Abernathy Day Activities in Frederick
June 19, 2010
Saturday, June 19, will be a fun day in Frederick, Oklahoma!
The day marks completion of Frederick’s centennial Abernathy
Days celebration. The event commemorates 100 years since the 1910 trip of
Bud and Temple Abernathy, age 6 and 10, alone on horseback from their Frederick
home to New York City to greet Theodore Roosevelt.
Frederick’s celebration began on April 10, exactly 100 years after the
boys’ departure from Frederick for the start of their epic trip.
The community’s June 19 celebration this Saturday honors their arrival
in New York City and participation in a grand ticker-tape parade that was
held June 18, 1910, to honor Roosevelt.
Events in Frederick on Saturday, June 19, 2010, are as follows:
9:00 a.m., Crossroads Ranch Trail Drive
Event will be held at the Crossroads Ranch, home of the Abernathy Boys, west
of Frederick. Cost is $15, which includes lunch. Riders must provide own horses.
Tickets are available through Friday, June 18, at the Frederick Chamber of
Commerce, 580-335-2126 580-335-2126.
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Crawford Collection to be Open
The Crawford Collection, 117 North Main, will be open. The Crawford family’s
private collection of trophy mount animals features amazing specimens from
around the world, displayed in a museum-quality setting.
2:00 p.m., Ticker-tape Parade in Frederick
Parade will commemorate the June 18, 1910, ticker-tape parade in New York
City that celebrated Theodore Roosevelt’s return from an extended trip
to Europe and Africa. The Abernathy boys were featured in the 1910 parade.
Frederick’s parade will feature the Abernathy boys and President Theodore
Roosevelt (played by Frederick area impersonators); the Pioneer Townsite Museum’s
1910 Brush automobile; mounted Buffalo Soldiers; many horses, riders, buggies
and wagons; numerous long riders; and antique automobiles.
Many of the parade’s entries will represent the historical nature of
the West and the era of the Abernathy boys, but in the spirit of celebration
the parade will also include more modern elements such as motorcycles, tractors,
and automobiles from later decades.
Parade entries will be accepted through Friday at the Frederick Chamber of
Commerce, 580-335-2126 580-335-2126.
3:00-6:00 p.m., Pioneer Townsite Museum to be open
Museum admission is free. The museum’s exhibits include photos, news
clippings and artifacts about the Abernathy boys, as well as many exhibits
and buildings from the early history of Tillman County.
The museum is located just west of the Tillman
County Courthouse Square near downtown Frederick.
3:00 p.m. Abernathy Events at the Ramona Theatre
After the parade, events at the Ramona Theatre, 114 South 9th, will include
a showing of the docudrama “The Grand Ride of the Abernathy Boys”.
Price of admission will be one can of food or a donation to the local food
bank. The showing will be hosted by the Frederick Arts and Humanities Council.
The movie’s makers, Shawnee Brittan and JoAnna Champlin plan to attend.
Yale, Oklahoma teacher Melody Aufill will give a brief talk describing her
modern-day retracing of the route of the Abernathy boys.
Frederick artist Jenny Perry will dedicate her newest work which is an amazing
mosaic depiction of the Abernathy boys.
A special Indian motorcycle diorama will be raffled by the ABATE Motorcycle
Club. The diorama, handmade by John Walsh, honors a long-distance motorcycle
race made by Bud and Temple Abernathy in the years following their 1910 horseback
trip.
4:00-6:00 p.m., Entertainment at the Courthouse Square
Local and area entertainers will provide FREE performances at the Tillman
County Courthouse Square.
4:00-6:00 p.m., Postal Stamps Available
Frederick Tickertape Parade Station postal cancellations
will be available at the Tillman County Courthouse Square. Purchase of a postage
stamp is required, but individuals may bring their own cards or envelopes
for the postal cancellation. Special commemorative cards and envelopes will
also be available for purchase.
6:00 p.m., Abernathy Cowboy Brisket Dinner (Ticket required)
Pioneer Townsite Museum gates will open for dinner ticket holders. The meal will feature brisket prepared by the Frederick Fire Department, along with homemade pie prepared by outstanding Frederick cooks! Western singer Jean Prescott will perform.
Persons attending should bring their lawnchair
to enjoy the dinner and musical performance in the museum's beautiful park
setting!
Dinner tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for children 10-and-under.
A limited number of tickets to the dinner are available. Until they are sold
out, the tickets may be purchased at the Frederick Chamber of Commerce ( 580-335-2126
580-335-2126) or the Pioneer Townsite Museum.
Bronze sponsors: BancFirst; Andy and Sharon Bennett; First National Bank of
All proceeds from the event will be used by the Tillman County Historical
Society for operational expenses of the Pioneer Townsite Museum.
Several area businesses and individuals are serving as sponsors of the Abernathy
Cowboy brisket dinner to assist the historical society with expenses for the
event.
Gold sponsors: Touchstone Cooperatives of Oklahoma, Southwest Rural Electric.
Silver sponsors: Benson and Benson Law Firm; Lewis-McFall Pharmacy; Subway of Frederick, Jim Ard.
Altus, Frederick branch; Jackson Funeral Home; Jack and Carol Lowery; State Farm Insurance, Middick Agency; Whitworth Insurance Agency.