~courtesy of The Scranton Journal
A pair of Missouri men have embarked on The Heritage Ride, a great American Adventure. Their journey took them through Guthrie and Greene Counties last week.
Tom Nass’ mother, Ann Zigler, left Lamoni when she was 3 years old with her parents, Jim and Eunice Zigler, her 2 year old brother Art Zigler, and her 3 week old sister Leona Zigler in a covered wagon with two mules and $66 to their name. Six weeks later they ended their journey in Bagley, MN.
July 4th weekend of 2023, Ann Zigler will be 93 years old. Tom Nass and Co. is reenacting the Zigler ride made by his family 90 years ago.
Tom and a friend, Carlos Ford, are traveling in a covered wagon with a team of three mules from Lamoni until they reach Troy Nass’ Ranch in Shevlin, MN, the week of July 4th.
The duo left on Mother’s Day (May 14), going 20 – 30 miles a day and camping every night.
Saturday, May 20, the entourage spent the night in the Casey Park. Sunday they utilized the Bayard City Park.
The team pulled out of Bayard Monday at 8:45 am, heading towards Scranton and farther north.
They travel on gravel roads when possible and ask for police escorts when they are in high traffic areas.
Their journey is sponsored by Purina Feed. The company sends a truck every four days to restock the mule feed.
The mules consume about 16 pounds of feed per day. They are also drinking water with electrolytes added to keep them healthy on the journey. A dog is also making the trip.
The mules are relatively young, 8 to 9years old. Ford has a “seasoned” mule so it is hitched in the center to help guide and stabilize the team.
Ford custom-built the wagon with the fabric top designed and sewn by Connie Wilkinson.
“I couldn’t do this alone,” admitted Nass. “With three mules, there’s a lot of stuff going on.”
Monday morning the animals resisted being hitched to the wagon. It took patience and experience from both men to get all the straps and buckles attached.
So far, the 600-mile trip has been uneventful, except for meeting a large number of nice people along the way.
“I expected to lose weight on the trip but so many people keep feeding us, I think I’m gaining weight,” laughed Nass.
He retired from work five weeks ago. This trip has long been his dream.
“I’m not only making this trip for my mother,” added Nass. “I’m making it for my entire family. It’s a trip of a lifetime.”
