In their annual wagon caravan, the Broken L Wagon Train journeys from Jay to Bonifay. This tradition began in the 1980s and has grown to host riders from around the southern United States.
In 2009, Gene Laws took the train over, and it became the Broken L Wagon Train. The event began to honor traditions and to educate the next generation. “We have kids that are excused from school to ride all week,” said Jan Williams, a participant in the caravan. “They usually write a paper or keep a journal of the trip.”
“We are a family and it’s like a big reunion,” said Williams. Throughout the journey to Bonifay, the riders camp out in pre-determined fields and have community dinners. “We have so many people come to our camps and bring their kids to give them an idea of how things were in the past.”
This year, the train had 12 wagons and 50 outriders over the weekend. The crew made their arrival in Bonifay last week and stayed for the rodeo weekend to enjoy the events.