C&I’s Kurt Russell cover shoot took us to Will Rogers’ ranch and namesake state historic park in California.
The influence and legacy of famed “cowboy philosopher” Will Rogers could be felt everywhere as cover star Kurt Russell joined the C&I crew and photographer Robert Lynden in Pacific Palisades, California. They captured the images for this issue’s cover story at what is now the Will Rogers State Historic Park. Before its historic designation by the state, it was a home and ranch developed by the beloved writer, actor, and entertainer who rose to the heights of worldwide fame before his untimely passing in a 1935 plane crash.
These days the park land, the ranch house, and more are open for visitors. Rogers’ great-granddaughter, Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, serves on the board of the Will Rogers Ranch Foundation and is involved in that group’s mission to help preserve and maintain the historic state park. Here’s more from Rogers-Etcheverry on the foundation’s efforts and the park itself.
ON DISCOVERING HER HERITAGE
“Back in 1991, my grandfather took all the family to New York for the opening of Will Rogers Follies on Broadway. That’s where I caught the fever, and I wanted to learn more. I was blessed that my grandfather lived in Bakersfield where I did, and I just began to shadow him and go to things and learn. I’m still learning. But because I only live a couple hours from the ranch down in Santa Monica, I was able to travel down there quite often and get more involved.”
ON THE WILL ROGERS RANCH FOUNDATION
“Around 2005, we had a huge rededication at Will Rogers State Historic Park. State parks were budget-crunching, and our park was threatened. So I, along with another good friend, Trudi Sandmeier, together formed the nonprofit Will Rogers Ranch Foundation. We are a cooperating association with California State Parks to raise money to help maintain the park.”
ON VISITING THE PARK
“The ranch house is open for tours. Everything in the house is authentic and what the family left behind, or donated to the state. There’s hiking, there’s a horse concession there that offers trail rides and horseback lessons. There’s polo played on the last remaining grass polo field in the Los Angeles area, April through September. There’s just always something happening up there. People can come and hike, or mountain bike, or horseback ride, or just have a picnic.”
ON WILL ROGERS’ LEGACY
“For somebody who’s been gone 83 years, he has all these amazing places across the United States named after him, but a lot of people don’t know who he was. I think that the hardest part is pulling those fun facts from him and putting them out there. For example, his quotes, so many of them are so relevant still today. He made more than 70 movies, he authored six books. He had a daily newspaper column that reached more than 40 million readers a day. He was number one at the box office. He did all this, and he was only 55 years old when he passed. There’s just never been anybody to even match what he did.”
From our May/June 2022 issue
Photography: Elisa Rolle
