125th Celebration Wagon Train




Our state is 125 years old this year
and some dedicated horse and mule owners decided to 
commemorate the occasion with a wagon train
from our first Territorial capital city, Yankton,
to our current state capital, Pierre, South Dakota....
 


Wessington Springs was on the route...
they camped near town and were able 
to take in the annual Bull Bash event...


They joined up with the annual 
Kyle Evans Memorial Wagon Train 
and enjoyed a wonderful Sunday service 
on the open prairie....












it was a beautiful and serene moment 
even the horses were silent while the 
cowboys sang






From there they trekked across fields and trails 
to Crow Lake for their next nights stay... 



with local leaders at every stop
the wagon train stayed on course...
 


at each rest stop there were
bales of hay and tubs of water...
the horses came first 
the picture opps came second




At each camp local people
would join the riders and 
tell stories and share some local history...







that's what made this event so special...

beautiful prairie landscapes,
blue sky as far as the eye can see,
fresh air, real stories from real people,
cell phones, tvs, and game-boys inaccessible,
a truly rare family affair...



the crowd at Crow lake was an exceptional one...
 


Stories and music continued through dusk...

and cowboy practice continued past bedtime...


 this abandoned town came back to life
for one night...


the next morning they hitched up and 
rode to the next stop...

an amazing journey
in this day and age
(with all of our technology)
these dedicated folks were just happy
riding across pastures taking 
in the peace and quiet...
thinking all the while about our ancestors
and how they came in wagons and on horseback
with no chemical toilets at the back of the train,
no guarantee of water or food along the way,
and their safety in jeopardy at any given moment...


 
Our ancestors would be proud of this remembrance,
I was proud to be a Dakotan!



Happy Birthday South Dakota
(North Dakota too)!!
 


 And Happy Trails to those that persevered and 
rode the whole way!


I will be posting more pictures from my journey
from Wessington Springs to Spring Valley Colony
stay tuned...

and Happy Trails,
Lisa

Comments

Country Gal said…
Fantastic post and photos ! Now that's what I call a fun day ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good week !
barb said…
Wonderful, thanks for taking us along for a few minutes here.
Michelle said…
This looks so wonderful! I would have loved to have been in one of those wagons. I actually grew up in North Dakota and have great memories of traveling the Dakotas.
Bonnie K said…
My parents went up and watched it go by over by De Gray. A relative of mine, Willie Cowan always participates in these. Some day I hope to go along with one of my grandfather's wagons.
Bonnie K said…
PS Your photos are outstanding.
Lynne said…
Great to enjoy some of your views . . . wonderful photos!
Ida said…
Happy birthday to your state. This was quite an event. Can you imagine how it must have been to be one of those "Pioneers". You got some really great shots here. I enjoyed stopping by very much.

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