The Roger Miller Museum, dedicated to the country-music star of the 1960s and ’70s who hailed from Erick, Oklahoma, will close its doors for good later this week because of financial difficulties.
The Beckham County Record, citing museum trustee Retta Snowden, reported the imminent closing last week. The museum sits on the corner of Sheb Wooley Avenue and Route 66 in downtown Erick. It had operated since 2004.
The newspaper reported:
The Museum Board has announced with regret and sad hearts, that the museum will officially close on December 31, 2017, due to funding issues. The organization’s by-laws state that the building will be donated to another museum, which will be the 100th Meridian Museum. The annual Do-Wacka-Do Trail Run hosted in Erick will continue if there is interest from the public.
Museum board member, Retta Snowden, told The Beckham County Record that although there continued to be visitors to the museum, funds for day to day operations just were not available.
Snowden, in a separate post on Facebook, said the museum’s last day for visitors will be Saturday, Dec. 23. Hours this week are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Snowden wrote:
All of Roger’s memorabilia is on loan to the museum from Mary Miller and it will be returned to her & hopefully will be on display somewhere in Nashville at a later date.
We appreciate all the donations and & support from the local community & surrounding area, the Oklahoma Arts Council for festival grants in the early years, the Rt 66 Historical Preservation Grant that helped to renovate our historical building and the many individuals from all over the world who have donated to the museum to remember one of the world’s greatest singer/songwriter/entertainers of all time, Roger Miller.
Miller, though he was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but grew up in Erick and claimed it as his hometown. His biggest hit by far was 1965’s “King of the Road,” which reached No. 1 on the country charts and No. 4 on the U.S. pop charts.
He also earned a No. 1 country record with “Dang Me” and got into the Top 10 of that chart with “When Two Worlds Collide,” “Chug-A-Lug,” “Engine Engine #9,” “England Swings,” “Husbands and Wives,” “Kansas City Star,” “Walkin’ in the Sunshine” and “Little Green Apples.” It’s also notable he co-wrote a Dwight Yoakam hit, “It Only Hurts When I Cry.”
Miller also wrote the score for the Broadway smash “Big River,” which earned seven Tony Awards.
Miller died of lung and throat cancer in 1992 at age 56. I suspect the fact Miller has been gone for a quarter-century plays a role in the museum’s difficulties. About the only time you hear Roger Miller on the radio is in classic-country formats.
(image of Roger Miler by Lawren via Flickr; excerpted image of the Roger Miller Museum in Erick, Oklahoma, via Google Street View)
Sorry to hear this. I visited the Museum about a year ago. Found it to be very quaint and most interesting. I was there for an hour however, and I don’t think there was anyone else there the whole time I was there, except a nice lady on staff. I bought a couple of his CDs and played them the rest of the 3 days I traversed parts of Route 66 in Texas, Okla. and New Mexico.
I always enjoyed his music and would have visited the Museum this coming year on my planned trip up and down Route 66. This story reminds me to buy some of his music.
Unfortunately and inescapably, the big Oklahoma metros have methodically sucked the life out of small-town Oklahoma for decades — and there is absolutely no plan for them to ever do anything else.
The former Rock Island rail line at Erick links directly to Oklahoma City along the path of old Route 66 and its replacement, I-40. The line has belonged to the state Department of Transportation since 1981. It – and many other such routes – could have long-since been used to create carefree, safe and economical transportation to Erick and other western Oklahoma communities from OKC and Tulsa — and to many, many other smaller Oklahoma towns, colleges and universities, military bases and other venues. Instead, Oklahoma City and the knuckle-draggers at ODOT decided to needlessly DESTROY the fabulous OKC rail center at OKC Union Station – GIVEN to OKC transit in 1989 by the Federal Transit Administration. And they turned it into what? Into another 10-lane, four-mile expressway segment at a total cost inevitably exceeding one billion dollars. Now that the expressway segment is built – after they completely destroyed the Union Station rail yard – it is already falling apart. It’s DARK at night – because they can’t afford to replace the wiring for the expressway lighting system which they insist “keeps being stripped out and stolen by vagrants and vandals.” And – of course – ODOT, like the rest of state government – is now DEAD BROKE.
But don’t worry – because we’ve all got “THUNDER BASKETBALL” – wherein a bunch of grown men who “ain’t from here” run up and down a wooden floor with a little round ball for an hour-and-a-half-or-so every few nights. And – you know – all the “irresistable excitement” from THAT is supposed to divert Oklahomans’ attention from the robbery being perpetrated against them day-to-day by what passes for leadership here.
It’s said that “we get the government we deserve.”
We need to prove that we DESERVE BETTER – by holding these knotheads accountable.
It would sure be nice to see if there’s not a grant available to put isigns out on I-40. (Or are do they already exist?). I know folks who make pretty good livings off the Europeans who travel Route 66 and the American West. It’s probably too little, too late… but would be wonderful for the town of Erick to cater to tourists.
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Holly, I think you are a bit confused. Most European tour groups are travelling Route 66 – not I-40. Driving I-44 or I-40 IS NOT driving Route 66, no matter what some people believe. I don’t think signage on I-40 would change a thing. People who drive the interstate and not the two-lane byways are not usually looking for places to stop and be touristy or educate themselves.
What we need to concentrate on is educating the American public that Route 66 is still out here, still drivable (and is a tourist destination), still living, and that it has a story to tell. We cannot always rely on the European traveler to keep Route 66 alive. And as a whole, my experience has been Europeans are very knowledgeable about the Route, what’s out there to see, and it’s history. It is the lack of American tourists, in numbers and knowledge, that hurts us more and more every year.
Yep a real tragedy is our state government. Looking for the quick fixes and not the long term good. Really though this is actually a national trend. Oklahoma was founded as a progressive state. Except for the Jim Crow laws it was ahead of its time. Of course progressive 110 years ago isn’t the same as today. With the digital age we see a shift away from urban life in big cities and people returning to rural towns . This is notable on the east coast where rural towns are absorbing middle age and young tech savvy adults. The main driver for this is investment in infrastructure. Not just transportation and utilities, but advanced communication and internet access. Where America of the past owed its prosperity to the little one room schools that taught the basics . The America of the future needs to invest in the infrastructure needed to advance and dominate the new digital world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the nations of Africa where internet access has transformed lives and whole countries . Knowledge is the key to prosperity. With cheap internet capable phones and internet access people are able to advance past the village and enter the global arena. Accessing new thoughts and new ways of solving the problems plaguing their communities.
Of course a community, state , nation has to have the determination to invest in the infrastructure necessary to provide the benefits of the new system. Oklahoma once was revolutionary in this. It can be again, but not with the traditional mentality that has stagnated the economy and hindered development.
Too sad. He touched the hearts, and funny bones, of millions and I think he’s felt honored all these years that this little museum was in Erick. Seems like the city, or county, could house or maintain a place. I guess ultimately more people will see his history in Nashville, if it ends up there, but it’s sad that it’s taken from small town USA. But once again, money rules. Vegas was developed by gangsters, and Oklahoma by Cowboys and Indians , but look where the National Finals Rodeo is held.
How could it have failed with all of the tourists driving right down the street in front of it as they came in to see Harley and Annabelle and drove right past it again on their way back onto Route 66 the entire time it was open for business? How could they have not attracted enough paying customers from all of that traffic? Very strange.