Wagons Ho!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Local fourth-grade students (or wranglers) got a "hands-on" opportunity to experience life on the Western frontier during "Wagons Ho," a three-day event at Carl Miller Park last week.

In its 15th year in Mountain Home, the events aids in teaching the schools' curriculum on Idaho history.

The event is lead by Cal and Marla Clevenger or "Mr. C" and "Mrs. C".

"We hope that by the end of the day, everyone will have a better understanding of the frontier," said Mr. C.

The event gave the "wranglers" an opportunity to experience life unlike what they are accustomed today. The students came dressed for the occasion wearing cowboy hats and bandanas.

During the day, Mr. and Mrs. C gave the wranglers coats to help them keep warm under the cold and highly windy conditions.

Before the event began, Mr. C gave the wranglers a look at some frontier technology, such as building a fire without a match or a lighter. Pioneers often would use a bow and string or flint and steel.

While using the flint and steel, Mr. C was reminded of a letter that he received from a former wrangler, stating that he believed that Mr. C hid a match in between the steel and flint. But to the surprise of the wranglers, Mr. C used only the steel and flint to help make the campfire.

Mr. C also showed the kids how to make a pioneer bullet. With the help of a teacher, Mr. C took a spoon filled with melted iron and poured it into a bullet mold. Once completed the children and the students were in awe of the finished bullet.

Mr. C explained the rules of the camp to each of the wranglers, including anyone who got caught running would do pushups. To set the frontier feel, Mr. C used his Colt .45 revolver to instruct the wranglers throughout the day.

If one shot was fired into the air, they would advance to the next station, if two shots were fired, they would all gather around the fire circle, and if three shots were fired then there was an immediate emergency in camp.

Following Mr. C's instructions, he took the wranglers and the trail bosses (parents) through each station, giving them thorough instructions how they must work together and with their respective trail bosses. After that the wranglers, with their trail bosses, began working the stations.

The first station was the clothes washing station. After pumping water from the pump on site, the students would take the water to the washboard and, through good old-fashioned elbow grease, the wranglers would wash the clothes.

Mr. C showed the wranglers a pioneer iron that used coals to be heated.

The next station, gave the wranglers a chance to build a fire using flint and steel, and the bow and string.

If the wranglers were successful in getting at least smoke from the bow and string, or a spark from the flint and steel, they were to yell out a "Yee-Haw" for Mr. and Mrs. C.

The next station featured candle lighting using a stick match. But before he began, Mr. C asked the wranglers, what they must do before using a match.

"Whether you're at Wagons Ho, or anywhere else on the planet, you must gain adult supervision before using matches, that's the most important thing," said Mr. C.

Mr. C explained the proper procedure to light a match and how to blow out that light. He noted that for someone with long hair or clothing it would be best for them to blow out the candle from the side.

Once the candle lighting was passed, the wranglers advanced to making a moon spinner (a toy made from a button and string).

The next station, which proved to be a highlight of the event, was the calf and steer roping. The wranglers got a chance to practice their lassoing on a steer or calf dummy. Mr. C challenged the wranglers to rope the dummy at both the head and heel.

Following the roping, the wranglers advanced to a station that featured a gallery of pioneer prints and artifacts. They also got a chance to write in their journals and letters to Mr. and Mrs. C on pieces of board and the old-fashioned school desks provided.

The next station featured log cutting with a cross cut saw and a bow saw. Once the wranglers cut a piece of wood, they were to yell out "Yee Haw" and Mr. C would brand the piece with the camp brand.

The students then moved on to splitting shakes (or wood shingles) with a froe (a tool for cleaving wood by splitting it along the grain). While the wranglers waited at that station, they could take the already cut shingles and make roofs of their own.

The next station was referred to as "Brace and Bit" or button making. It also gave the wranglers their first souvenir of the day.

They were given wooden buttons from their trail bosses, and with their help used a crank drill to drill two holes into the button, and then polish the button by using stones.

The next station featured butter churning. The wranglers were given little containers and asked to shake the containers as quick as they could until they made butter. They also got to greet a chicken that Mr. C placed in a closed coop.

The next station gave the wranglers another souvenir. With help from the adult volunteers, the wranglers got a cardboard brand from Wagons Ho and their picture taken dressed in pioneer costumes.

Following the dishwashing station, a station that surprisingly, some of the students were looking forward to, the students moved on to the final station, where the wranglers got a chance to make their final souvenir of the day -- their own leather concho.

The concho was a piece of leather given to the wranglers that, with the use of a hammer and a metal stamp, could put various images on the piece of leather. Those images included a horse, a buffalo, a cowboy hat, a cowboy boot, a feather, a coyote, etc.

The wranglers and their trail bosses, also enjoyed a pioneer feast made by Mrs. C. The feast included a beef stew, salad and biscuits.

After the activities were concluded, the children took part in several games -- a egg and spoon relay, a sack race, a three legged race and a tug-of-war.

To help raise money for the event, the students and parents held various fund raisers.

East Elementary sold raffle tickets for a quilt made by one of the teachers and also sold by West Elementary, family photo packages. North Elementary received funds from parent donations and bake sales.

Following the event for East Elementary, the teachers and parents shared the same positive sentiment for Wagons Ho.

"This has been a great deal of fun for all of us," said teacher Kelli Collett.

"I think it opened the kids eyes to what life was like 150 years ago. I hope the kids learned a lot," said parent Ellen Weygint.

On the children, Mr. and Mrs. C said.

"I think we had a great group of kids here. They all were great at enduring the pioneer experience, especially the cold weather," said Mr. C.

"I think that this was a day that they'll never forget, and I hope they take something from these basic life skills we taught them," said Mrs. C.

The wranglers from East shared their views on their day of pioneer fun.

"I think it was great because we got to do a lot of fun activities," said nine-year-old Allie Concepcion.

"I think it was the most fun day of my life. My favorite part was the tug of war," said nine-year-old Kambri Smith.

"It was fun. It was better than sitting in class all day. My favorite part was the tug of war, branding and the roping," said 10-year-old Christian Myers.

"It was great. My favorite part of the day was the tug of the war, branding and the roping," said nine-year-old Jonathan Hunt.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: