Rotary dignitaries and city officials helped dedicate the Washington Irving Amphitheater on February 23, 2005 in the Washington Irving Memorial Park. We had a wonderful presence of Bixby Rotarians, all whom have spent many hours working on this project. Washington Irving's statue is now mounted on the stage as are two lovely plaques that tell of the history of Irving's tour through Oklahoma and the writings of Irving. 
 Washington Irving(1783-1859) Washington Irving was one of America's greatest writers and is considered the "Father of the American Short Story." He is best known for THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, in which Ichabod Crane meets the headless horseman, and RIP VAN WINKLE, which is about a man who falls asleep for 20 years. Both works are contained in THE SKETCH-BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT., published in 1819. Washington Iriving (named after George Washington) had many interests, including writing, architecture and landscape design, traveling and diplomacy. However, he is best known as the first American to make a living solely from writing. After many years of travel and life in Europe, he returned to America to establish his home in Tarrytown, New York, which he called Sunnyside Manor. This outdoor amphitheater replicates the front of Sunnyside. In search of new exciting writing material, Irving joined the Ellsworth-Bean government expedition to the American West, which included a 31-day, 350-mile circular tour of central Oklahoma. In mid-October 1832, he camped in the area which is now Bixby, Oklahoma. The book which resulted from this expedition, A TOUR ON THE PRAIRIES, can be considered standard fare for students of Oklahoma History. A TOUR ON THE PRAIRIES, ASTORIA and THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE were the first three popular books about the West in American Literature. Irving also wrote a five-volume history of George Washington (LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON). "I was always fond of visiting new scenes and observing strange characters and manners.
Even when a mere child, I began my travels and made many tours of discovery into
foreign parts and unknown regions of my native city..."
Introduction to THE SKETCH-BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT. | 
