'Quite A Discovery': Grand Marshal Discovers Oklahoma County Connection To Famed Actor John Wayne

The Stockyards held its annual St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday morning and this year's Grand Marshal was the granddaughter of famed actor John Wayne.

St. Patrick’s Day is all about celebrating Irish heritage, but the Grand Marshal, Anita La Cava Swift, is also celebrating a newfound piece of her Oklahoma roots.

"What a thrill," she said. "So happy to be here."

Swift said she's following in her grandfather's footsteps.

"My grandfather led the parade down to the cowboy to dig out the first bunch of dirt to start the construction out there," Swift said.

She's a long-time supporter of Western heritage and the Stockyards City

"I've been coming out here twenty years representing the family,” she said. "I feel like I have an even deeper connection now."

Turns out her family owned land in Oklahoma County.

"When we found that treasure, we were excited to be able to gift it to the granddaughter," Oklahoma County Clerk Maressa Treat said. "We know we collect documents, but when you take time, you realize we go back to 1890 and so you don't know what you're going to find."

Her office discovered a mortgage release signed by John Wayne while sifting through old documents, proving the Swifts family had a homestead here in the Sooner State.

Swift was overjoyed by the discovery when she arrived for the parade and says it was a total surprise.

"No clue at all, we had absolutely no record of that," she said.

"Apparently, she didn't know she had a homestead here in Oklahoma, so that's really cool," Treat said.

Now, Swift is leaving the Stockyards with Oklahoma roots of her own.

"It was quite a discovery and happy to have it," Swift said.