Historic Nicodemus’s annual Pioneer Day will be held on Oct. 12th with a focus on the history of Nicodemus through a bike tour over gravel roads throughout the historic Nicodemus Township and neighboring Wild Horse Township, and the town of Damar in Graham County.

For the serious bikers the 33.5 mile tour is recommended. They’ll see the entire area with stops at 14 historic signs along the way.

For a shorter trek sponsors recommend the 21.5-mile tour. It will include 11 sign stops, for those who trek only within the historic Nicodemus township, 13 signs if you they into Bogue and see two other signs then return to Nicodemus.

Four SAG stops will provide riders with water, snacks and fruit. The SAGs are sponsored by Walmart of Hays, The Kansas Black Farmers Association, The Citizens of Bogue, and the Switzer/KSU Ag Camp for Youth. Registration can be done on line at nicodemushistoricalsociety.org. Register before Sept. 27 to ensure that you get a T-shirt!

When riders, guests, and spectators arrive at the Visitor Center for registration, they will be treated to a free all-you-can eat breakfast from 8-10 a.m. at Ernestine’s BBQ Museum. The free breakfast is sponsored by the Kansas Black Farmers Association and The Land Institute and will include pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee. 

Riders will leave on tours starting at 9 a.m. and are expected to return between noon and 3 p.m. 

Food will be provided for a nominal cost for those not registered to ride and who want to enjoy the park with live music (bring your lawn chairs). For those who missed our history documentary, a free showing of the Ellis Trail to Nicodemus will be featured at 2 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

The 14 large historic signs were made possible with funding from the Sunflower Foundation.

“The day is expected to be great fun day for all,” said Karla Bates-Adams, an ambassador for Historic Nicodemus. “Everyone is welcome to ride and/or enjoy the free breakfast and a day of history with us. We encourage even the youth that have bikes to take a shorter route that will tour around the historic town of Nicodemus to various silhouettes and historic building sites. A longer ‘short’ tour will take you around to some of the historic tour signs, like the original baseball diamond and location of the early Emancipation Celebrations just south of Nicodemus. Pick the tour or the mileage you’d like to travel and be our guest to learn more about this history of one the nation’s most iconic African American national sites in the West.”