This is my Great Granduncle George (center). For 3 weeks in the summer of 1941, he and two other men rode 2 motorcycles from WaKeeney, Kansas to Yellowstone National Park WY and back in 2 weeks. They drove almost 2000 miles on Harley Davidson motorcycles, mostly on sand or dirt roads. George was a photographer (amongst other things) and chronicled the journey in images, notes penciled notes on the back of each print, and stories told for years afterward.

 

CROSS COUNTRY MOTORCYCLE TRIP

PRESENT:    GEORGE GALLOWAY / RAYMOND WIEDEMAN / ERNIE SCHNEIDER

DATE:            2 AUGUST – 15 AUGUST, 1941

 

George Nelson Galloway (1913-1999) was my grandfather’s brother. He had many professions over the course of his life. He was a pilot, rancher, farmer, milk man, photographer, and even went to cosmology school and styled women’s hair for a time. He worked for 10 years at the Kansas Division of Weights and Measures, based in Topeka. He was one of the founding members behind the Kansas Flying Farmers, and former President of that organization. He calibrated large scales that were certified by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. He had an airstrip on his farm north of WaKeeney, Kansas.

George was a great story teller. He could be found any and every day in downtown WaKeeney, usually at Gibson’s Drug Store, telling stories and making people laugh. This is one story of many that he told over the years, and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago after his passing that I was able to spend some time with these images and read about it more. The two other men with him on this journey were Raymond Wiedeman and Ernie Schneider, two WaKeeney guys about the same age as George. From stories I’ve heard from locals they were both gear heads and adventurers themselves.

 

They rode nearly 2000 miles in 2 weeks. They set off from Trego County KS on August 2nd and returned 2 weeks later on August 15. The images and story below are George’s, scribbled in pencil on the back. Following George’s descriptions and notes about landmarks, bars, lakes, and other roadside phenomena, and by using GoogleMaps it was easy to trace the route the men took. Their trip took them through four National Parks: The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, and Yellowstone National Parks. They timed the trip to arrive back in WaKeeney in time for the annual Trego County Free Fair. Having known George most of my life, I can imagine George in his element telling the story at the fairgrounds to anyone who’d listen, and my grandfather (the farmhand) grumbling about it loudly to an even wider audience of his own.

George only showed these images to me one time. His daughter Christine was gracious enough to let me borrow these images and share them here. There’s a lot more to this story and I will share some of my research as time permits. 4 months after this trip the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the US entered the war. Ernie and Raymond both enlisted in the US Army, George did not. He was the eldest son of rancher Lew Galloway and stayed in Trego County as a farmhand. George’s brother (my grandfather Bob) was enlisted into the US Army Air Corp, another possible reason for the life-long rift between the two men.

(*Notes at the bottom are transcribed directly from George’s hand on the back of each image. Images are in the order George had mounted in small leather photo album. All images property of George Galloway’s estate.)

 

AUGUST 2, 1941 (Day 1)

 

Just ‘fore’ tha start. About 6:50 AM Saturday Aug 2.

 

 

1st day out 1st flat on Ernies machine in sand hills of Nebraska

 

 

 

No notation given (Nebraska state line)

 

 

 

 

Covered Wagon – Kearney, Nebraska

 

AUGUST 3, 1941 (Day 2)

 

Just before we left Ainsworth Nebraska – Early morning.

 

 

 

No caption given (South Dakota state line)

 

 

 

Between Murdo and Kodaka Ernie trying to catch up – he did.

 

 

 AUGUST 4, 1941 (Day 3)

 

First sight of Badlands 7:00 AM – Ernie blowing out his machine.

 

 

“First sight of Badlands at 7:00 AM. Ernie blowing out his machine.”

 

Between Murdo and Kodaka running about 55 miles per hour.

 

 

 

Looking South across Badlands flats.

 

 

AUGUST 5, 1941 (Day 4)

 

Badlands – Looking East about 7:30 AM.

 

 

 

Looking at one of the higher rocks – about 500 ft high – badlands – Taken at 50 mi pr hour speed

 

 

 

Badlands – Looking down a shallow gulch – about 60 feet deep.

 

AUGUST 6, 1941 (Day 5)

 

Stuffed Buffalo at Wall, SD.

 

 

 

A cute young gal that Ernie and Raymond got to pose with them at Wall SD – They wanted this to show the gals at home.

 

 

A Shot in the Black Hills. This is a double exposure. We took a shot of the bikes from a tunnel and then again at this scene along a very pretty road.

 

“A very pretty gal was around and we wanted to meet her.” 

 

We really got took in here – A very pretty gal was around and we wanted to meet her.

 

AUGUST 7, 1941 (Day 6)

 

The faces as seen from the porch of the Studio below. We climbed the 12,000 steps to top of Mt. Rushmore.

 

“We climbed the 12,000 steps to the top of Mt. Rushmore.”

 

On top of the faces – pic taken from top of Washington’s head.

 

 

On top of Iron Mt Black Hills. See the faces.

 

 

AUGUST 8, 1941 (Day 7)

 

Boating on lake south of Rapid City.

 

 

Just Look at them muskles. Ernie even has hair on his chest. A swell lake south and west of Rapid City S.D. Sheridan Lake.

 

AUGUST 9, 1941 (Day 8)

Strato Bowl.

 

Bobcat at the Strato Bowl.

 

“Ernie could still feel that drink before breakfast so wasn’t hungry.”

 

Game lodge Raymond and I ate dinner here – Ernie could still feel that drink before breakfast so wasn’t hungry.

AUGUST 10, 1941 (Day 9)

 

Looking forward the entrance to The Needles in Black Hills.

 

Entrance to The Needles in Black Hills

 

A scene from a spot in the Needles.

The Needles in the Black Hills.

The Needles in the Black Hills.

 

AUGUST 11, 1941 (Day 10)

“They say that this town is so wide open that all they jail you for is shooting.”

Deadwood SD – Wide Open. This was just before a big rodeo and celebration. They say this town is so wide open that all they jail you for is shooting.

Pushing like Hell just before getting into Wyo – red mud.

 

This pic speaks for itself – Boy. What. Mud – 3 mi or more of it.

At Entrance to Devil’s Tower Monument – It cost $1 to get in here.

“It cost $1 to get in here.”

 

No notation given. (@ Devil’s Tower Monument).

Devil’s Tower as we came up to it.

Inside of Devil’s Tower Ranger Station.

Ernie and Raymond on East side of Devil’s Tower.

Ashes and Clinkers near Gillette Wyo.

Montana State Line.

 

AUGUST 12, 1941 (Day 12)

 

A small pack outfit that we saw as we came into Yellowstone. It was still cold here, as we had just come over Cook Mt. Pass 11,950 ft. Elev approx.

 

Yellowstone Pack outfit.

Yellowstone Grand Canyon Looking East.

Bridal Veil Falls.

Yellowstone Grand Canyon as seen from Observation Point looking East.

Our first lake in Yellowstone it was still sparkling and quite cool.

Yellowstone Lake we ran along its shores almost 1 PM.

 

We see our first bear in Yellowstone. This is as close as Ernie or Raymond would get to him and stand.

 

Aint he cute.

Yellowstone. We are under a big overhanging cliff on a mt side during a heavy rain – it is very dry here.

North Entrance to Yellowstone.

We did a little fooling around in Yellowstone.

 

“We did a little fooling around in Yellowstone.”

 

Old faithful giving her all.

A geyser west of Old Faithful that shoots 200 ft high every 60 hours.

Old Faithful at Yellowstone.

Old Faithful at Yellowstone.

Old Faithful Lodge.

Just waiting on Old Faithful – they say the log in the foreground has been there ever since they can remember.

Sulphur Pots in Yellowstone.

A storm just behind us in Yellowstone.

Lower Yellowstone Falls.

 

AUGUST 13, 1941 (Day 13)

 

Jackson Wyo – a real cowboy town – boardwalks and everything. Ernie and Raymond found gals and raised Hell nearly all night. We came into this town out of a cloudburst.

 

About ready to leave Cheyenne Wyo.

 

“Ernie and Raymond found gals and raised Hell nearly all night.”

 

 

AUGUST 14, 1941 (Day 14)

On the way home and kinda glad.

Just out of Greeley – Ernie takes a corner and spills – Just a little sand on the road.

At Hugo Colorado We all wanted our pix with Redheaded Maxine Walters.

 

“We all wanted our pix with Red headed Maxine Walters.”

 

Maxine Walters looking ________???

 

AUGUST 15, 1941 (Day 15)

About 9 miles West of WaKeeney we put on stickers.

Home at last – 15 days from the time we started – taken about 430 PM Aug 15 1941.

 

– END –