Fort Worth Heritage

Riding Into The Sunset

Bronze statue of Will Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds in front of Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, TX. Photo Courtesy UTA Libraries Special Collections, W.D.Smith Photography

Do you know the name of the man sitting on the horse? It’s American entertainer, radio personality, film actor, and writer who was famous for his pithy and homespun humor and social commentary. It’s the country’s beloved, Will Rogers. The statue of Will and his horse, Soapsuds, sit in front of his Fort Worth namesake, Will Rogers Coliseum and Pioneer Tower.

Dedication of “Riding Into The Sunset” at Will Rogers Memorial Center, 11-4-1947. General Eisenhower in attendance seated to the left of podium. Photo Courtesy UTA Libraries Special Collections, W.D.Smith Photography
Good friends having a laugh. Humorist, Will Rogers (left) and Fort Worth’s iconic figure, Amon G. Carter (right).

Will was a close friend to Fort Worth’s, Amon G. Carter, and visited Fort Worth often to enjoy time with his good buddy. August 15th, 1935 brought sad news to many, Will Rogers died in a plane crash at Point Barrow, Alaska territory along with pilot, Wiley Post.

Will Rogers (left) and Wiley Post in possibly the last photo taken of both of them. Standing in front of Wiley’s pontoon plane.

On a trip to the northwest in search of new material for his shows, Rogers decided to join Wylie Post who would be piloting his pontoon plane. The trip had gone well, but on takeoff from Point Barrow, Alaska Territory, the plane flipped nose first killing both Rogers and Post.

Wreckage of death pontoon plane. Newspapers would circulate this photo upon the announcement that Will Rogers had died in a plane crash.

The country was devastated by losing one of it’s most beloved stars, but none more brokenhearted than Amon G. Carter. He would use his immense power and influence to insure that his great friend would be remembered in Fort Worth through the ages.

In 1936 a great memorial would come to fruition in the building of the Will Rogers Memorial Center as part of the grounds of the Frontier Centennial celebration. Amon would commission a bust, a mural and a bronze statue depicting his good friend, Will, even capturing his horse, Soapsuds. The bronze statue, Riding Into The Sunset, would be sculpted by Electra Waggoner Biggs. The niece of Fort Worth’s well known, Electra Waggoner of Thistle Hill, the Wharton-Scott House on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Statue unveiled with sculptor, Electra Waggoner Biggs in attendance. Fort Worth Star Telegram.

“Riding Into The Sunset” is 9’11” tall, 3200 lbs, solid steel poured and in cased in brass. There were four made and all identical. In 1942, the first one was finished and installed in 1947 in front of Will Rogers Coliseum. The second was installed in 1950 on the campus of Texas Tech in Lubbock. The third was also made and installed in 1950 at the grave of Rogers in Claremore, Oklahoma. In 1989, a fourth statue was made and installed at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas.

  • Amon’s favorite photo of his friend Will Rogers. He would keep this photo framed in his office for the rest of his life. Amon would also use this photo when he commissioned the bust that now stands in the rotunda between the coliseum and the auditorium.
  • The bust of Will Rogers that stands in the rotunda between the coliseum and auditorium. Made in the likeness of Amon’s favorite photo. It’s tradition to rub his nose for good luck.
  • The Will Rogers Complex, built in 1936. Named in honor of the world famous writer, actor, and humorist. The photo is an aerial in the days just after it was finished. Photo courtesy UTA Special Collections.
  • The grand mural of Will Rogers that adorns the wall behind the ticket office in the rotunda of the coliseum that bears his name. Artist Seymour Stone stands next to his creation on the same day that the statue was unveiled.
  • In 1937, Amon Carter commissioned Electra Waggoner Biggs to sculpt the statue of Will Rogers and his horse, Soapsuds. She finished it in 1942, but Amon decided not to unveil it until 11/17/1947. This photo was taken on that day with Electra standing by the statue that Amon named “Riding Into The Sunset”. Photo courtesy UTA Special Collections.
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Special thanks for article collaboration with historian, Mike Musgrove. Photo Courtesy: Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Special Collections, UTA Library W.D. Smith collections