Stagecoach ride, horse cavalcade planned for today
Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/65650/
BENTON COUNTY — The Heritage Trail Partners ’ fifth annual stagecoach ride and horse cavalcade through northwest Arkansas to commemorate the historic Butterfield Stagecoach route will continue today and Sunday.
This sesquicentennial event started Friday. Today will include breakfast at the Avoca Town Hall, and the end-of-day destination is Cross Hollow near Lowell. On Sunday, riders will arrive at 12: 30 p. m. at Fitzgerald Station in Springdale, where the public is invited. Sunday’s stops will include the Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville, with the final day’s destination at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville at approximately 4: 45 p. m.
The Journey Stagecoach, as it is known, was originally built in the 1850 s. It served southern Arizona in the Tucson area until its retirement at the turn of the century. It was brought out of retirement when Silver Dollar City purchased it in the early 1960 s to serve as the Silver Dollar Line at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo. After being retired from Silver Dollar City, the coach was purchased in 1999 by the Hamby Family and was restored.
The Journey Stagecoach has worked in three centuries in every state between Missouri and California, with the famous Sons of the Pioneers, and is the stagecoach referred to in the Oak Ridge Boys’ song “ Ozark Mountain Jubilee. ” The stagecoach has brought smiles to the faces of tens of thousands of people since its creation.
“ I’m pleased to see that the community has been so supportive of the Heritage Trail Partners project, ” said John McLarty, president of the Heritage Trail Partners. “ Preserving our heritage, developing our recreational spaces and bringing our communities together on a project like this makes me proud to know there’s such a strong commitment to our success. ”
The Northwest Arkansas Heritage Trail is a regional network of trails, roadways and pathways that connects northwest and western Arkansas residents and visitors to rich heritage, recreational and cultural assets, and a healthier lifestyle.
For more information, call Jacci Perry at 841-1900.