Big Country Old Settlers Reunion

Event Details

Includes living history programs, Native Americans, entertainment, storytellers, parade and vendors.

Old Settlers Reunion - History at a Glance In the 1800's, the farms and ranches were widely scattered throughout West Texas and people rarely saw each other during the year. At some undetermined time in the 1880's, the farmers and ranchers decided to gather on the third weekend in July, after harvest and round up, to enjoy the company of their distant neighbors and catch up on who got married, who had a baby, who died, etc; the jobless cowboy looking for work further expanded the assemblage.

Buffalo Gap was chosen as the location for the gathering for a number of reasons. The town is located in the northernmost and westernmost Live Oak forest in Texas, providing protection from the intense summer sun, There was ample water supply, and a variety of wild fruits, including pecans, grapes, plums, and pears to eat.

The Old Settlers Reunion was formally organized in 1923 and included members from Abilene, Albany, Breckenridge, Dallas, Lubbock, Sweetwater, Winters, and many other West Texas towns. Over the years, the Reunion has taken many formats depending upon the time in history, and there have been as many as 15,000 visitors at the reunion at a time. Today's technology has allowed farmers and ranchers to stay up to date on current events, without having to travel and gather.

In September 2004, a new group formed the Big Country Settlers Association, which is now recognized by the Buffalo Gap City Council as the official Old Settlers Association. The bylaws of the association in Article I state:

Sections I - Organization: The membership does hereby declare the formation of the Big Country Old Settlers Associations as a non-profit, unincorporated association of individuals who are dedicated to the perpetuation of the Old Settlers Association and the Old Settlers Reunion.

Section 2 - Purpose: The purpose of the Big Country Old Settlers Association is to preserve the Old Settlers Reunion and related activities, as well as promote the factual history of the Big Country and West Texas through education, public awareness, and charitable functions. In addition, the Big Country Old Settlers Association will recognize those individuals, families, and/or organizations that have played a significant role in the history of the Big Country.

To accomplish the goals of the association, the format has been changed from a picnic for the old settlers to an event that celebrates the old settlers and their way of life through a factual living history event. To achieve that end, the date of the reunion was changed to the last weekend in April, which allows the association to involve more school groups, the forts of the Texas Forts Trails, and the leather clad buck skinners. Just as important, however, is the cooler weather allows for a more pleasant experience for everyone.

The Old Settler Association believes this years reunion offers something for everyone, so load up the family, lawn chairs, and come on out!

Schedule of Events:

9:00 Parade
10:00 National Anthem & Guest of Honor
10:15 Welcome Speech by President Bennie Lamb
10:30 Mayor Dave Perry â€" Buffalo Gap
11:00 Ranch Awards - Spade Ranch
11:15 Folkloric Dancers
11:45 Mexican Folk Dancers
12:30 Lunch Live Entertainment - Megan Cheek Live Auction
1:30 Indian Dancers - pending
2:00 Match Horse Races
3:00 Stick Horse Races
4:00 Square Dancers
4:30 The Horse Whisperer - Chip Sugar
7:00 Live Entertainment - Megan Cheek
8:00 Dance - Old Settlers Grounds

Sunday - Cowboy Church
Other Attractions Spinning Wheels Demonstration, Karaoke Dutch Oven Society Historical Document Display, Roping Demo's - Twister Benson, Children's Roping, Chicken Bingo, Horseshoes, Arts, Crafts, and Food Vendors.

Anyone wanting to participate in this year's event as a vendor or exhibitor can contact the Old Settlers by phone or email.