Will Rogers but they spent summers in Oklahoma. In 1911, Rogers bought a ranch near Claremore, Oklahoma, which he intended to use as his retirement home. He paid US$500 an acre. From about 1925 to 1928, Rogers traveled the length and breadth of the United States in a "lecture tour". (He began his lectures by pointing out that "A humorist entertains, and a lecturer annoys.") During this time he became the first civilian to fly from coast to coast with pilots flying the mail in early air mail flights. The National Press Club dubbed him "Ambassador at Large of the United States".
Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block The Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block is a historic theatre and commercial building located at 705-715 Monroe Avenue in Charleston, Illinois. The theatre, named for entertainer Will Rogers, was built in 1935 and opened in 1938. The Art Deco building was the first Art Deco structure in Charleston and is the only existing Art Deco commercial building in Coles County and the six counties it borders. The front facade of the building is decorated with colored terra cotta tiles which form yellow, red, and black stripes. The theatre has a tall tower over