Virginia Dale Overland Stage Station open house is June 13 & 14

Restoration continues on the Virginia Dale Overland Stage Station, the only remaining Overland Stage Station still standing in its original location.

In 2013, the building was stabilized and temporarily braced for future structural work. The goal is to restore the station back to its 1862 origins. Approximately $100,000 is still needed to complete the restoration, the labor for which is voluntarily being provided by the community.

Now 152-years old, the stage station was built by Jack Slade, who became an outlaw after his work as station manager. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was an overnight station for the Overland Stage and has been in continual use by the Virginia Dale ranching residents, their families and friends as their Community Center.

Each year the Virginia Dale Community Club, whose members own the stage station and the adjoining Hurzeler House, have an open house to celebrate the site’s historical significance, the rural way of life and to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the stage station so that many more future generations can enjoy its unique heritage.

There is no admission fee, but a donation of work gloves or canned goods for Harvest Farm in Wellington would be greatly appreciated.

This year’s open house will be held Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14. The theme is “Settling the West.”

The local popular band “Barely Gettin’ By” will kickoff the weekend with a Western dance from 7 -11 p.m. on Friday at the Stage Station with an old-fashioned pie auction at intermission. Admission charge for the dance is $10 per person, kids under 12 free.

Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be the craft show, speakers, General Store, silent auction and bake sale. Tickets will be on sale for our December Quilt Raffle. The quilt will be on display.

The Rocky Mountain High School Lobomess (a Civil War reenactment group) will start the day by raising the flag at 9:15 a.m. This will be followed by a presentation by the National Sojourners who will present a graphic history of the American flag.

Other speakers will be local historian Barbara Fleming, with a book signing to follow, Eva Sue Littleton as Lady Moon, Ray Stokes from the National Freightwagon and Stagecoach Association and local historian Wayne Sundberg.

Special guests will be the Cheyenne Gunslingers who will show how justice was served in the early West.

Local artisans will offer their talents, There will be games for all ages,alpacas, spinning and other demonstrations. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The fifth grade winner of the essay on pioneer life will be awarded his/her prize.

The Virginia Dale Stage Station is located 4 miles south of the Wyoming border just off U.S. 287. Turn onto County Road 43F at the Memorial Plaque placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Turn left at the “Y” in the road. The stage station is one mile down the road.

Visit us on our website virginiadalecommunityclub.org, or call Sylvia Garofalo 970-495-1828 or Marcie Wells 970-568-7646 for more information.

2014 Virginia Dale Community Club open house speaker’s schedule

9:15 a.m. Lobomess Opening Ceremony
9:45 a.m. VDCC Welcome
10 a.m. National Sojourners- Building of the flag
11 a.m. Ray Stokes, National Stagecoach & Freightwagon Association, Role of freightwagons in settling the West
12:45 p.m. 5th Grade Essay Contest Winner- awarding prize and recitation of Essay
1 p.m. Barbara Fleming- The Frontier Family’s First Year. Book signing to follow.
1:45 p.m. Wayne Sundberg- Army Forts’ Role in Settling the West
2:30 Cheyenne Gunslingers Show- Justice in the early West
3 p.m. Eva Sue Littleton as Lady Moon- Ranching in the early West
3:30 p.m. Prof. Richard Gutkowski- Virginia Dale History Quiz
Did you listen to the “ Did you know?” tidbits?
4 p.m. Lobomess-Retiring the Flag

Other exhibitors:
Livermore 4-H
Ponderosa Promenaders — square dancing
Music by Dan Rogers & Friends
Robbers Roost Rebels– holdups of the Stage Station