The adventures of the Abernathy boys
On April 5, 1919, with Bud and Temple astride their horses, Sam Bass and Geronimo, the boys traveled east. They were on the trail for two months, riding to meet their friend, former President Theodore Roosevelt, as he returned to New York City from an African safari. Along the way, the brothers fell in love with automobiles. They bought a Brush Runabout in New York, and Bud and Temple drove themselves home, making the trip in just twenty-three days.
When Temple was seven and Bud was eleven, they were challenged to ride from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific in sixty days. At stake was a $10,000 prize. The boys left from Coney Island on August 11, 1911, and-3,619 miles later-arrived at the Pacific just two days late. Although they didn't win the prize, they set a record for the fastest cross-country ride on horseback. This record has never been broken. The Abernathys made their last long-distance ride in June 1913, driving a custom designed, two-seat, twin-engine Indian motorcycle from the Cross Roads Ranch to New York City. This time they returned to Oklahoma by train.
Temple grew up to be an oilman, and Bud became a lawyer. Both settled and raised families in north Texas. However, it was in Tillman County that the remarkable Abernathy brothers-the youngest long riders-began and ended their greatest adventures.
This plaque donated in memory of Larry Greer, artist by the sculptor.
Erected 2006 by Frederick Arts and Humanities Council.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #26 Theodore Roosevelt
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Location. 34° 23.466′ N, 99° 1.082′ W. Marker is in Frederick, Oklahoma, in Tillman County. It is on North 9th Street. West of Tillman Courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 219-223 N 9th St, Frederick OK 73542, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Kiowa Tribe, in the Comanche Nation, in the Chickasaw Nation, and in Southwest Oklahoma. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Dust Bowl, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tillman County Historical Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); Ramona Theatre (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of Beginning Trip of Abernathy Boys to New York City in 1910
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Site of Beginning Trip of Abernathy Boys to New York City in 1910
Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 24, 2017, by Caroline Mitchell Carrico of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,564 times since then and 64 times this year. Last updated on July 12, 2018, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. Photos: 1. submitted on July 6, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 24, 2017, by Caroline Mitchell Carrico of Memphis, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
