Sculpture dedicated to Cyrus Avery, the 'Father of Route 66'

TULSA - Hundreds of people gathered at the Route 66 Centennial Plaza to dedicate a massive sculpture to Cyrus Avery, the man commonly referred to as the "Father of Route 66."

The sculpture depicts Avery, and his family, traveling in their 1926 Model-T Ford, as they came across a horse-drawn wagon.

The horses appear to be startled at the sight of the automobile.

The sculpture is 40-feet-long, 15-feet-wide, and 14-feet high.

It is made of bronze and weighs 20,000 pounds.

"I just wanted to show the rugged individualism," said artist and designer Robert Summers.

Several of Avery's descendants came to Tulsa from around the country for the dedication.

"It brings life to the plaza," said grandson Cyrus Stevens Avery II. "It in fact is a very tangible representation of what went before."

Route 66 stretches for 23 miles through Tulsa.

Avery is credited for convincing designers to draw the route through town.

The sculpture cost $1,177,841 and was paid for by money from Vision2025.