoot, I’ll get you into welding. We’ll just make some signs and stuff. I’ll make it into a giant peace sign,” said Baker. “I just put up signs and I thought, I’ll ask all my friends to come up with dates, and if I like those dates, I’ll plasma cut those dates and let people guess what the dates are.”

Colorful metal signs coated in layers of graffiti line the Peace Park. The signs cover a variety of subjects, all of which are important to Baker. Important dates in American history are carved into some, such as the date John Lennon was killed (December 8, 1980) and when four Kent State students were killed by the National Guard in Ohio (May 4, 1970). Others exhibit the silhouette of a marijuana leaf, the emblems of military branches, a thank you to their spouses, and some of Baker’s favorite quotes. While the front half of the park represents Baker’s hippie era, the latter half displays his religious beliefs with a large cross and the ten commandments. Notes of love and thanks from Baker’s neighbors are carved into the concrete that lays in the center. It is a surreal, serene place that seems to create space for reflection.

With the help of several friends, Baker’s park is a continued work in progress, eventually serving as his final resting place. A four-inch pipe is buried beneath the middle of the park, which will one day hold the ashes of the park’s creator.

“Whenever I pass away, I want them to take everything that they can use out of my body to give away... and the rest, just cremate me. I told my neighbor to drill a little hole there in that cap [of the pipe] and pour some of my ashes in there,” said Baker. “We have a weed here called vine weed, it’s invasive and kills crops. We’ve been fighting it for the last 50 years and I said, ‘Just go pour the rest of me on some of those vine weeds. I’ve spent my whole life trying to get rid of them, maybe my ashes will help.’”

But the most important sign sits at the front of the peace sign. It reads Baker’s name, birth date, and the words “to all my friends and family, it has been a trip and it has been my honor,” along with a blank space after his birthday, awaiting the date of his final day on Earth. Whenever that day may be, Baker’s legacy and beloved roadside attraction will continue far beyond, providing travelers with a peaceful spot to stop on their way to or from Amarillo.