Riders raise funds for Malden

MALDEN - John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders raised nearly $5,000 for local use during their 17-day cross-state trip that concluded Sunday, June 5.

The wagon train started its 41st ride in Easton on May 20 and entered Adams County on May 27, remaining on John Wayne Pioneer Trail, now called the Palouse to Cascades Trail State Park.

There, it stopped in Lind and Ralston before heading to Revere - a former railroad town along the Adams-Whitman County line. The wagons and riders spent May 31 in Ewan, their first night in Whitman County.

On June 1, John Wayners reached Malden, where stayed for two days and attended an Eastern Star dinner, and raised $1,700 during a pie aution.

The Eastern Star chapter burned to the ground in the Sept. 7, 2020, Babb Fire.

The local chapter lost everything, including most of the history of surrounding chapters that closed in recent decades.

Trail riders also donated more $3,000 to the Malden branch of the Whitman County Library District.

"The John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders have a long history of support for Malden," said Mark Borleske, a member of the Cascade Rail Foundation, which helped secure funding and support for trail upkeep and improvement of train trestles at Beverly and Tekoa.

Malden has been a favorite stopover on the annual cross-state ride, he said.

On June 3, the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders set out from Malden to Rosalia a distance of 9.5 miles, arriving in time for the annual Battle Days celebration.

In addition to wagon train, Kathy Hoy of Marysville, Wash., drove a support bus for participants.

She was accompanied by her Austrailian shepherd, "Bree."

Most of the riders also joined her between stops, taking advantage of the opportunity to get back to their horses after moving their trucks and trailers ahead.

On the bus, DeAnne Maronich of Jacksonville, Wyo., and Dawn Brewer from Shelton Wash., explained that they had been riding the trail for 10 years.

"We both came over from Montana in 2012," Maronich said.

Several people's horses had problems earlier on the trail.

Liana Jones said her horse couldn't walk it anymore after several days on the route. Gail Farrar, who started riding the trail in 1981, said that her horse had also went lame.

Clarence Garlley of Granite Falls, Wash., took his green wagon - he calls it "Swamper" - along the trail, pulled by his two mules, brother and sister Ricky and Lucy.

John Marshall of Modesto, Calif., who has participated in the event for 10 years, rode shotgun with Garlley.

Kenny Stephens traversed the route on a bike.

He would often stop and could often be seen searching for what Marshall explained are date nails - tagging devices utilized by railroads to visually identify the age of railroad ties and utility poles.

Bryon Scott said he has been participating in the ride since 1991.

He said that the Cascade Rail Foundation are putting up station signs along the route and refurnishing a signal near Ralston.

"There will be a solar cell to power (a signal) across the street from the pump house in Ralston," Scott said.

Mark Borleske, a member of the Cascade Rail Foundation, explained the foundation is behind the station signs, and fixing the signal.

"Volunteers have worked on moving that signal. It was abandoned in place. Milwaukee Road the railroad was abandoned in 1980," he said.

"This particular signal was left behind. I volunteered to move that signal off site. They'll be working on rehabilitating that as a display and a monument to the railroad."

Scott added that Tom Short, a retired school teacher and president of the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association, is in charge of trail development.

Short was able to obtain approval for installion of informational kiosks telling trail-users more about the route and were they are going. Short and others lobbied for money to aid Washington State Parks pay for trail improvements.

Volunteers from the Cascade Rail Foundation is also working on location markers, akin to the old signs along railroads telling engineers and passengers where they were.

These replica signs are being installed on locations along the trail.

"This is one way to remember historic locations as well as to reflect on the history of the place that had elevators or communities," Boreleske said.

Malden's sign has not been installed, yet, but will be installed by state parks employees.

In addition, the state will is collecting bids on local trail improvements.

"Parks will be starting a trailhead construction doing the moving of dirt and getting the site prepared for a trailhead shortly," Borleske said.

"... As well as improvements to the trail between Malden and Rosalia."

Riders reached Rosalia on Friday and settled in for the evening.

They departed Saturday after riding in the Battle Days Parade.

From Rosalia, the riders and wagons traveled to Tekoa, arriving Saturday in anticipation of the reopening ceremony of the Tekoa Trestle.

Heavy rains overnight left the trail muddy and the riders and horses soggy.

They participated in the dedication Sunday morning, but ended their trek without reaching the Idaho border this year.