CATTARAUGUS COUNTY
Centennial caravan hits the trail
ELLICOTTVILLE — An ample sprinkling of blessings dusted the heels of impeccable but impatient draft horse teams Saturday morning.
The horses pulled an assortment of four-wheeled conveyances from a ski resort parking lot into the shoulder of Route 219 — headed north on the first leg of the two-week Cattaraugus County Bicentennial Wagon Train and Stagecoach Run.
Billed as an adventurous and educational re-enactment of travel conditions 100 years ago, the bicentennial caravan will cover 180 miles over the next 14 days, ending in Little Valley on the afternoon of Aug. 22.
Twenty covered wagons of varying vintage and design, carrying groups clad in pioneer garb along with camping gear and personal items, are each accompanied on the trip by at least one “outrider” on horseback. Some participants in wagons and on horseback will join in along the way for shorter legs of a day or two.
After blessings by the Rev. Herb Haley and a spirited rendition of the gospel tune “I Saw the Light” by costumed entertainers Buckskin & Calico, Cattaraugus County Legislature Chairman Crystal Abers, R-South Dayton, and County Administrator Jack Searles climbed into the seats of an authentic red stagecoach and the long-awaited odyssey began.
The event was patterned after a 1908 countywide advertising stunt in which a single stagecoach trekked across the county to lure crowds for a record attendance at a centennial celebration in Salamanca.
The wagon train will stop for lunch and dinner each day, with various groups hosting the meals. Breakfast will be served each morning before the caravan gets under way.
In addition, educational presentations, demonstrations, nightly music and storytelling will underscore the heritage of the county.
The first stop Saturday was in in Otto at the fire hall, then camping in the Town of Cattaraugus, lunch Sunday on Elm Creek Road and moving toward the Weeden Road Park in Randolph for dinner and camping Sunday night.
