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.
July 5, 2026
I’ve been sharing the local connections to the Bicentennial Wagon Train, which culminated at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of July in 1976. Local people, Andy and Oline Erickson from Badger, and their son Kent (“Gus”) and his wife Denise DeFrates had been part of that big event, driving the lead wagon in the train. As they were completing their trip, the folks back home were planning a big homecoming celebration for them.
In the Badger Enterprise from July 8, a photo shows Andy and Oline in front of their home with a huge banner behind them. The caption said, “A big “Welcome Home” sign covered the front of Andy and Oline Erickson’s home when they returned to Badger late Tuesday evening from making their Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage trip to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The sign said, “Welcome Home — Andy, Oline, Gus, Denise – All of Badger … Roseau County … and Minnesota are proud of You!” The big “W” was made in the form of two horse shoes and the names of their four horses which also made the trip, Cadet, Gypsy, Dawn and Sonny, were printed inside. The Ericksons experienced no trouble with their team on the trip, although there were many others who had run-aways, etc. This testifies to the conditioning Andy and Gus did with their horses for several months before making the trip.
The photo was taken early Wednesday morning and the Ericksons said it was a treat to sleep in their own bed. On the trip they were up at 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. each day, making ready to report for the day’s trek. In another article, the Badger Enterprise told of their return home. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon Erickson and Joel drove to Pennsylvania to bring Sheldon’s parents home again upon the conclusion of the trip. They left July 4 and made the 1,600 mile return trip to Badger, arriving home at 10:30 p.m. July 6.
Gus and Denise are bringing the horses home, but could not leave until Monday and the trip will take them a few days longer.
Andy and Oline had a wonderful trip and have much to tell about it, which will appear in later issues of The Enterprise. For the moment, they are just glad to be back home in Badger.
A couple weeks later, plans had been completed for a Welcome Home event combined with Badger’s All School Reunion which would take place on July 24. The welcome home activities are being planned by the Town and Country Club of Badger and the school reunion by a special alumni committee.
In addition to the parade there will be a flea market open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. At least 21 different booths have been spoken for with a wide array of items to be offered for sale at the community hall from macrame to antiques. Other activities include a youth baseball game at the new athletic field in the afternoon, horseshoe pitching under the direction of Bennie Mickelson, a dunking stand where the public will be trying to knock local “people” into a tank of water, a concession stand, and an evening street dance.
Following the big day, the Roseau Times-Region said this about the exceptional parade that day: A welcome home for Andy, Oline, Gus and Denise was coupled with an all-class reunion at Badger Saturday with a sunny day and hosts of people attending the events which lasted throughout the day.
The program began at 10:30 a.m. with a big parade featuring a good many units and all led by Andy and Oline in a wagon driven by Lorraine and Slim Bonnickson, Fergus Falls, who came up for the event. He was assistant teamster for the wagon train chuck wagon. The Erickson Palominos pulled the wagon.
A program of honor was held for the Ericksons on the main street following the parade. Speaking at the event were Badger Mayor Lois Johnson, who gave the official welcome; Ralph Hvidsten, Stephen, Senatorial candidate; Rep. Art Braun, Greenbush; Milton Arneson, candidate for the House; Earl Willems, Warroad, who spoke for the Warroad area chamber of commerce (and who presented them with ten pounds of frozen walleye fillets); Hector Reese, mayor of Greenbush; Norrell Erickson, mayor of Roseau, who complimented the Ericksons and Badger for its Town and Country club. Bill Rendell spoke on behalf of the Roseau Civic and Commerce Association.
Andy and Oline were presented with a scrapbook of clippings gathered from the wagon train trek.
In the Badger Enterprise that week, a photo told more. Andy Erickson has just received a gift from Town and Country Club president, Darrell Borgen, at the conclusion of the program honoring the leaders of the Bicentennial Wagon Train Trip. Watching with interest are Gus Erickson and his mother Oline. Not pictured, but also making the trip was Denice DeFrates, who was in the crowd taking photos herself.
Times-Region editor Bill Adams made a whole “Cornerpost” column about them. He said, “We dropped down to Badger Saturday evening to visit about the adventure and Andy was his usual enthusiastic self. He really looked the part of a pioneer and the fact he was chosen as the lead wagon of the caravan indicated someone thought he knew his business and could do the job.
In a March 25, 1976 Roseau Times-Region article in the Ericksons’ family file at the Roseau County Museum, I found this description of how that trip came about for them.
Andy got interested in the long journey when he read about it some three years ago.
They inquired about the trip from Delores Andol, Senator Fitzsimons and then visited the Minnesota wagonmaster. They were the first in Minnesota to apply for the right to go. When the vet visited them, checked their horses and gave them a clean bill of health, it wasn’t long before they were notified they were one of the three outfits chosen for the Minnesota members of the train.
Kent and Andy have been training the horses intensely. He says it takes a lot of patience to train the horses, “patience and understanding … and it helps if you know as much as the horse does!”
It’s such an adventure, such a great role to play in recreating one of the most adventurous facets of our history that just to be along, just to drive their horses and wear the clothes of the 1800s and to be a part of history, for the Ericksons is quite enough!
“Boy,” says Andy, slapping his leg. “How can anybody be so lucky!”
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.