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75-463: Guntersville Dam is named for the city of Guntersville, Alabama , which is located about 10 miles (16 km) upstream. The city is named for its first settler, John Gunter (d. 1836), who arrived in the late 18th century. Guntersville Dam is located 349 miles (562 km) above the mouth of the Tennessee River, at a point where the southwestward-flowing river begins to change its course to

150-611: A World War II hero, played his father in two films, and was elected to Congress. Mary became a Broadway actress, and James "Jim" was a newspaperman and rancher; Fred died of diphtheria at age two. The family lived in New York, but they spent summers in Oklahoma. In 1911, Rogers bought a 20-acre (8.1 ha) ranch near Claremore, Oklahoma , which he intended to use as his retirement home. He paid US$ 500 an acre, equal to $ 16,350 per acre today. From about 1925 to 1928, Rogers traveled

225-488: A candidate's image? Ballyhoo: "I hope there is some sane people who will appreciate dignity and not showmanship in their choice for the presidency" (October 5). What of ugly campaign rumors? Don't worry: "The things they whisper aren't as bad as what they say out loud" (October 12). After Rogers gained recognition as a humorist-philosopher in vaudeville, he gained a national audience in acting and literary careers from 1915 to 1935. In these years, Rogers increasingly expressed

300-560: A cowboy. Rogers's cowboy was an unfettered man free of institutional restraints, with no bureaucrats to order his life. When he came back to the United States and worked in Wild West shows, he slowly began adding the occasional spoken ad lib, such as "Swingin' a rope's all right... if your neck ain't in it." Audiences responded to his laconic but pointed humor, and were just as fascinated by his frontier Oklahoma twang. By 1916, Rogers

375-687: A fear that Europeans would go to war again. He recommended isolationism for the United States. He reasoned that for the moment, American needs could best be served by concentrating on domestic questions and avoiding foreign entanglements. He commented: "Rogers' philosophy was reactionary, dispiriting and provincial, despite every affectation of bonhomie and tolerance. It scorned ideas and the people who held them, it relied on vague evolution rather than direct action, its fixed smile concealed rigidity of opinion that middle America need not be disturbed from its own prejudices and limitations."—Film critic David Thomson in A Biographical History of Film (1976) Rogers

450-754: A fleet of gunboats on the Tennessee River in late 1864. Confederate troops mounted a spirited defense of the river from Guntersville. In January 1865, the USS General Grant attempted to destroy the town in retaliation. For much of the 20th century, the economy of Guntersville revolved around cotton processing, especially with the Saratoga Victory Mill . Guntersville is located in central Marshall County at 34°20′54″N 86°17′40″W  /  34.34833°N 86.29444°W  / 34.34833; -86.29444 (34.348197, −86.294523). U.S. Route 431 (Gunter Avenue and Blount Avenue)

525-546: A guest of U.S. Ambassador Dwight Morrow . Rogers gave numerous after-dinner speeches, became a popular convention speaker, and gave dozens of benefits for victims of floods, droughts, or earthquakes. Rogers traveled to Asia to perform in 1931, and to Central and South America the following year. In 1934, he made a globe-girdling tour and returned to play the lead in Eugene O'Neill 's stage play Ah, Wilderness! . He had tentatively agreed to go on loan from Fox to MGM to star in

600-477: A host of other controversial topics in a way that found general acclaim from a national audience with no one offended. His aphorisms, couched in humorous terms, were widely quoted, for example, "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat." One of Rogers's most famous sayings was "I never met a man I didn't like" and he even provided an epigram on this famous epigram: When I die, my epitaph , or whatever you call those signs on gravestones,

675-539: A liking in his conservative persona as John Rayburn. He is aware, however, that were his real views known the people of Guntersville might have been less welcoming. "Scratch John Rayburn, and he'd confess my own thoughts on politics, books, religion − thoughts that wouldn't wash in Guntersville." Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He

750-528: A more northwestwardly direction. The dam's reservoir stretches for nearly 73 miles (117 km) to the base of Nickajack Dam , and includes parts of Marshall and Jackson counties in Alabama and Marion County in Tennessee. The reservoir's backwaters have formed embayments on the lower parts of Browns Creek and Spring Creek to the west and east of the city of Guntersville, respectively, effectively placing

825-430: A nonpartisan point of view and became a friend of presidents and a confidant of the great. Loved for his cool mind and warm heart, he was often considered the successor to such greats as Artemus Ward and Mark Twain . Rogers was not the first entertainer to use political humor before his audience. Others, such as Broadway comedian Raymond Hitchcock and Britain's Sir Harry Lauder , preceded him by several years. Bob Hope

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900-576: A simple cowboy; his characters evolved to explore the meaning of innocence in ordinary life. In his last movies, Rogers explores a society fracturing into competing classes from economic pressures. Throughout his career, Rogers was a link to a better, more comprehensible past. In 1926, the high-circulation weekly magazine The Saturday Evening Post financed a European tour for Rogers, in return for publication of his articles. Rogers made whirlwind visits to numerous European capitals and met with both international figures and common people. His articles reflected

975-746: A small town banker ( David Harum ) in 1934, and a rustic politician ( Judge Priest ) in 1934. He was also in County Chairman (1935), Steamboat Round the Bend (1935), and In Old Kentucky (1935). His favorite director was John Ford . Rogers appeared in 21 feature films alongside such noted performers as Lew Ayres , Billie Burke , Richard Cromwell , Jane Darwell , Andy Devine , Janet Gaynor , Rochelle Hudson , Boris Karloff , Myrna Loy , Joel McCrea , Hattie McDaniel , Ray Milland , Maureen O'Sullivan , ZaSu Pitts , Dick Powell , Bill "Bojangles" Robinson , Mickey Rooney , and Peggy Wood . He

1050-433: A travelogue series in 1927. After that, he did not return to the screen until beginning work in the ' talkies ' in 1929. Rogers made 48 silent movies, but with the arrival of sound in 1929, he became a top star in that medium. His first sound film, They Had to See Paris (1929), gave him the chance to exercise his verbal wit. He played a homespun farmer ( State Fair) in 1933, an old-fashioned doctor ( Dr. Bull ) in 1933,

1125-638: A weekly column, titled "Slipping the Lariat Over", at the end of 1922. He had already published a book of wisecracks and had begun a steady stream of humor books. Through the columns for the McNaught Syndicate between 1922 and 1935, as well as his personal appearances and radio broadcasts, he won the loving admiration of the American people, poking jibes in witty ways at the issues of the day and prominent people—often politicians. He wrote from

1200-439: Is a city and the county seat of Marshall County , Alabama , United States. At the 2020 census , the population of the city was 8,553. Guntersville is located in a HUBZone as identified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Guntersville was founded by John Gunter (1765–1835), the great-grandfather of American humorist Will Rogers . Gunter's own great-great-grandfather, of Welsh-English descent, had emigrated to

1275-554: Is going to read: "I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I dident [ sic ] like." I am so proud of that, I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. Rogers was born on his parents' Dog Iron Ranch in the Cherokee Nation of Indian Territory , near present-day Oologah, Oklahoma , now in Rogers County , named in honor of his father, Clement V. Rogers . The house in which he

1350-689: Is located at the southernmost point of the Tennessee River on Lake Guntersville , formed by the Guntersville Dam (built by the Tennessee Valley Authority ). Geologically, the lake occupies a southern extension of the Sequatchie Valley , which continues south as Browns Valley. At the 2000 census , there were 7,395 people, 3,061 households and 1,971 families living in the city. The population density

1425-508: Is named in honor of him. He served several terms in the Cherokee Senate. Roach (1980) presents a sociological-psychological assessment of the relationship between Will and his father during the formative boyhood and teenage years. Clement had high expectations for his son and wanted him to be more responsible and business-minded. Will was more easygoing and oriented toward the loving affection offered by his mother, Mary, rather than

1500-669: Is often claimed he took a job breaking in horses for the British Army , but the Boer War had ended three months earlier. Rogers was hired at James Piccione's ranch near Mooi River Station in the Pietermaritzburg district of Natal . Rogers began his show business career as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus" in South Africa: He [Texas Jack] had a little Wild West aggregation that visited

1575-536: Is the best known political humorist to follow Rogers's example. Radio was the exciting new medium, and Rogers became a star there as well, broadcasting his newspaper pieces. From 1929 to 1935, he made radio broadcasts for the Gulf Oil Company. This weekly Sunday evening show, The Gulf Headliners , ranked among the top radio programs in the country. Since Rogers easily rambled from one subject to another, reacting to his studio audience, he often lost track of

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1650-457: Is the main road through the city, leading northwest 37 miles (60 km) to Huntsville , and southeast 10 miles (16 km) to Albertville . Gadsden is 36 miles (58 km) to the southeast via US 431. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city of Guntersville has a total area of 42.7 square miles (110.6 km ), of which 25.6 square miles (66.4 km ) are land and 17.1 square miles (44.2 km ), or 40.0%, are water. Guntersville

1725-456: Is the most stable reservoir in the TVA system, fluctuating just 2 feet (0.61 m) per year. Guntersville Dam is serviced by a 110-by-600-foot (34 by 183 m) navigation lock . The lock can lift and lower vessels up to 45 feet (14 m) between Guntersville Lake and Wheeler Lake. The dam's original 60-by-360-foot (18 by 110 m) lock is now used as an auxiliary lock. In the early 1900s,

1800-558: The Kemper Military School at Boonville over the 1897–98 school year. He was a good student and an avid reader of The New York Times , but he dropped out of school after the 10th grade. Rogers later said that he was a poor student, saying that he "studied the Fourth Reader for ten years". He was much more interested in cowboys and horses, and learned to rope and use a lariat . In 1899, Rogers appeared in

1875-620: The Pacific Palisades and set up his own production company. While Rogers enjoyed film acting, his appearances in silent movies suffered from the obvious restrictions of silence, as he had gained his fame as a commentator on stage. He wrote many of the title cards appearing in his films. In 1923, he began a one-year stint for Hal Roach and made 12 pictures. Among the films he made for Roach in 1924 were three directed by Rob Wagner : Two Wagons Both Covered , Going to Congress , and Our Congressman . He made two other feature silents and

1950-399: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers investigated several possible dam sites in the Guntersville vicinity in hopes of flooding a significant stretch of the river upstream from the city, which had unreliable water levels and had long been an impediment to major navigation in the upper Tennessee Valley. The Corps recommended building a dam at a site approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) upstream from

2025-543: The self-made man , the common man, who believed in America, in progress, and in the American Dream of upward mobility. His humor never offended even those who were the targets of it. In the 1920s, the United States was happy and prosperous in various ways (leading to the nickname Roaring Twenties ), but it also suffered from rapid change and social tensions. Some people were disenchanted by, and alienated from,

2100-521: The 1935 movie version of the play. But, concerned about a fan's reaction to the "facts-of-life" talk between his character and the latter's son, he declined the role. He and Wiley Post made plans to fly to Alaska that summer. Rogers was a Democrat but has historically been known as apolitical. He was friends with every president starting with Theodore Roosevelt , and he notably supported Republican Calvin Coolidge over John W. Davis in 1924. During

2175-478: The 2010 census , there were 8,197 people, 3,388 households and 2,167 families living in the city. The population density was 347.3 inhabitants per square mile (134.1/km ). There were 3,872 housing units at an average density of 152.4 per square mile (58.8/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 85.8% White , 7.8% Black or African American , 0.5% Native American , 1.5% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 2.5% from other races , and 1.9% from two or more races. 3.8% of

2250-612: The Anti-Bunk Party. His campaign promise was that, if elected, he would resign. Every week, from Memorial Day through Election Day, Rogers caricatured the farcical humors of grave campaign politics. On election day he declared victory and resigned (he did not actually receive any state electoral votes). Asked what issues would motivate voters? Prohibition: "What's on your hip is bound to be on your mind" (July 26). Asked if there should be presidential debates? Yes: "Joint debate—in any joint you name" (August 9). How about appeals to

2325-638: The Army Corps investigations, deeming a dam at Guntersville necessary to extend the navigation channel beyond Wheeler Lake, which at that time was under construction. Guntersville Dam was authorized November 27, 1935, and construction began a few days later on December 4. The construction of Guntersville Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 110,145 acres (44,574 ha) of land, of which 24,426 acres (9,885 ha) were forested and had to be cleared. 1,182 families, 14 cemeteries, and over 90 miles (140 km) of roads had to be relocated. A large dike

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2400-583: The New World in 1644. Gunter was the wealthy owner of a salt mine in the early 19th century. In order to obtain more land to mine, Gunter struck a deal with the Cherokee tribe that inhabited the area to use in his household as servants. As part of the deal, Gunter married the daughter (Ghe-No-He-Li, aka Katy and Cathrine) of the tribe's chief (Chief Bushyhead of the Paint Clan) and agreed to give salt to

2475-580: The New York area in those years. Rogers could make a film, yet easily still rehearse and perform in the Follies . He eventually appeared in most of the Follies , from 1916 to 1925. Hollywood discovered Rogers in 1918, as Samuel Goldwyn gave him the title role in Laughing Bill Hyde . A three-year contract with Goldwyn, at triple the Broadway salary, moved Rogers west. He bought a ranch in

2550-550: The Paint Clan. Unlike his father Clement's people, Mary's Cherokee relatives had been expelled from Georgia under the Indian Removal Act of 1830 in an exodus known as The Trail of Tears . Of the 16,000 Cherokees driven to Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), 4,000 perished en route . She died of amoebic dysentery when Will was 10 years of age. His father remarried almost three years after her death. Rogers

2625-550: The Republican Convention of 1928, while criticizing the party platform, Rogers welcomed the nomination of Kaw citizen Charles Curtis as vice president, although he felt the leadership had deliberately kept him from the presidency: "The Republican Party owed him something, but I didn't think they would be so low down as to pay him that way." Four years later, when the Republican leadership attempted to remove

2700-789: The St. Louis Fair as part of the Mulhall Rodeo. Near the end of 1901, when he was 22 years old, he and a friend, Dick Parris, left home hoping to work as gauchos in Argentina . They arrived in Argentina in May 1902, and spent five months trying to make it as ranch owners in the Pampas . Rogers and his partner lost all their money, and he later said, "I was ashamed to send home for more." The two friends separated and Rogers sailed for South Africa . It

2775-621: The United States in 1904, appeared at the Saint Louis World's Fair , and began to try his roping skills on the vaudeville circuits. On a trip to New York City, Rogers was at Madison Square Garden , on April 27, 1905, when a wild steer broke out of the arena and began to climb into the viewing stands. Rogers roped the steer to the delight of the crowd. The feat got front page attention from the newspapers, giving him valuable publicity and an audience eager to see more. Willie Hammerstein saw his vaudeville act, and signed Rogers to appear on

2850-717: The Victoria Roof—which was literally on a rooftop—with his pony. For the next decade, Rogers estimated he worked for 50 weeks a year at the Roof and at the city's myriad vaudeville theaters. Rogers later recalled these early years: In the fall of 1915, Rogers began to appear in Florenz Ziegfeld 's Midnight Frolic . The variety revue began at midnight in the top-floor night club of Ziegfeld's New Amsterdam Theatre , and drew many influential—and regular—customers. By this time, Rogers had refined his act. His monologues on

2925-529: The age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. Of all households, 32.4% were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88. Age distribution was 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

3000-426: The camps and did a tremendous business. I did some roping and riding, and Jack, who was one of the smartest showmen I ever knew, took a great interest in me. It was he who gave me the idea for my original stage act with my pony. I learned a lot about the show business from him. He could do a bum act with a rope that an ordinary man couldn't get away with, and make the audience think it was great, so I used to study him by

3075-475: The city at the tip of a long peninsula. Guntersville Dam is 94 feet (29 m) high and 3,979 feet (1,213 m) wide, and has a generating capacity of 140,400 kilowatts of electricity. The dam's 18-bay spillway has a total discharge capacity of 478,000 cubic feet per second (13,500 m/s). Its reservoir has a storage capacity of 1,049,000 acre⋅ft (1,294,000 dam), with 162,000 acre⋅ft (200,000 dam) reserved for flood control. The reservoir

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3150-436: The common man? Easy: "You can't make any commoner appeal than I can" (August 16). What does the farmer need? Obvious: "He needs a punch in the jaw if he believes that either of the parties cares a damn about him after the election" (August 23). Can voters be fooled? Darn tootin': "Of all the bunk handed out during a campaign the biggest one of all is to try and compliment the knowledge of the voter" (September 21). What about

3225-456: The half-hour time limit in his earliest broadcasts, and was cut off in mid-sentence. To correct this, he brought in a wind-up alarm clock, and its on-air buzzing alerted him to begin wrapping up his comments. By 1935, his show was being announced as "Will Rogers and his Famous Alarm Clock". In 1908, Rogers married Betty Blake (1879–1944), and the couple had four children: Will Rogers Jr. , Mary Amelia, James Blake , and Fred Stone. Will Jr. became

3300-560: The harshness of his father. The personality clash increased after his mother's death when the boy was ten. Young Will went from one venture to another with little success. Only after Will won acclaim in vaudeville did the rift begin to heal. Clement's death in 1911 precluded a full reconciliation. Will Rogers attended school in Indian Territory, at the Willie Halsell College at Vinita in 1895 and 1896, and then

3375-518: The hour, and from him I learned the great secret of the show business—knowing when to get off. It's the fellow who knows when to quit that the audience wants more of. Grateful for the guidance but anxious to move on, Rogers quit the circus and went to Australia. Texas Jack gave him a reference letter for the Wirth Brothers Circus there, and Rogers continued to perform as a rider and trick roper, and worked on his pony act. He returned to

3450-558: The lake waters. Guntersville Dam was completed on January 17, 1939, constructed at a cost of $ 51 million. The dam's lock was designed by the Army Corps of Engineers and went into operation on January 24, 1939. The dam's first generator went online August 8, 1939. The hydroelectric project's components were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Guntersville, Alabama Guntersville (previously known as Gunter's Ferry and later Gunter's Landing)

3525-429: 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". He visited Mexico City , along with Charles Lindbergh , as

3600-399: The mass-circulation upscale magazine The Saturday Evening Post . Rogers advised Americans to embrace the frontier values of neighborliness and democracy on the domestic front, while remaining clear of foreign entanglements. He took a strong, highly popular stand in favor of aviation, including a military air force of the sort his flying buddy General Billy Mitchell advocated. Rogers began

3675-494: The money we do spend on Government and it's not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty years ago." Rogers served as a goodwill ambassador to Mexico, and had a brief stint as mayor of Beverly Hills , a largely ceremonial position that allowed Rogers to joke about do-nothing politicians such as himself. During the depths of the Great Depression , angered by Washington's inability to feed

3750-490: The more conservative Curtis from the Hoover ticket, Rogers defended him, and took credit for keeping him on the ticket: "I saved my 'Injun' Charley Curtis for vice presidency. The rascals was just ready to stab him when we caught 'em." In 1932 Rogers supported Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt , who was his favorite president and politician. Although he supported Roosevelt's New Deal , he could just as easily joke about it: "Lord,

3825-449: The news of the day followed a similar routine every night. He appeared on stage in his cowboy outfit, nonchalantly twirling his lasso, and said, "Well, what shall I talk about? I ain't got anything funny to say. All I know is what I read in the papers." He would make jokes about what he had read in that day's newspapers. The line "All I know is what I read in the papers" is often incorrectly described as Rogers's most famous punch line, when it

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3900-594: The outside world. Many common people believed that World War I had resulted in extensive and largely senseless carnage, and they supported isolationism for the US. According to scholar Peter Rollins (1976), Rogers appeared to be an anchor of stability; his conventional home life and traditional moral code reminded people of a recent past. His newspaper column, which ran from 1922 to 1935, expressed his traditional morality and his belief that political problems were not as serious as they sounded. In his films, Rogers began by playing

3975-455: The people, he embarked on a cross-country fundraising tour for the Red Cross . Rogers thought all campaigning was bunk. To prove the point, he mounted a mock campaign in 1928 for the presidency. His only vehicle was the pages of Life , a weekly humor magazine. The campaign was in large part an effort to boost circulation for the struggling magazine. Rogers ran as the "bunkless candidate" of

4050-431: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,388 households, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. Of all households, 31.8% were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4125-687: The present dam site in 1914, but never obtained the necessary funding from Congress. More extensive investigations in the 1920s identified several more sites, including the present dam site, which they called the Coles Bend Bar site. After the Tennessee Valley Authority was formed in 1933, the Authority assumed control of all navigation and flood control projects in the Tennessee Valley. In 1935, TVA followed up

4200-613: The rest of his career around that skill. A 1922 editorial in The New York Times said that "Will Rogers in the Follies is carrying on the tradition of Aristophanes , and not unworthily." Rogers branched into silent films too, for Samuel Goldwyn 's company Goldwyn Pictures . He made his first silent movie, Laughing Bill Hyde (1918), which was filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey . Many early films were filmed and produced in

4275-655: The school day. His most unusual role may have been in the first talking version of Mark Twain 's novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court . His popularity soared to new heights with films including Young As You Feel , Judge Priest , and Life Begins at 40 , with Richard Cromwell and Rochelle Hudson. Rogers was an indefatigable worker. He toured the lecture circuit. The New York Times syndicated his weekly newspaper column from 1922 to 1935. Going daily in 1926, his short column "Will Rogers Says" reached 40 million newspaper readers. He also wrote frequently for

4350-466: The shore of 69,100-acre (28,000 ha) Guntersville Lake , the biggest lake in Alabama . The lake is maintained and managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority . The 2014 and 2020 Bassmaster Classic were held on Guntersville Lake. The current mayor is Leigh Dollar, the daughter of a previous mayor, and the first female to hold mayor's office in Guntersville. Guntersville has one school system in

4425-487: The town which is made up of four schools; Guntersville Elementary School (Kindergarten-2nd grade), Cherokee Elementary School (3rd–5th grade), Guntersville Middle School (6th–8th grade), and Guntersville High School (9th–12th grade). In 2006 Guntersville High School won the 4A football state championship, which is the only football state championship recorded by a school in Marshall County , Alabama . Guntersville

4500-469: The tribe. A town sprung up next to the mine and was named after Gunter. The town of Guntersville puts on a festival every July to celebrate Will Rogers, which involves many activities which were of interest to Rogers. Initially incorporated as "Gunter's Landing" in 1848, it won the contest to become county seat from Warrenton (which had been the seat since 1841). It formally changed its name to Guntersville in 1854. The United States Navy began operating

4575-437: The views of the "common man" in America. He downplayed academic credentials, noting, "Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." Americans of all walks admired his individualism, his appreciation for democratic ideas, and his liberal philosophies on most issues. Moreover, Rogers extolled hard work in order to succeed, and such expressions affirmed American theories about how to realize individual success. Rogers symbolized

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4650-431: Was $ 57,610. Males had a median income of $ 39,063 versus $ 31,410 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 23,468. About 16.9% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 34.9% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 8,553 people, 3,312 households, and 2,179 families residing in the city. Guntersville sits on

4725-414: Was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.87. Age distribution was 21.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males. The median household income was $ 38,094, and the median family income

4800-483: Was 312.7 inhabitants per square mile (120.7/km ). There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of 148.8 per square mile (57.5/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 88.17% White , 8.53% Black or African American , 0.49% Native American , 0.41% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.95% from other races , and 1.45% from two or more races. 2.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,061 households, of which 27.5% had children under

4875-482: Was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males. The median household income was $ 29,882, and the median family income was $ 39,464. Males had a median income of $ 36,175 versus $ 20,480 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,503. About 11.2% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over. At

4950-461: Was a featured star in Ziegfeld's Follies on Broadway, as he moved into satire by transforming the "Ropin' Fool" to the "Talkin' Fool". At one performance, with President Woodrow Wilson in the audience, Rogers improvised a "roast" of presidential policies that had Wilson, and the entire audience, in stitches and proved his remarkable skill at off-the-cuff, witty commentary on current events. He built

5025-725: Was a leader in the Cherokee Nation . An attorney and Cherokee judge, Clement owned two slaves he had acquired from his father, and was a Confederate combat veteran of the American Civil War. He was promoted to regimental captain under Confederate colonel (later Brigadier General) Stand Watie and fought at the Battle of Pea Ridge (1862). Clement served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention . Rogers County, Oklahoma ,

5100-505: Was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation , in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ), and is known as "Oklahoma's Favorite Son". As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world three times, made 71 films (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was hugely popular in the United States for his leading political wit and

5175-537: Was born had been built in 1875 and was known as the "White House on the Verdigris River ". His parents, Clement V. (Clem) Rogers (1839–1911) and Mary America Schrimsher (1838–1890), were both mixed-race with Cherokee ancestry, and considered themselves Cherokee. Rogers quipped that his ancestors did not come over on the Mayflower , but they "met the boat". His mother was one quarter-Cherokee and born into

5250-436: Was built to protect the city of Guntersville from reservoir backwaters, and substantial dredging was necessary to extend the navigable 9-foot (2.7 m) channel up to Hales Bar Dam (this dam has since been dismantled and replaced by Nickajack Dam, shortening Guntersville Lake). Widows Bar Dam , a small dam and lock approximately 58 miles (93 km) upstream from Guntersville Dam, was partially dismantled and submerged under

5325-629: Was directed three times by John Ford. He appeared in four films with his friend Stepin Fetchit (aka Lincoln T. Perry): David Harum (1934), Judge Priest (1934), Steamboat Round the Bend (1935) and The County Chairman (1935). With his voice becoming increasingly familiar to audiences, Rogers essentially played himself in each film, without film makeup, managing to ad-lib and sometimes work in his familiar commentaries on politics. The clean moral tone of his films resulted in various public schools taking their classes to attend special showings during

5400-477: Was his opening line. His run at the New Amsterdam ran into 1916, and Rogers's growing popularity led to an engagement on the more famous Ziegfeld Follies . At this stage, Rogers's act was strictly physical, a silent display of daring riding and clever tricks with his lariat. He discovered that audiences identified the cowboy as the archetypical American—doubtless aided by Theodore Roosevelt 's image as

5475-725: Was the highest paid of Hollywood film stars. He died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post when their small airplane crashed in northern Alaska. Rogers began his career as a performer on vaudeville. His rope act led to success in the Ziegfeld Follies , which in turn led to the first of his many movie contracts. His 1920s syndicated newspaper column and his radio appearances increased his visibility and popularity. Rogers crusaded for aviation expansion and provided Americans with first-hand accounts of his world travels. His earthy anecdotes and folksy style allowed him to poke fun at gangsters, prohibition , politicians, government programs, and

5550-472: Was the last place in which Ricky Nelson ever performed as a singer. His last performance was at PJ's Alley in Guntersville on Monday, December 30, 1985. His private plane departed Guntersville the next day, New Year's Eve, and crashed near DeKalb, Texas . In Hunting Mister Heartbreak: A Discovery of America , the British author Jonathan Raban becomes a temporary resident of the city, to which he takes

5625-465: Was the youngest of eight children. He was named for the Cherokee leader Colonel William Penn Adair . Only three of his siblings, sisters Sallie Clementine, Maude Ethel, and Mary (May), survived into adulthood. His mother, Mary Schrimsher, was a sister of Martha Schrimsher Gulager, the paternal grandmother of Clu Gulager , making Rogers and Gulager first cousins, once removed. His father, Clement,

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