Frederick Leader News Reporter

With over 200 spectators and 40 trail riders the Crossroads Chuckwagon Dinner/Trail Drive was a huge success.

The Crossroads Ranch, which is owned by Ray and Virginia Walker, cosponsored with the Frederick Chamber of Commerce & Industry a trail drive and chuckwagon dinner to celebrate the historical journey of Temple and Louis Abernathy from Frederick to New York City. Ray Walker explains that the popularity of the dinner is a direct result of tourists visiting Frederick.

Melody Aufill and Donna McChesney traveled from Yale, Oklahoma to Frederick on horseback. The two are educators in the Yale public school system. Melody and her class read the book Bud&Me. Donna read the book and became very interested in visiting the community of Frederick. It is a hope of the two educators that the book will help students visualize living in the early 1900s time period as the Abernathy boys so courageously lived in that time. They are also using the book to encourage students to become more interested in reading. The Frederick Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Tillman County Historical Society donated promotional cards and Bud&Me books to give out along their way, the trip for the educators was made possible thru a grant that was given from a Fund for Teachers.

Former local native Rex Mansell made it to Frederick for the chuckwagon dinner. Challenging weather conditions the day before the dinner could have been a potential obstacle for him and his wagon-pulling mule team. However, he did find shelter and survived the torrential weather conditions.

Rob Cosby, along with sons William and Dillard, made a journey trip to Frederick very reminiscent of the Abernathy. "They just aspired to be self-sufficient like the Abernathy boys and we wanted to relive that aspect of their lives as much as possible," said the proud father. After reading books about the Abernathy family, they decided it would be an ideal opportunity to travel to Frederick on horseback. William and Dillard did write to President George W. Bush, requesting to meet him on their journey, just as the Abernathy brothers met President Theodore Roosevelt. However, they never did receive a response from President Bush to meet him at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

The music and entertainment was reminiscent of the folk song era and the wild west that is each a definitive part of American culture. The entertainment was by the Medicine Park Mauraders and Scott and LeighAnn Matthews. As I sat and watched entertaining music and colorful skit re-enactments, my thoughts turned to what exciting, colorful, yet challenging times there must have been daily on the American frontier in the early 1900s.

Pat McAlister emceed the event with Representative Don Armes helping to serve dinner to all the attending guests.