These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 9:00 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
June 28, 2026
The last two weeks, I’ve been sharing the adventure of Andy and Oline Erickson as they led a wagon train to
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to celebrate the Bicentennial. Today’s story comes from The Roseau Times-
Region after they came home from that trip. Maggi Adams wrote this story in her “From my Window” column.
The scene is Valley Forge – 1777-1778. It is the main camp of the Continental Army, established under the
command of George Washington. The winter was severe, food and clothing were inadequate and there was
much sickness and suffering.
The scene is Valley Forge – July 4, 1976. It is foggy and there is great disappointment. President Ford is
about to arrive by helicopter. Guest speakers and visitors are in the stands. The Bicentennial Wagon trains
are there – unhooked – unhitched – and unoccupied! Security passes required for viewing the President by
occupants of the wagon trains have apparently not been received by everyone. And Andy and Oline have
come a long way for this event – 1500 miles in eighty days!
Where are they? They are 1-1/2 miles away – with 500 people and 1,000 horses in 55 acres of land. “Andy
couldn’t walk that distance to the stand – and I wouldn’t,” Oline said.
Their son Gus said, “I had been busy trying to get hay and feed for the horses. They had it there but wouldn’t
release it to the wagon train until someone in an official capacity signed for it.”
“We were so hoping that each wagon would circle and we could camp in a circle. People had come from
everywhere to see those covered wagons …” Oline was disappointed.
People saw the wagons – but there was no one to talk to!
Imagine! Oline and Andy Erickson in the lead wagon – not present at the festivities! They had received
security passes and gave them to son Gus and Denise DeFrates who arrived a half hour late.
President Ford signed legislation establishing Valley Forge as a National Park and he signed the Wagon
Train Scroll carried on the Michigan Wagon … while the hero and heroine of the day Andy and Oline
Erickson of Badger – were 1-1/2 miles away!
But Andy and Oline are not complainers.
They had not taken this great trip for any glory at a 4 th of July celebration – only for the adventure.
And they had plenty of that along the way.
It rained 75 per cent of the time.
Oline hadn’t, however, taken enough warm clothes. Often she would sit with the sleeping bag draped around
her to keep warm. She always wore her long dress and bonnet though other women on wagons had
changed to slacks and more modern garb.
Oline and Andy slept in the wagon most of the time … many of the others had campers which went ahead of
the wagons. “I would have hated that,” Oline said, “I would have missed everything.” She added, “It was
narrow, when Andy turned at night – I had to turn too. And, there were always people around the wagons …
A blue “chuck wagon” bus took care of the food for their wagon train, keeping them filled with plenty of bacon
and eggs, pancakes, cooked cereal and stew. They didn’t have milk nor fish nor cheese nor much meat, and
lunch was packed for them in paper bags … two sandwiches and an apple.
The wagon trains were often hosted to meals in various towns.
At the end of their longest days in Illinois, however, they were given a brotwurst on a bun, some coffee and
pop! “We were really hungry!” Oline said.
“We were invited by some organizations, mostly in the smaller towns. There they would go all out with
smorgasbords and then we really got good food.”
At Cambridge Junction, Ohio – Thomas Thiery came out to take a photo of them – then returned with a
framed watercolor he had made from the photo — giving it to Andy and Oline as a present.
In another town a woman presented them with two loaves of home made bread, two pounds of butter and
two packages of dried beef. One lady in Wisconsin arrived with a pail of oats for the horses. A couple in
Michigan gave them a cake decorated in red, white and blue … It read, “Mr. and Mrs. USA with love … 1776-
1976”. In various towns women brought cookies, and coffee-cake and one man brought a whole rack of hay
for the horses. Another time a nice couple insisted they come home with them. A hot bath, an excellent meal
and a good bed awaited them. “Oh, that wonderful hot bath,” Oline remarked.
What had Oline seen she hadn’t seen before?
“Tobacco fields in Illinois … black raspberries, tulip trees, mountain laurel, the devil’s paint brush … so many
things.
“At various points independent wagons would join us for a while, then leave. Each wagon train had some
Penn State players who would perform every night for the public at a wagon train show …” she added.
Denise DeFrates said she had gone along to “water the horses, hitch and unhitch, curry and feed them …”
As Oline and Andy had signed thousands of autographs along the way – were photographed so many times
and had been on television, I asked them, “How do you like all that fame?”
Andy said, “It’s terrible. It’s like being a mouse in the house … They point a finger at you and say, “There
they are!” Then they come at you!
“But,” said Andy, “I want to add – our country is in good hands. There are so many more good people than
shysters … “
And the wagon. What will happen to the wagon? It may go to the highest bidder. It may be taken apart. “It
should be in Roseau County.” Andy leaned back in his chair.
How did you get home?
“Our daughter Shirley and son Sheldon were there at Valley Forge to meet us. After a big Bicentennial meal
prepared for us – we came home with Sheldon. Gus and Denise came home with Shirley.
And how would you sum up this trip in one word?
Oline: “Oh, gosh…”
Andy: “Tremendous…”
Oline: “I would say so…”
Thank you to 
for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.