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