Description
3rd Annual Spring Choctaw Country Vintage Trailer Club Rally
Dust off your “wagon” wheels, hitch up your vintage ponies, and join us at “Echoes of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route: A Vintage Trailer Rally on the Trail” at Lake Wister State Park! This rally celebrates the legendary Butterfield Overland Mail Route, which was designated a National Historic Trail in January 2023. Now part of the United States’ system of scenic, recreational, and historic trails, the Butterfield Route symbolizes the indomitable spirit of frontier travel and innovation.
Lake Wister State Park, located near several historic “stations” along the route, offers the perfect backdrop for this unforgettable event. A featured highlight will be a visit to The Edwards Store, a vital resupply point during the trail’s heyday and now a cherished site on the National Register of Historic Places.
Come hungry for history and hearty fare! Dutch oven cooking will take center stage, with participants showcasing their skills and sharing recipes that harken back to campfire meals of the 19th century. From cast iron biscuits to savory stews, the flavors of the past will fill the air.
Activities like period-inspired games, a trailer showcase, and campfire gatherings will transport attendees back to the days when stagecoaches thundered across Indian Territory. This rally also kicks off a larger effort to inspire vintage trailer enthusiasts to host events along the Butterfield Route, creating a network of rallies stretching from St. Louis and Memphis to CA.
So, saddle up your ponies, grease those “wagon” wheels, and join us as we bring the spirit of the Butterfield Trail to life. Together, we’ll retrace history and launch a journey to celebrate this iconic route for generations to come!
Guest Speaker: Dr. Bob Crossman
On the 3,000 mile Butterfield National Historic Trail, the Overland Mail Company stagecoaches rolled across Oklahoma 165 years ago a short distance from Lake Wister State Park. Now that this trail has been declared a National Historic Trail, it seems appropriate to remember what that experience was for the passengers.
Dr Crossman will share reminiscences of first person observers in their own words as they passed through Indian Territory , Arkansas and Missouri.
About Dr. Crossman: Dr. Bob Crossman graduated from Russellville High School 50 years ago, and has lived Conway the past 35 years. His wife, Marcia Swain, is a native of Morrilton. They will celebrate their 52nd anniversary this year. Bob is the author of seven books on the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail. He has thirteen books that are now in print, and has sold over 35,000 copies of his books on Amazon and through dozens of other booksellers. He is a member of the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail Association, Oregon California Trails Association, Arkansas Historical Association, Faulkner County Historical Society, and the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. Dr. Crossman received a B.A. from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, and received graduate and post-graduate degrees from SMU in Dallas, Texas.
Location: Lake Wister State Park in Wister, OK
Site Reservations: Reservations are required through the Lake Wister State Park Office at 918-649-0525. Mention you are with the Vintage Trailer group. Victor Landing Campground 1 Sites 1-30 are in our block.
Our vintage trailer rally campground, is nestled in a ring of pine and oak covered mountains: the Sans Bois, Jackforks, Kiamichis and Ouachitas, Lake Wister State Park welcomes wildlife watchers, nature photographers, vintage camping enthusiasts and anyone wishing to escape into the great outdoors. The Poteau River, Oklahoma's only river that flows north, feeds into Lake Wister along with the Fourche Maline and a half dozen or more mountain streams providing fresh cool water perfect for fishing.
The campground at Victor Landing has brand new individual, private bathrooms and bathhouses just steps from our campsites.
Lake Wister State Park is approximately 2 hrs 15 min from Tulsa, 3 hrs from OKC, 1 hr. 40 min from Fayetteville, AR, and 4 hrs from Dallas, TX.
Meet the hosts: Scott and Tammy Parks are the proud owners of several vintage camping trailers. They hosted their first rally in April of 2023.
Scott and Tammy have one son, Carson age 8, and enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. In his free time, Scott enjoys tinkering/restoring old cars/trucks, and Tammy is an avid bird-watcher and nature-lover. They live on 60 acres near Howe, OK. Scott has been the Superintendent at Howe Public Schools for 27 years. Tammy also works at HPS as the Dir. of Instructional Technology/Federal Programs and teaches Computer Science.