Starting the Journey !! Day 1, Sunday,May 30,1976....20 mi

The Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage was welcomed in to Rhode Island at the Wallum Lake Rod and Gun Club,Burrillville,RI

L-R:  Roger Morse,  Ast.New England Wagonmaster, Sheila Reynolds,Ast.RI Teamster, Dennis Murphy,Director ,RI Dept.of Natural Resources, LeGrand "Lee" Reynolds,RI Teamster, Bob Goden and family, Dr.Patrick Conley,Chairman, RI Bicentennial Commission,"PR" lady, Richard Fitzpatrick,New England Wagonmaster ( Richard "Dick" was not in good health and did not travel

 to Valley Forge.  He died later that Summer and many of us traveled to Mass. for his funeral )

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Journal Entry Sunday May 30   20 miles 

Got up at 6 am.  I was the first casualty in RI while watering Ann’s(Ann Stone) horse (Fred).  Fred banged me in the head with his head & the buckle cut me near my left eye.  Just about knocked me out-  After 1 ½ hours of an ice pack.  It wasn’t too bad.  Just bled a little all day- I didn’t even get a headache. 

 We used a butterfly bandage to close it so I

 wouldn’t have to go for stitches!!! 

Cathy Grady,Ann stone,Gary French, readying the wagon , photo credit Carol Tacy

  Readying the  wagon are my sister,Cathy Grady,Ann Stone and Gary French

  We met the “Maine Train” at the Uxbridge /RI line. Then we started off for the Wallum Lake Rod and Gun Club in Burrillville .

At the gun club there were many people, we met other  RI wagons and many riders on time .  Dennis Murphy ,Director of Dept Natural Resources,rode with us for a while.

I started out riding in the wagon but* KK and* G were not being co-operative following the wagon, so I ended up riding G bareback and Cathy and Tom Koczkodan took turns walking KK. Someone ?maybe Mike brought out saddles for us the next day.

     

* KK and G (Gamble's Got It) were our secondary horses for the journey. Lee had been working with them as alternate "team members" . The Official wagons were asked to have four horses on the wagons. We were preparing  to do this but it never did work out.  Most wagons could only use two horses because of the logistics of moving at a very slow rate.