Looking for Will Rogers Riding Stables

[capt_john_97]

I am looking for anything especially pictures of the Old Will Rogers Riding Stables. They were part of Will Rogers Park back in the 60's before the Interstate was built through. I am not exactly sure where they say but if anyone can tell me I would appreciate that too. I think they were pretty close to where the Police Station is now. I spent many a summer day there and at least 3 of my first 6 birthdays were there.

[capt_john_97]

hmmm thinking maybe I am the only person that went to these stables. It was supposed to be part of the first String of Pearls.

[MikeOKC]

I remember the stables well. I place it further south than the police station, but I could be wrong about that. I also had a birthday there. I think it was my 8th birthday which would have been 1967. I would never have put it with the "String of Pearls" proposal as I thought that came around much later.

I also read that you were the manager at Will Rogers pool and you were moved. Is the WR pool still open? I haven't been by there in ages. I spent MANY summer days at the pool in the 60's and 70's. I also went to the Cabana Swim Club as it was owned by friends of the family.

[capt_john_97]

Yes Will Rogers is still opened. I left with the army in 03 and when I came back they had made a water park out of it. It is still there and some of the big draws from days gone by are still there. It still has one of two city operated high dives. the pool I manage now has the other....Woodsen pool on sw 29th and May. I was young when the stables were open so I may be really fuzzy where they were. Where was the Cabana Swim club? It sounds familiar.

[MikeOKC]

Cabana Swim Club was just off of the old Grand Blvd between NW 56th and 57th. (The other side of Grand and just south of Baptist Hospital).

Is the Oklahoma shaped kiddie pool still at Will Rogers?

[okcisok]

The riding stables at Will Rogers Park! OMG, what memories I have of that place. I went many times with my Blue Bird group. This would have been in the late 50's. Learning everything about a horse including the name of just about every body part. Also learned the name of each part of a western saddle and how to saddle the horse. But it was the riding that was the best part. I went everytime I could talk my Mother into letting my brother and myself go. Sometimes she drove us and sometimes she let us walk to the park. We lived around 36th and May Ave. Seems like it only cost a buck and a half or so. The swimming pool was great too. I think we could swim from 9:00am to noon for 50 cents. I believe a couple named Barber actually owned and ran the place. I think they lived in a house on the property. Seems like that property ened up being where the old Christophers restaurant was. Maybe a little south of the current police station. I don't have any pictures of the place. Wish I did. People weren't snapping photos every minute back in those days.

[capt_john_97]

The oklahoma shapped kiddie pool was filled in but you can still the outline in the cement. That area is a party area now. what used to be the 50 yd lap pool is now a zero depth entry with sprays and drop buckets. there is a 25yd lap pool a the end.

[capt_john_97]

yeah for the life of me I havent been able to come up with pictures. I need to go to the historical society and see what I can come up with. I know I was there in the early 60's and I can remember vividly the rides we would take. I know somewhere I have a pic of me sitting on a horse named "Tango"

[ljbab728]

I remember the stables well. I place it further south than the police station, but I could be wrong about that. I also had a birthday there. I think it was my 8th birthday which would have been 1967. I would never have put it with the "String of Pearls" proposal as I thought that came around much later.

The String of Pearls was a planned series of park or recreational areas along the river which was formulated around 1980. Will Rogers Park was never involved as far as I can remember.

[capt_john_97]

you're right I chalk that mistake up to being young and only half listening to what was going on around me. String of Pearls was the revitalization plan for the 80's that kind of died out with the oil bust...at least that is my understanding. They had put in the riding stable on the river and the stables were supposed to be along the 20 mile stretch of river. I think there were even plans for a city run amusement park or water park. I thought though that when I was young the city had a plan to link parks up with/by using riding stables so people could travel north and south on horseback. Will Rogers would have been a part of that. Of course I could have dreamed it myself or confused it with something else. go figure.

[capt_john_97]

I know there are the pictures of the area now and I can find the pool but I cant figure out which is the stable. Does anyone else have a memory of the stable being tehre? It seems like I had a discussion with someone from here not too long ago and they gave me some good info about what I am looking for and I wrote it down but now can't find it.