JEFFERSON CITY, MO, FEB. 14, 2024 – Join Missouri State Parks interpreter Kevin Smith for a special presentation about a historic journey made on bicycle more than a century ago. The program will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center auditorium in Kanas City.
In June 1897, the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, an all-Black unit also known as “Buffalo Soldiers,” embarked on bicycle ride of more than 1,900 miles from Fort Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri. Called “The Great Experiment” in national newspapers, the ride was part of a U.S. Army trial to determine the effectiveness of moving troops by bicycle. The route for this experiment closely followed the Northern Pacific and Burlington railroads through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri, and took 41 days to complete.
Light refreshments will be served from 5:30-6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and registration is not required. For more information, call 816-759-7313. The Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center is located at 4750 Troost Ave. in Kansas City.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.