OKEMAH, Oklahoma (AP) When Woody Guthrie's boyhood home was ordered torn down in the 1970s, the demolition reflected the strained relationship between conservative Oklahoma and the native son famous for his folk singing and leftist politics.
Those tensions persisted for more than a generation. But now developers have announced plans to rebuild Guthrie's 1860s-era home in Okemah, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Tulsa.
Johnny Buschardt is a spokesman for the project. He said without Guthrie, there wouldn't be a Bob Dylan or a Bruce Springsteen.
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 reimagined folk songs as platforms for protest.