By Matt Smith/msmith@trcle.com

Chisholm Trail Pioneer Days will bring a host of food, fun, activities and music for the whole family, said David Murdoch, president of the Johnson County Heritage Foundation.

The fun begins at 10 a.m. Nov. 21 at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum on U.S. 67 in Cleburne on the west side of Lake Pat Cleburne.

Events are planned throughout the day until after dark, Murdoch said.

Admission is $2 for adults, which includes parking, and is free for children younger than 12.

The museum includes a stagecoach station, tipis, the Wardville Courthouse, which is the original county courthouse, and other attractions. The outdoor museum is an ever expanding work in progress, Murdoch said.

“It’s our living history of what went on in the mid 1800s,” Murdoch said. “It’s important that we visit the past in order to learn from the successes and the mistakes. And there’s so much history at this site.”

Pioneer Days allows visitors a chance to see how those who came before us lived and to learn about the fascinating history of Johnson County, Murdoch said, history that remains unknown to many who live here.

“Most people don’t know that before we were Johnson County we were part of Navarro County for nine years,” Murdoch said. “Navarro was a huge county stretching from Somervell to Corsicana until it was divided up in 1854.”

This marks the fourth Pioneer Days event and the first to be held on its own, not as part of the annual Cleburne Candlewalk Tour of Homes.

Although museum officials enjoyed participating in previous Candlewalks, the decision to hold this year’s Pioneer Days independently makes more sense, Murdoch said.

“The Candlewalk tour is great, but most of the homes are around downtown, east and west Cleburne,” Murdoch said. “We’re a bit further out, so I’m not sure how many toured the homes in Cleburne and skipped us. There were also complications with the Candlewalk tickets — people coming out here and not knowing if they needed a ticket or not.”

Running Pioneer Days independently also affords the opportunity to expand the scope of the event, Murdoch said.

A partial list of events and activities planned includes:

zx A Civil War Confederate encampment and cannon firings courtesy of Terry’s Texas Rangers. Authentic tents, flags, camp gear and artillery pieces will be on display with cannon firings hourly starting at 11 a.m. Terry’s Texas Rangers members in full battle uniforms will answer questions.

zx Gunfights every half hour staged by the Ghosts of Buzzard Flats Gunfighters. The group includes cowboys and saloon girls decked out in 1800s attire. They will bring a chuck wagon and a stagecoach used in several John Wayne movies. Between gun fights, children can have their pictures taken on both wagons.

zx History of Native Americans and Cowboys from John Reynolds of the Cherokee Nation and Cowboy Poet Roger Stanley. Reynolds will appear at 3:15 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. Stanley will appear at 1:45 p.m. and 2:25 p.m.

zx A recently added blacksmith shop. County resident Sam “Sleeping Bear” Keller will hold blacksmithing demonstrations throughout the day.

zx Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford will be on hand to give children rides in his horse-drawn prison wagon. There will also be hay-wagon rides.

zx Cheryl “Skystones” Keller will be on hand with homemade jewelry, heirloom dolls, leather bags and reenactment clothing made under the Froglady label.

zx Ray Thorpe, a flint knapper, or arrow maker, and amateur archeologist.

zx Nellie “Quiet Dove” Garcia, member of the Apache Nation of the Mescalro tribe.

zx Kenny Thedford, flint knapper, wood carver and third-generation knife maker.

zx A photography contest for individuals and camera club members.