Local HistoryMakers to be Recognized at Claremore Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony BY TOM FINK
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ometimes, the most enduring legacies can come from the least likely of places. Like many towns in Oklahoma, Claremore has its share of distinguished current and former residents, but it wasn’t until J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum Director Wayne McCombs was
coming off the turnpike one day that the idea was born to honor them in a lasting way. “Several years ago, maybe in 2011, I was coming into Claremore from the Will Rogers Turnpike,” McCombs said. “At the time, there was a small display there, which had brochures about the city – our museums, restaurants, etc. – and to the side (of the display), it had a ‘Claremore Hall of Fame’, which recognized noteworthy citizens. “I got to thinking to myself ‘Why is that there? Most people coming off the turnpike are in a hurry to get somewhere else, so why isn’t that somewhere people can see and enjoy it?’,” he said. “When I came to the (J.M. Davis Arms & Historical) museum in 2009, I was saddened because so many people would tell me that they
Above: Dr. Bob Blackburn was the executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society for 22 years.
hadn’t been to the gun museum in years, and they were almost all people from Claremore or the Tulsa area. “It got me to thinking: How can I get local people to make the gun museum a regular place to visit?, so I thought we could have the Claremore Hall of Fame in the museum,” he said. Shortly thereafter, the local hall of fame was moved to the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum, housed in the Claremore History room, where it remained for several years, until, with the addition of new members, it grew to the point that it had to be moved to the Claremore Conference Center to accommodate all the hall of fame members. This May, three more will be added to the local hall of fame: Dr. Bob Blackburn, P.S. Gordon, and Lt. Colonel Lee F. Gilstrap.
Left: Lt. Colonel Lee F. Gilstrap was involved in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in WWI. In 1927, he joined the staff at Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore as an instructor and coach, and later became commander of OMA. 4
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VALUE NEWS ROGERS COUNTY APRIL 2022 WWW.VALUENEWS.COM
