Wagon train to travel the Sidney to Deadwood Trail

A major facet of Sidney’s history will be commemorated later this month and again next year when the Sidney to Deadwood Trail is retraced by a wagon train for the first time since the late 19th century.

As a rail town, millions of pounds of freight were shipped by railway to Sidney in the 1870s and 1880s before being loaded onto wagon trains headed for bustling Deadwood, S.D.

Would-be prospectors also joined the wagon trains after travelling to Sidney by rail to begin their journeys in search of gold in the Black Hills.

More than 25 wagons and 150 trailblazers have already signed up to retrace a portion of the trail – from Ardmore, S.D., to Deadwood – over nine days, beginning Aug. 27. And next summer, the Sidney to Deadwood section will be traveled.

Ray Stokes, a 76-year-old Sidney resident who grew up on the open ranges of Colorado, is helping with preparations for next year’s journey.

This year’s trip will cover between 12-15 miles each day, he said, which is consistent with what earlier travelers on the trail accomplished.

Mornings on the expedition will begin early, with both horses and humans eating a hearty meal before heading out. Once the horses are harnessed and hitched, the wagon master will then give the signal to begin the day’s journey.

“He will make the determination when the train stops, when it lets the horses rest, whatever is needed,” Stokes explained. “They try to run a rule that the wagons all move together, they all stop together. That’s the way they keep it together and that was the proper order by which they did it in the old days when the trails were in use and that was the only transportation they had.”

Participating in a wagon train is a departure from the hustle and bustle of present-day life, he added.

“It has to slow a freight train in your life that is going 900 mph down to about 10 mph – in your thinking, in your relationships,” Stokes said. “It takes people who are new to this about three or four days to get quieted down to get ahold of what’s going on.”

But the slower pace allows a clearer understanding of reality – and appreciation for the determination of the West’s earliest explores and settlers, he added.

Beyond having a horse and knowing how to ride, Stokes said there aren’t any specific requirements for those considering joining the wagon train.

Stokes said he won’t be able to make the trip from Ardmore to Deadwood, but he’s looking forward to participating in next summer’s journey – once all the planning is completed.

For more information or to register to participate in the first section of the Sidney to Deadwood Trail wagon train, visit: http://daysof76.com/wagon-train/, or call (605) 415-1262 or (605) 920-1447. There is a registration fee and participants are responsible for their own food.