The Storey Teller News and commentary on what’s really going on in Storey County.
Bicentennial Wagon Train Show Visits Silver City in 1976
Pennsylvania Governor Milton Schapp Commissioned Penn State to curate the Bicentennial Wagon Train Show to celebrate America’s 200th birthday. The Wagon Train Show performed a musical review produced by Penn State professors and music included by Penn State students.
Governor Milton gifted 50 Conestoga wagons to each state. Each wagon toured within its state and then began a journey towards Philidelphia. As they made their way to Philidelphia, they joined wagons from nearby states and formed 5 convoys of Conestogas giving musical performances along the way.
Silver City Guard Escorts Conestoga Wagons Through Town
Nevada’s Conestoga visited Silver City in 1976 and enjoyed an escort through town by the Silver City Guard. Awoken from a 90+ year slumber several years earlier, The Silver City Guard mustered a rag-tag group of Veterans from Silver City, Gold Hill, and Virginia City. Twice a year these stalwarts presented our nation’s Colors at the Silver City Cemetary on Memorial and Veterans days and fired weapons in honor of those who served and those who died.
The NevadaGram’s David Toll wrote a piece for Memorial Day documenting the Bicentennial Wagon Train Show on its voyage to and through the Comstock below.
A Tribute to Comstock Heritage.
The Silver City Guard had been wiped out by Indians at the Battle of Pyramid Lake in 1860. and revived 90 years later to participate in local photo ops and Carson City’s annual Nevada Day parade. The splendidly-uniformed troopers were routinely honored with a First Place Award in the Armed Rabble category.
Preparations were hasty since confirmation was received only the day before that the wagon train would set out on Tuesday, along with two Winnebagos, a Mayflower moving van, and a pickup truck hauling santi-huts.
The Tahoe Beer House was requisitioned as command post. Captain Clark-Slocum, bo’s’n Muller and Lance Corporal White stayed up late into the night studying contour maps and planning strategy while Generalissimo Ross sounded the red alert.
On the morning of the action, the Guard operated with its usual efficiency and by 11 o’clock a few sleepy troopers had straggled into the command post. Scout Charlie Wade was detailed to track the wagon train in its slow desert advance upon Silver City. Lance Corporal Jason White manned the message center and Captain “Clicker” Clark-Slocum prepared at the bar for the rigors of desert warfare.
Cannoneer Greg Melton brought the heavy artillery from Sutro on the back of his motorcycle and rammed home a double charge of black powder.
