St. George Wagon Co. 1861-2011

St. George Wagon Co. Sign at Old Iron Springs Road.

On the way home from cutting wood out near Lund Rd, I began gazing out of the truck window at the roads we had traveled in the past 3 years. They wound through canyons, old mines, railroads and  lot's of big sage brush and juniper trees. It was Paul's Birthday and I was getting ready to ask Paul if he would like to have a picnic out there along one of those scenic roadside stops.  Paul opted to go to Chile's for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner and even shared a brownie with fudge and whipped cream! Yum!


The next day we went for a walk at The Three Peaks where we discovered narrow gullies and washes that wound their way through towering boulders of granite. Black iron streaked filings in the watermarked sand shone like large diamonds in the sun. The sky was blue.

That afternoon I got a call from Paul. he told me to get ready for a drive. He doesn't tell me where and I know it is a surprise of some kind from the sound of his voice. I had my camera and the dogs ready to go. He pulled his truck into the driveway and we loaded up. While on the road to, I do not know where, he hands me a paper called The Independent which is folded to an article that has pioneers on it. He asks me to read it while we are driving. I read the history of the Dixie Cotton Mission in 1861 and an adjoining article on the Sesquicentennial (150 year) Celebration of St. George, Utah. A reenactment of that period was going on right where we were headed!!! I could feel my emotions rising in my throat with such excitement. I had always dreamed of seeing the wagon trains crossing out on the land and hear the horses snort and the chains rattle and the groaning of the wheels and wood.

The Wagon Co. arrives as far as we could see.

He drove way out in the distance and we spotted signs on Old Iron Springs Road. They said St. George Wagon Co. in thick red paint with an arrow leading up a road to the west. I felt myself unable to sit still. Paul just then spotted the white cloth of the wagons making their way through the brush out of The Three Peaks. We parked and I got out with my camera. My heart was beating so fast I could barely get my footing on the ground. One deep breath and I gathered myself and began snapping pictures and video.

 

The costumes and the wagons and hand carts were beautiful and I felt like I was a pioneer myself standing out on the range back in the 1800's. The contrast of telephone poles and microwave stations made the whole experience timeless. Have you ever had a time when your dreams or imaginative thoughts were materializing right before your eyes? Another deep breath and I was sure footed and able to smile and wave and say hello as they passed.

They had traveled from the City of Parowan and were traveling to St. George on an eight day journey 100 miles away. Here they are on their way to Desert Mound.  We have seen their support vehicles, water, fire, toilets and equipment and supples. They even wrote a daily journal posted on http://www.sgcity.org/wagontrain/journal11.php  here is one of their entries in their journal.

St. George Wagon Co. Dixie Cotton Mission Tues Oct 11th

Tuesday Journal Entry
For some reason I thought our colder days were behind us but this morning proved me wrong. A crisp morning with hot cakes and eggs set the stage for the push toward Page Ranch today. I think they named the area Desert Mound due to the fact that you can't take more than five steps without walking through an ant mound. Anyway, we hitched up and left camp on time around 9:30 this morning.

We traveled 14 miles today, mostly uphill. The handcarts started out ahead but the wagon teams and riders caught up quickly. The temperature quickly warmed up as we marched our way out of the Iron Springs Valley. We must have had a faster team leading today because the pace seemed to be much improved from yesterday.

"While at lunch one of the teams took off unattended. In no time the wagon tipped on it's side and the tongue broke-off leaving it inoperable. The driver stayed behind and waited for parts to arrive before fixing the wagon and resuming the journey. Neither man nor beast was injured. On Pinto Road freshly graded dirt and gravel made it easier on the teams but tougher on the handcarts. It was almost as if we were pulling the carts through sand."

Lunch time for all. St. George Wagon Company

That night we felt the cold and thought of the Wagon Company out there on Desert Mound. The next day we decided to see them again on their way to Page Ranch. We arrived again to see them traveling down the road. Again we greeted them as they went by and they stopped a short distance down the road for lunch. They commented on our dogs, how pretty they were, and two young boys from the wagon train came to greet them. Their mother came with a Ziploc bag of dried apples and offered us some. They were delicious! 

Windy get some lovin'

I created a short documentary film about this experience and posted it on You Tube.com as
  St. George Wagon Co. 1861-2011

or you may watch the video below. 

Are you a pioneer? You do not need to ride in a wagon across miles of wind blown trails to be a pioneer.

I really feel we are modern pioneers and visionaries who have the qualities of commitment, courage and creativity. We venture into unknown lands with faith, hope and charity to make a better world for ourselves and others.