Latest News!
- Kevin Federline: My Side of the Story
- Mark Ruffalo's Brother Shot in the Head
- Kelly Ripa's Rep Says 'No Truth' to Marital Split Story
- Pete Wentz: Baby Bronx Was 'A Happy Accident'
- Kim Kardashian Will 'Never Say Never' to Playboy
- Should Jesse Csincsak Be The Bachelor?
- Jealousy a Possible Motive in Jennifer Hudson Family Slayings
People Top 5
LAST UPDATE: Wednesday December 03, 2008 06:10PM EST
PEOPLE Top 5 are the most-viewed stories on the site over the past three days, updated every 60 minutes
Unhappy Trails for Roy Rogers Estate
Faced with an enormous tax bill, the heirs of Western stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans are looking to move the family museum to a busier venue.
Originally posted Tuesday July 10, 2001 05:31 PM EDT
A portion of the estate of the late "King of the Cowboys" Roy Rogers and his queen, Dale Evans, was auctioned off late last week in order to meet a heavy estate-tax bill, the fabled couple's son, Roy "Dusty" Rogers Jr., told the Associated Press. "We have to survive," said Rogers, referring to his parents' museum in Victorville, Calif., which draws 50,000 visitors annually. (Highlight of the archives: a stuffed version of Roy's faithful horse, Trigger.) Evans, who was 88, died this past February; Rogers, who was 86, died in 1998. With their passing, said their son, the IRS levied a 58% tax on the estate, not including a nearly $150,000 property tax bill. This is why surviving family members are considering moving the museum to a more heavily trafficked tourist area, such as Las Vegas or Branson, Mo. "If the museum doesn't survive here," Rogers said of Victorville, "it will somewhere else." Of the two locations, the calmer Branson seems the likelier choice. "They still believe in God and country," said Rogers, "and the median age of visitors is 55 and up." Given that, he says, attendance could zoom to 188,000 people in the first year alone.
Latest video
Star Talk
Michael Phelps: From Speedo to Tuxedo!
SI's Sportsman of the Year talks about his latest honor – and being named one of PEOPLE's Sexiest Men Alive (with photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier)
Advertisement
Today's Photos
What's Hot on People.com
Promotion
Treat Yourself! 4 Preview Issues















