“Friends, we have gathered here beneath the vaulted sky, In God’s great out-of-doors, where nature greets the eye, With grass and trees and flowers—we’ve gathered here to stage The story of our County down to the present age. In song and dance and tableau its history will be told; In interludes and episodes our pageant will unfold. We journey back in fancy a span of fifty years, Back to the days of Indians and hardy pioneers. Here waves a sea of prairie grass upon the endless plain; Here lies a pile of whitening bones that mark the bison’s reign. Within a fringe of forest green that skirts a river’s flow, The Indians are breaking camp—’tis time for them to go. ‘The white man comes,’ the scouts report, ‘our hunting here is done, The white man comes and we must go, on towards the setting sun.’ “As night comes on and in the west the sun sets for the day, Full slowly up the valley an ox-team weaves its way. It draws a covered wagon. On the driver’s seat a man, His head turned back, is speaking to a woman in the van; ‘Look, Mary, there’s a likely spot in yonder grove of trees, There’s water, fuel, fish, and game; the grass comes to my knees; The land is fertile, level, smooth—what need to farther roam? Come let us halt in this fair place and build ourselves a home.’ Thus did they come, our pioneers, brave husband, braver wife, Heroic souls that sang and worked and asked no odds of life. So friends, to-day, the picture that first will meet our sight, Is the leaving of the red man and the coming of the white. The world is restless, craves to move, and therefore mankind feels A deep abiding gratitude to the man who first made wheels. The great improvements made in wheels, the constant evolution From wagon down to motor car has caused a revolution, Affecting every phase of life, our business and our pleasure, And proved itself in countless ways a blessing beyond measure. It was a happy day indeed when on the frontier trails The pioneers beheld the sight of shining iron rails, That spelled the end of grueling trips to market by ox-team, And heralded the coming of their greatest ally—steam. When now the growth and progress of transportation’s shown, It will explain one reason why prosperity has grown. “Year after year more settlers came, each year more fields were tilled, And lavish Nature blessed their work, their granaries were filled With golden wheat and other grains; their herds of cattle grew; They prospered greatly and progressed and those who failed were few. Then one by one the towns sprang up, with smithy, bank, and store, With elevator, mill, and yard, and markets at their door. The towns and farms worked hand in hand, theirs was a common cause. And from the start unto this day, advancing without pause, Our industries have grown apace, have made our County great— Till it is known both far and wide the banner of the State.