Settled right off Route 66 sits Weatherford’s Heritage Park, a two-year project funded through grants. The park has covered porch swings, vintage tailgate benches, restrooms, a playground, and even a dog park. What more could you need?
Well, for many Weatherford citizens, a “thank you” for veterans comes to mind. After talking with community members like Vietnam veteran Larry Williams, the space could use more color and a 280-foot-long scale replica of the Vietnam Wall.
“We want to do several murals around town and so we thought ‘hey, let's make the blade more than just blight’,” Mayor Mike Brown said, gesturing to the 120-foot-long wind turbine blade. We're doing the county route 66 on this side, and patriotic on the other.”
Currently, the blade is already sketched out and should be completed in the next six weeks. One side has many Route 66 staple figures on one side and on the other, it will have various military symbols composing the artwork.
“It will really help bring it all together. The wall itself will be a replica of the Vietnam Wall and with what Pioneer is going to be doing with the benches, will help make it a reflection area.” Brown said. “A lot of times people go up there and want to sit and take it in.”
The memorial itself is funded by the city’s penny tax, which will cover the lights, flags, and wall itself. The city is also wanting to add five benches representing each branch of the military and is looking for companies like Pioneer to help donate.
“Pioneer is excited to donate to this project,” Gail Parker, Pioneer Trustee for District 4 said. “Weatherford not only really tries hard to make it a nice place for their citizens to live; they try to make it a destination as well. They work really hard.”
With Route 66’s 100th birthday happening in November of 2026, the city team is hoping this will help get Weatherford on the map as a destination.
“We just want to be a stopping point,” Mayor Brown said. “So, you know, you either love dogs, the military playground or swinging on a porch. I mean, what else could you really want? We feel like we’ve got it covered.”
The City of Weatherford hopes to have the entirety of the project completed by January 1, 2022.