At the Blue Whale

Nature’s Acres on Route 66 near Catoosa Oklahoma, October 2016. 

bluewhaleroute66.com/blue-whal…  

Hugh Davis, who owned and ran Nature's Acres, decided he wanted to build a whale in the family pond for his wife (who collected whale figurines) as an anniversary present.  

It required ....  
  
Metal lathe – 180 sq. ft. per bundle; 14 bundles would go 2,520 sq. ft. at a cost of $215.70
2” pipe – will need 1,179 feet for $451.00
3/4” & 7/8” rods; 2,650 feet for $77.50
100 ft. of 1” pipe
Dry concrete – 126 sacks for $228.79
Ready-mix concrete – 19 ½ yds. For $296.08
19,400 pounds of rock
15 tons of sand
20” nails, copper tubing and screening for $40.76
Wood – 2,454 linear feet for $473.93


It was finished in 1972, but it took a couple years for him to build it.  "According to Hugh’s notes, he worked 2,920 hours applying the cement which he hand mixed and applied one five-gallon bucket at a time." 

By the time he was finished, it was attracting more tourists than Nature's Acres, so they hauled in sand; put in a picnic area and hired life guards and began to charge for admittance.

Hugh's crippling arthritis forced him to close the park in 1988, and he passed away in 1990.  The place gradually fell into disrepair, but more recently the family working with local groups and Route 66 enthusiasts have done a lot of restoration. 

Currently there is no admittance charge, but swimming is no longer allowed.