The Rogers Ranch house as you see it now is much like it would have been when Will Rogers was born here in 1879. In its original location at the bottom of the neighboring hill to the east, the house was blocked by the north winds, had easy access to water, was in the fertile Verdigris River valley with a great view of the river and distant hill tops. It was an ideal spot for a home.
When Clem Rogers reestablished his ranch in this part of the territory, he lived in a small cabin in 1868 while he began cutting and shaping the logs for the new ranch house. The first two rooms of the house, the master bedroom and parlor, were built as two matching single-room log cabins with an open-air breeze way connecting them. Over time, additional rooms were added, as well as a second story. White clapboard siding was added to the exterior, making the Rogers ranch house known as the “White House on the Verdigris.” By 1870, Clem moved his family into the home. The house, as you see it now, was completed by 1875.