Woody Guthrie's home town finally embraces him, will rebuild his boyhood home

Woody Guthrie's Oklahoma hometown has forgiven him for what some thought were communist ideas, and the town wants to honor the late singer famous for his songwriting, singing and progressive politics by rebuilding his boyhood home that was town down in the 1970s, Justin Juozapavicius reports for The Associated Press. "Tensions persisted for more than a generation, but attitudes about Guthrie have slowly softened. Now developers working with the blessing of Guthrie’s relatives have announced plans to rebuild his 1860s-era boyhood home in Okemah, a time-worn town of 3,300 people desperately seeking tourism dollars." (AP photo by Sue Ogrocki)

"Best known for the song 'This Land is Your Land,' Guthrie came of age during the Great Depression and later embraced left-wing politics, including for a time some tenets of communism. By weaving social issues into his music, he re-imagined folk songs as platforms for protest, starting a creative tradition carried on by scores of other top artists," Juozapavicius writes. "In hundreds of folk songs and ballads, Guthrie’s lyrics celebrated American workers, lamented the woes of the poor and advocated for civil rights. Although revered as one of the best songwriters in American history, he was rarely acknowledged, let alone honored, by his home state, even for decades after his death in 1967." But many in Oklahoma are now celebrating Guthrie, with an annual music festival in Okemah that draws thousands, and a 12,000-square-foot museum in Tulsa that showcases his life’s work.

"The estimated $500,000 rebuild of Guthrie’s childhood home will use original planks salvaged from the run-down property, called London House, which was purchased by prominent local businessman Earl Walker in the early 1960s," Juozapavicius writes. "Walker saved the lumber for the day when his neighbors would recognize Guthrie’s importance to the town and the country. The bundle of preserved wood eventually ended up at the Okfuskee County History Center. Today, all that remains of London House are a few blocks of the home’s sandstone foundation — mostly obscured by knee-high weeds. A faded sign on the lot warns visitors against stealing the stones. London House is to be rebuilt on the same lot, and project organizers want to come as close as possible to making it look like it did when Guthrie lived there. Organizers hope to raise money for the project through donations and a benefit concert in Tulsa. Construction is scheduled for November through May." (Read more)