Museum raising funds to preserve covered wagon

MADISON, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -The Lake County Historical Society is raising funds to bring a piece of South Dakota history back to life.

The covered wagon was built in 1879 by the Boyd family that used it to travel to the Lake County region.

Due to a prairie fire, the Boyd family was forced to live in the wagon with their three children until a new sod house could be built.

This wagon is one of the few original covered wagons left in the state.

The museum director, Julie Breu says this made it worth preserving.

“The covered wagon is an iconic piece of piece of American culture, and that we still have the actual wagon and the story that goes with it is extremely important to Lake County, to the Lake County Museum,” said Julie Breu, museum director for The Lake County Museum.

She says the idea that it wasn’t an easy journey for the pioneers makes it that much more important to preserve.

“They didn’t ride in the wagon, they walked, the wagon was for their household goods and provision,’ said Breu.

Anna Blessinger, a volunteer at the museum, says this was important for future generations

“I think being able to have a large piece of history that is so directly attached to the settler is the reason Madison is here and that people for years and years to come can see it,” said Anna Blessinger, volunteer at The Lake County Museum.

They say it is important that the wagon keeps it in its original state.

“We don’t want the wagon to look new, it has a story to tell and so he’ll keep that story intact because it is well over 130 years old,” said Breu.

For more information on the history behind the covered wagon or to donate you can follow the links at https://www.facebook.com/SmithZimmermanMuseum or https://www.gofundme.com/f/boyd-family-covered-wagon-restoration?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unknown&utm_campaign=comms_jgct+boyd-family-covered-wagon-restoration

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