District 1 of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame is bringing the Old West back to life with a wagon train planned for this Saturday and again in July.

“This is to get people involved,” said John Woodbury of Ross, chairman of District 1 NDCHF and president of the White Earth Saddle Club.

Woodbury, one of the wagon train organizers along with Allen Lund of Ross, NDCHF member, and Brenda Williamson, NDCHF trustee of White Earth, said the wagon train is expected to arrive between 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Blaisdell Arena where the annual Blaisdell rodeo is being held.

The wagon train will start at 1 p.m. on the south side of U.S. Highway 2 near Palermo.

As of mid-day Thursday, Woodbury said eight units and possibly a ninth unit were planning to participate. The units include a covered wagon, a stagecoach, buckboards and miscellaneous hauling wagons, Woodbury said.

On Sunday, July 8, the wagon train will travel to Kenmare for Pioneer Days there. Woodbury said eight units plus five others are expected to be in that wagon train.

Plans are for the wagon train to arrive in Kenmare around 2 p.m. The group will park by the Cenex. While in Kenmare the wagon train will travel by Pioneer Village, through town and will also pass by the hospital and nursing home. That afternoon they will offer rides to Pioneer Days’ visitors.

Woodbury told trustees of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame on Saturday in Medora that they would like to tie in the wagon train with the history of this region. He said, according to the Kenmare website, that in 1894 the N-N Cattle Company shipped 125,000 longhorns out of Kenmare on the train. He said it is believed to be one of the largest number of longhorns shipped out of the area.

Anyone who is interested in participating in the wagon train or assisting with it this Saturday or on July 8 should call Woodbury at 701-629-5160.