John F. Kennedy Memorial

Kennedy came to Big Cedar on October 29, 1961 to open the Ouachita National Forest road, now US 259, and spoke largely about the land. He greeted Senator Robert Kerr as a man who had helped build the state, credited a Massachusetts congressman with helping save this forest around the turn of the century, and said Oklahomans who had left in the 1930s, because the lessons of conservation were not learned, were now coming home. He predicted more than three hundred million Americans by 2000 and drew on Nehemiah, who rebuilt Jerusalem's walls while defending them.

What the plaque says

In Memoriam John Fitzgerald Kennedy 1917-1963 "Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country." Dedication of Highway 259 October 29, 1961 Presented as a memorial to an illustrious and dedicated American by the Knights of Columbus and the people of the State of Oklahoma. Knights of Columbus Gift This monument commemorating visit of President John F. Kennedy to Big Cedar was erected under auspices of Knights of Columbus who deeded shaft and land to Oklahoma Historical Society October 30, 1966. -Oklahoma Historical Society 1966-

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Holloway's Station — 32 mi