Tag Archives: pony express

Almost time…..

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Leaving the cowboy state of Wyoming and our gracious hosts, Wild Horse John and saginaw Sue this morning, we are headed for Sidney, Nebraska as our first stop.

Sidney is the home to the very first Cabela’s store – it’s always a good time waster going into a Cabela’s!

Not only one of the best fishing, hunting and outdoor stores but awesome displays of taxidermy adorn each one. Bit like a museum!!

It all started in 1961 for the Cabela’s and now 57 years on, they are still going strong.

Back on the 80, passing through lush green farmland, we are heading across Nebraska and will soon head south to Kansas.

Whilst a fair bit of the first stretch was seen through the back of my eyelids, we passed familiar places such as Fort Cody Museum, Golden Spike at North Platte, past Gothenburg, famous as one of the Pony Express post’s!

The temp has risen to a rather warm 98F (36.6C), even the cows are standing in any water they can to cool off.

Entering the ‘sunflower state’ we continue South to Hays for the night.

Kat xo

Bronc Rider

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Western Scarves – a $12 whim at the Pony Express Museum and actual Home Station No.1 in Marysville, Kansas. (Wow! Talk about bring back memories when Jack and I discussed the last Pony Express places we had visited last year!)

 

Funnily enough we were just watching the 1953 film version of Pony Express whilst having this discussion.

The book became the inspiration for the B-Western ensemble for Comin' In Hot and Alamo Andy.

I spent many hours sorting designs, incorporating cactus, boots, horseshoes, rope and stars. The main feature would be the bucking bronc rider.

 

Back to the Western Scarves book. Cowboy's admittedly wore scarves in the practical sense. Keeping out cold, dust and other weather elements whilst riding the open range but it was later into the 1940's and 50's where gorgeous silk scarves were manufactured for rodeo and other events. Silk being the chosen fabric of the time as there was much produced for parachutes during the War.

They soon became a fun genre of rope twirling, bucking bronc cowboys with as many other western elements that could be crammed onto one 18″-36″ square piece of fabric!

Of course the rodeo and souvenir versions became bright and colourful, very different to the muted or 'turkey red' of range days.

In my wild imagination I could see brown, turquoise and red with all other colours made up in other elements. In reality, I found that to my organised eye some things just weren't to gel on this occasion and it became a slightly frustrating journey to the final product.

I found another interesting 1940's feature and injected that into the base of the skirt, with a vivid red detail trimmed in the same peacock piping as the rest of the garment. This would serve as a different trim than the usual fringe finish.

 

Finally the bronc, stars, rope and horseshoes all seemed to fit and with tiny 2mm (remind me when I say I am never buying that size again!!) Aqua and Amber coloured bling it is finished to a subtle vintage look.

 

I hope they like this matching ensemble, they did turn out nice and I hope Comin' In Hot has boots with similar colours to mine in the picture because they certainly picked up the rope detail in it and would be a great option to pair with it.

Kat xo

 

West to East

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Well that does sound like we are travelling a lot further across the country but no, just a few states.

Wyoming, on through Nebraska, dropping down into Kansas and further down into Oklahoma.

As we came into Kansas yesterday we found the historical marker indicating the geographical centre of the country.

 

We stopped in Belleville, KS for the night and walked from the motel to the BelVilla family dining. A little home style restaurant, licensed, nothing flash about the decor but great food and awesome service. I asked the girl if I could keep the menu, a newspaper style print with a beautiful old courthouse and water tower on the front.

 

If you know me then of course I wanted to find this building. Jack and I headed into the downtown district after breakfast. Belleville was established in 1869, some old buildings came into view but alas no old courthouse just the white Art Deco version in the town square. We drove in and around a few streets, asked two old guys (one at a workshop and one driving the USPS truck) and both have only been in the area for a couple of years and couldn't help.

As Jack filled the car with gas, I did a search on the phone and when he returned all I could work out was that it had been burned down and replaced with the current one and also that Belleville was known for the 'world's fastest half mile high bank dirt track!'

A race track for midgets and sprint cars. As we got back on the road there on the left was the Highbanks Hall of Fame and Museum so we stopped in for a quick look.

 

The gentleman was just opening up the doors as we were looking at the display out front. We went in for a short visit.

 

This picture shows a photo of the track at the top and below it a painting of the track. The Belleville High Banks dirt track is 23 ft high on the bank and 80ft wide, you can't walk up it but can certainly run at 140mph in these little cars!

 

There are some great displays, cars and memorabilia for the car enthusiast to stop and have a look. Donation for entry.

Back on the road and we are heading for Marysville and the Pony Express station. This is, as a sign said in a paddock, Pony Express country. From Washington this section of the highway is known as the Pony Express Highway.

 

A quick stop in Hanover, the visitor centre is closed but we saw the Pony Express Station on the Hollenberg Ranch just east of town. It is said to be the only one still on its original site. (Seems contradictory now when you get to the next stop! lol)

 

Next stop Marysville. The Marysville Pony Express Station is the only original station still on its original site. Home Station No.1 has been many other businesses over the course of history but has been lovingly restored and stripped of modern fabrications back to its original limestone walls.

 

The 18″ thick limestone walls, original openings for light and ventilation with a replacement roof – 12 years after the pony express ran through – the original roof had been burnt in a fire.

This station allowed riders to stay in bunks within the barn, often up to 10 days until the next mail came in, or they could stay at the nearby Barrett Hotel.

 

During the 19 months the Pony Express ran for, over 35,000 pieces of mail were delivered via 200 relay stations. The number of rides/mileage made is enough to circumnavigate the world 3 times over.

 

Mary set us up for a short video when we entered and Shirley gave us the rest of the tour through many wonderous antiques, machinery, vehicles, reproduction stagecoach, popcorn machine, dioramas and much more!

 

What a sensational stop, she suggested the Wagon Wheel for lunch near the statue and glass panels. We headed there next and had a great lunch with a quick visit to the statue in the 99F heat. The glass picture panels are great, the picture changes with your movement.

 

We continued our journey south through the great Kansas plains and farming land. Corn……..corn………..and more corn. I'm sure there is more to the crops than that, just seems like that is all you see. 🙂

We made it! We are back in Oklahoma.

Kat xo

 

 

Torrington, WY

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Today we took the ‘stage’ to Torrington to see the Pony Express re-ride. Here they did a changeover of horse and mail just as occurred in 1860-1863.

Outside Bomgaars Supply the horse and rider came through just as we arrived and managed to video! A minute later and we would have missed the changeover as they were slightly ahead of time!

One rider jumped off her horse, grabbed the mochila throwing it on to the next rider’s horse and then she was on and heading out of town.

The rider (Stephanie, hope that’s right) we spoke with has been doing it for 25 years now, she started with her Dad. Now her, her husband and kids do the re-ride each year.

The riders today do approximately 2 miles each (so as not to wear their horses out) compared to the past where the original pony express stations were 50miles apart. However they often rode 75-100 miles in a stretch changing horses every 10-15miles.

I had to laugh, her husband said they use 5 horses and a back up. Sounds like cowboy shooters – take what you need plus your backup’s.

I’m glad we got there in time to see it!

We headed into Torrington and made a short stop at the Goshen County Museum situated in the original South Torrington Union Pacific Depot.

It had some very interesting artifacts in there and also had the 1996 Pony Express mochila. The rider we spoken to carried the flame for the Atlanta Olympics during the 1996 ride.

Back we headed towards Hawk Springs (population 45) where The Emporium steak house was calling us for late lunch.

What a neat little place! Has a great cowboy decor and feel, beer garden and drive thru!

The steak and dessert were divine! Highly recommend a stop there or make the 80 mile trek from Cheyenne up there! It was worth it.

We headed back to Wild Horse Haven and doubt very much we will need anything much for dinner tonight!

Yours in touring

Kat xo

Shoot Low! They’re Ridin’ Shetlands!

Posted on by kathousekelli70

In some form or another this line has appeared in songs (Texas…….), movies (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and a book title (by Lewis Gizzard).

Bloody funny and for some reason came to mind when I finished the new horse prop for the livery.

Keeping things proportionate when enlarging them meant my horses ended up a little on the short side and perhaps if I'd just done two, then their heads would have filled the window a little more than the 3.

 

 

That's okay though, we are getting more air flow through which is what we wanted to maintain.

I took a scrap piece and created the 'Greenhill Farms' sign to install above the window. Injecting a hint of another shooters alias into the range. Greenhill Bart has made the horse table props for the range and being from a farming background so I thought it appropriate to use that for this piece.

 

So welcome to the Greenhill Farms equine establishment! Today we are selling Shetlands! Cheap at half the price! Haa haa haa

 

At the mine I'm creating a couple of neat pieces featuring miners – they are still to come. Another scrap piece however I've created the tag board. Miners would place their tag on the board upon entering the mine and at the end of each day you would remove your tag as you came out.

 

We saw a display in Walsenburg, CO which had been called 'Numbers Up' meaning if work was completed for the day or something had gone wrong in the mine, who's ever tags were left on the board meant your number's up, you weren't going home and miners could be identified.

 

That's it! See ya!

Kat xo

 

Nebraska – Wyoming

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Today we moved on and visited Gothenburg again briefly. Enough time for Jack to get another Pony Express badge, seeing as he lost it somewhere on the range a month or so ago and to send a postcard.

 

Next we continued on the Lincoln Highway to North Platte. We had also previously been here to Buffalo Bill Cody's house and ranch but this time we stopped in at the Golden Spike Tower.

With views overlooking the world's largest classification rail yard – Bailey Yard (have you been here before Paddlewheel???)

 

Here you can go up into the observation deck and watch Union Pacific Railroad workers 'sort and connect over 10,000 cars a day on two classification hump yards, with nearly 120 bowl rows and 315 tracks.'

 

It is 8 miles long, 301 sets of rails covering 2,850 acres.

North Platte was originally “Hell On Wheels Town” in 1866.

Inside the gift shop are historical displays and a short movie. Information boards line the walls of the internal observation deck and in the foyer to the outside observation deck the boards talk of the canteen.

 

This was a great stop and you could actually see the cars being pushed up the humps to be transferred down the other side into the bowl and let run down a track ready to be attached for their final destination.

 

It's lunch time and that means getting our skates on! Next stop Ole's for lunch and view some 200 mounted trophies displayed in this Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge.

 

The brochure says 'Rosser O. Herstedt (“Ole” to anyone that knew him) was one of a kind.' Born and bred in Paxton he seized on a unique business opportunity in 1933. (This part makes me grin) 'On August 8, 1933, prohibition in Nebraska came to an end. At 12.01am on August 9, Ole opened his tavern on Paxton's main street.' Lol!

He was a hunter and soon the lounge became a showcase for his hunting trips and safaris. It is still owned today by another Paxton native, Tim Holzfaster.

 

An Ole's club sandwich and a side of fries did both of us!!

On to our last stop before reaching Cheyenne, WY, we made a quick stop in Sidney, NE at the Pony Express National Monument which of course is right next to Cabela's….which of course we just had to go into!

 

Hope you've had a great day or having a great day!

Kat xo