Hide Article Text (OCR)
A Bob Sled Ride In Buffalo Center 1908 Style* ?i ij.:'«■:■ • ‘-i' '■: ■:',^:-.‘-'vJ:^;'.:s.. '^••'*''v„;..? .t lo.'t-M v:.- •lt;:*/•:*.-•• v.-iZii- 'A.LV-V.CTPicture and story by courtesy of B. D. Sterling.A bob sled drawn by eight head of oxen was not an uncommon sight ih Buffalo Center in the winter of 1901-08.It was during the fair being held here in the month of September, 1907, that a show became stranded, and the manager of this show turned it over to B. D, Sterling, then fair president, for safe keeping. The show consisted of eight trained oxen, six trained horses, 15 trained dogs, and a mule that nobody could ride.The animals were housed in the old Case Lumber Yard, whiph at that time stood where the Dolmage Hospital is now located.During the winter of 1907-08 the young men of Buffalo Center would have the oxeri hooked up to a bob sled and they would take their best girl out for a sled ride.4It was in February, 1908, that a severe, snow storm hit Buffalo Center. All roads, leading intotown were blocked and trains were unable to operate through here for four days. This storm stranded about thirty traveling salesmen at the Johnson Hotel (now Buffalo Hotel), Their only pastimes was playing cards or taking short naps, and this grew tiresome, so they decided it would be a novelty to them if they could induce Mr. Sterling to hook up the oxen to a bob sled and take them for a ride, and this he consented to do. The tour covered the entire town of Buffalo Center, Mr. Sterling driving the oxen down1 every street in town and winding up in front of his hardware store where the above picture was tak-en.*In the early spring of 1908 Mr. Sterling loaded all the animals into a stock car and had them shipped to Valparaiso, Indiana, where they were turned over to a show company. Mr. Sterling’s son, Wallace, accompanied the shipment as caretaker.
Newspaper Details
Buffalo Center Tribune
Buffalo Center, Iowa, US
Thu, Sep 05, 1946
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Paul E.
NA, 24 Apr 2019
Other Publications Near Buffalo Center, Iowa
Buffalo Center Tribune
Buffalo Center Globe
