John Wisdom Wagon Train
The 37th Annual John Wisdom Wagon Train & Trail Ride returns to Rome on Saturday, October 15, 2016 to celebrate the life and legacy of a Civil War hero. Tickets are now available at the Rome-Floyd Visitor Center & Last Stop Gift Shop.
Participants will revisit the heroic path of John Wisdom, known as “Georgia’s Paul Revere” who warned Rome of impending attack by Union forces in May of 1863. The 23-mile round trip begins and ends in Rome, Georgia where participants will camp at the fairgrounds and enjoy an evening of entertainment.
The ride begins at 8:30 a.m. and will depart from the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, located at 1400 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Rome, Ga. 30161. The ride will be police escorted with rolling road closures.
The route will be within Floyd County lines and contains the following roads: Barron Road, Ward Mountain Road, Burlington Drive, Highway 53 South, West Hermitage Road, Bells Ferry Road and North Avenue and Church Street.
The admission fee for adults is $10, children 12 years old and under is $5. A collector button is proof of paid admission, and it must be worn at all times of the event.
To participate in the ride, proof of completing the Coggins Test must be provided to representatives of the Georgia Department of Agriculture at the entry gate.
Lunch will be provided by Shannon Mason Lodge for an additional $7 per person.
The day’s celebration concludes with a western dance at the fairgrounds featuring local favorite the Backwater Band at 7:30 p.m. in the Mather Payne Building. Admission to the dance is $5.
An account of the story of John Wisdom and a dramatic audio reenactment can be found at www.romegeorgia.org/civil-war/stories.
Admission and collector buttons are available exclusively at the Rome-Floyd Visitor Center & Last Stop Gift Shop located at 402 Civic Center Drive. For more information, contact 706.295.5576.
About the Author
Our Georgia's Rome tourism team works hard to curate content to help you discover and explore our beautiful town! We want to ensure our content is up-to-date and accurate; so please let us know if we ever overlook an important detail! This post was originally written by Kristi Kent and is updated by staff.
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