Ft. Pierre/Deadwood Wagon Train
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July 29
Ft. Pierre Fairgrounds/Appreciation Picnic Kick-Off Celebration
Speakers: Verendrye Trail Ride Co-Chairmen Charles Poches & Darby Nutter
Ft. Pierre Mayor Tidball, Wagonmaster Gerald Kessler.
Music by Harney Horhman & Friends (Overnight Camping Available)
July 30
(Day 1) Departure Approximately 8 a.m.(CST) across Bad River Bridge and up
Verendrye monument Hill. Ride 18 miles. Night camp: 2 miles W of Willow Creek Rd
South side of Hwy 34-14
Speakers: Matt Reitzell & Carol Jennings-(SD Historical Society) Trail History booklet research,
Ken Stewart-Willow Creek Stage Station, Chad Tussing- Know Your Snakes, Gerald Kessler-Tack
July 31
(Day 2) Ride 19 miles. Night camp: Old Hayes Townsite, South of Hwy 34-14
Speakers: Roy Norman Day by Governor Rounds, Norman Family representatives,
Dodie Garrity-History of Hayes, Ken Stewart (SD Historical Society)
Music: Harney Horhman
& Friends
August 1
(Day 3) Ride 14 miles. Night camp: 5 miles South of Hwy 34 on Hwy 63 then 2 miles West.
Speakers: Hand Family, Jim Osburn & Gay Logan-Kunneke, Cottonwood Creek and Grey Road
Ranch History
August 2
(Day 4) Ride 14 miles. Night camp: From night camp previous night, 3 miles South Hwy 34,
3 miles West, 3 miles South, 6 miles West and 1.5 miles South to Ottumwa Townsite.
Speakers: Ken Stewart (SD Historical Society)-Road Ranches, Vern Foland- Black & Yellow Trail,
local history, Paul Seaman, Sam Seymour & Lonis Wendt (Trail Scouts)-GPS mapping and tracking
the trail and life and times of Zack Sutley and Scotty Philip
August 3
(Day 5) Ride 19.25 miles. Night camp: 9 miles west of Nelson Ranch to McIllravy pature at
11 Mile Corner/Hwy 73 Junction or 11 miles North of Philip on Hwy 73. (Across from Boyd
Waara’s homesite)
Speaker: Jan Cerney (Author)
Music by Matt Trask & Friends, Adella Kills Pretty Enemy Family
August 4
(Day 6) Day of Rest. Retain Campsite.
August 5
(Day 7) Ride 17 miles through Shadow of the Grindstone Buttes.
Night camp: 9 miles West of Lloyd Frien Ranch to Grindstone Post Office.
Speakers: Mrs. Gary Nixon-Grindstone History, Blaine Nordvold (Poet)-Big Foot Trail,
Jim Osburn-The deal and trial of Mexican Ed Sanchez, Gay Logan & Dennis Sieler-History of
Peno Springs
August 6
(Day 8) Ride 15.25 miles. Night camp: From Peno Springs; approximately 8.5 miles West across
Prairie Trail to Greg & LaVon Shearer Ranch or 9 miles North of Wall on Creighton Road
Speakers: LaVon & Greg Shearer, Gay Logan, Dennis Sieler, Local Historians
August 7
(Day 9) Ride 14 miles. Night camp: Cheyenne River bottom/Patterson Pasture, From Wall
5 miles North on Cedar Butte Rd to Trask Rd, 10.5 miles on Trask Rd.
Speakers: Blain Nordvold (Poet), Dave Bald Eagle-Demonstrations, Cheyenne,
Standing Rock and Rosebud Nations-Dancing and Entertainment
August 8
(Day 10) Cross Cheyenne River. Night camp: From Wasta; 10 miles North on Elm Springs Rd
near steel towers.
Speakers: Kenny & Philip Wilson, Mel Anderson, Tom Trask Family-History of Smith Crossing
and Smithville area.
Music by Matt Trask & Friends
August 9
(Day 11) Ride 18 miles. Night camp: From New Underwood Exit; 5 miles North on
New Underwood Rd, .5 miles East to Madsen Ranch.
Speakers: Edgar Simon (Meade Co Historian), Verle Hackens, Ray Hunter (Author)-Local history
of Viewfield, Telegraph.
Music by Lonnie Johnston & Dell Brost and band Westbound.
August 10
(Day 12) Day of Rest. Retain Campsite.
August 11
(Day 13) Elk Creek Crossing. Ride 18 miles. Night camp: From Piedmont; 14 miles East on Elk
Creek Rd, or from Rapid City; 9 miles North on Elk Vale Rd, 1 mile East on Elk Creek Rd.
Speakers: Hugh Reichert & Martin Rapaal (Historians), Rick Mills “The Railroad Comes to the
Black Hills.
Special Music by Hank Harris (Rapid City) “Songs of Deadwood” (CD of songs of the 1880s and 1890s)
August 12
(Day 14) Ride miles. Night camp: From Tilford; 2 miles East on Tilford Rd.
Speakers: Ross Lamphere-Custer in the Hills, Ray Hunter (Author), George Blair (Historian),
Pat Bice-Photos & Stories.
Special Music: Hank Harris (Rapid City) “Songs of Deadwood” (CD of songs of the 1880s and 1890s)
August 13
(Day 15) Ride 16.5 miles. Night camp: Ft. Meade; Barry Stadium
Speakers: Greetings from Sturgis Mayor Maury LaRue, David Wolff (Author/Historian/Professor
at Black Hills State University)-New book on Seth Bullock & Hard Rock Mining, Charles Rambow
(Curator of Ft. Meade Calvary Museum), Irma Klock (Author)
August 14
(Day 16) Parade through Sturgis. Ride 16 miles. Night camp: Subject to change. Oak Grove Way
Station to Crook Mountain
Speakers: Kevin Kuchenbecker (Deadwood Historic Preservation Chairman), Wagonmaster Kessler,
Co-Chairmen Poches & Nutter, Scouts, Directors & Participants. No restrictions to program.
August 15
(Day 17/Last day of the Historic Journey) Commemorative Trail Ride joining of Ft. Pierre Deadwood
Wagon Train, a series of Stage Coaches and wagons from Cheyenne Wyoming and a series of the same
from Sidney Nebraska accompanied by Governors from South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska to
Deadwood. Parade, Celebration, BBQ and Historical Program sponsored by the Deadwood Chamber
of Commerce and Preservation Committee. Times and list of activities to be announced at a later date.