Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-12
centennial CT
FORT CALHOUN
IS CELEBRATED
Parade and Pageant De-
pict Life Of the First
u. S. Soldiers in
Nebraska.

Continued From Page One.)
shawl owned by Mrs. J. ]. Stubbs
OF Omaha and valued at 81 900. Some
appeared in poke bonnets which had
been worn by their grandmothers.
Mrs. Allen wore a cape trimmed in
Spanish lace of rare design. Paisley
shawls and beauty spots added to
the effectiveness of this living pic
ture of the long ago.
Another striking feature of the
parade was the appearance of Cen
eral Atkinson, represented by Mr..
Walton; Maj. John Long, by John
Cook OF Calhoun; two aides, repre-
sented by Henry Clausen and Will
liam Kay, also of Calhoun. Accom-
panying these characters were six
trappers and scouts, these parts be-
ing taken by James Vaughan.
Charles Stoltenberg, Leslie Smith
Fred Dixon and Albert Suverkrube
of Calhoun, and Charles Plein of
Omaha. All of the characters were
historically correct. The trappers
and scouts wore buckskin and wal
rus coats and trousers and carried
powder horns, steel traps and other
articles.
Show Ancient Relics.
Col T. J. Woods of Bancroft.
Neb., rode in the parade in an old
cart drawn by pair of oxen. show
ing the method of locomotion in
Calhoun SO years ago. Calhoun's
world war veterans appeared on a
float, which had been designed by
A. H. Livingston. A prairie
schooner" was another relic of
other days in the parade.
The pageant which was presented
before a large crowd in the after
noon was set at the foot of natural
amphitheater near the park. A long
scenic background, the workman
ship Of the Ak-Sar-Ben den in
Omaha, showed the Missouri river,
with the good steamboat Western
Engineer plying northward. Sew
eral smaller craft were in its wake:
In the distance were the hills of
Iowa. To complete the scene, liv-
irg characters were grouped in the
foreground to reproduce an event
which occurred 100 years ago at
Calhoun, when General Atkinson
and his soldiers landed to establish
Fort Atkinson. The characters
which appeared in the parade re-
appeared in the pageant. A log
cabin was part of the scene. In the
action of the pageant Major Long.
in charge Of the Yellowstone ex-
pedition sent out by the govern
ment 100 years ago, greeted General
Atkinson and his men as they
landed.
Speaking in Park.
The formal speaking program was
held in the park, where platform
had been erected. Mayor Hinrich-
sen introduced E. buckingham. who
in turn, presented A. E. Sheldon
secretary of the Nebraska State
Historical society, as chairman.
Albert Watkins, historian of the
State Historical society, the first
speaker, related some of the early
history leading up to the Louisiana
purchase and then told of the Sixth
regiment, which left Plattsburg, N.
Y, and marched to Belle Fontaine,
where the men were assigned to
nine boats for the upriver trip. A
rife regiment already was in wait
ing at Belle Fontaine. There were
1926 men in the party when they
reached Nebraska shores at CAL
houn.
Army Sends Representatives.
Other speakers were: DR.. Ben
F. Bailey of Lincoln, president of
the Sons of the American Revolu-
ton of Nebraska; Capt. c. E. Ad-
ans of Omaha, past grand COM
fnander of the Grand Army of the
Republic; Colonel Atkinson of New
York, Colonel Townsend of Camp
Gordon. and Mrs. Philip Potter Of
Omaha chapter of the Daughters of
the American Revolution. Mrs.
Potter was born and married in.
Fort Calhoun.
Colonel Townsend, accompanied
by Captain Nudge. was assigned by
the War department to attend the
celebration, the colonel being in
command of the Sixth United
States infantry at Camp Gordon.
In a few words, he stated that the
Sixth has been in every war in
which this country was engaged
from 1912 to date,
Grandson of Pioneer.
The presence of Colonel Atkinson.
inspector of the New York recruit
ing district, was of interest, because
his grandsire was in command Of
the troops at Fort Calhoun 100 years
ago when the post was known as
Fort Atkinson. The colonel stated
that he visited Calhoun eight years
ago last week and that he was sta
toned at Fort Crook during 1911
and 1912 with the Fourth infantry.
He has been in military service SO
years and for more than 20 years
was identified with the Sixth infan-
try, which regiment is SO closely
connected with the early settlement
of the northwest. particularly Ne
braska.
Samuel Bower of De Soto and
]. H. L. Williams of Florence are
~