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Galloping Goose Alley, Nowata, OK (2026)

09/15/2026

🪿 DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN SATURDAY MEANT “GOING TO TOWN”?

There was a time when “going to town” meant much more than running errands.
For rural families, Saturday could be the event of the week.

You got dressed. You piled into the car. You came to town for groceries, shoes, fabric, a haircut—or maybe something you had been saving your pennies to buy.

But you also came to see people. You walked the sidewalks. You looked in the store windows. You stopped when you saw somebody you knew—and in a small town, that could take awhile. 😂

Children might have a few coins burning a hole in their pockets. Teenagers had their own reasons for wanting to go to town. And if there was time and money for a movie or a treat, Saturday became even better.

By the end of the day, purchases were loaded up and everybody headed home.

But that's the general story of small-town America.

🪿 Gus wants to know the NOWATA story.

What do YOU remember about going to town on Saturday?

What stores did your family visit?

Where did you eat?

Did you go to the movies?

Where did the teenagers gather?

Did your parents give you spending money—and what did you buy?

What did downtown smell and sound like?

And here's the big one:

❤️ What is one thing about those Saturdays you wish today's children could experience?

Don't worry about dates or getting every detail exactly right. Tell us your memory.

Someone else may read your comment and say:

“OH MY GOODNESS! I remember that too!”

And that's how Nowata's stories stay alive. 🪿❤️

09/09/2026

🪿 THE GOOSE WANTS TO KNOW...

Galloping Goose Alley has come a long way—but we're not finished having fun yet! ❤️
So Gus has a question:

If you could add ONE fun thing to Galloping Goose Alley, what would it be?

🎶 More music?
🎨 More art?
🌸 Flowers?
🎲 Outdoor games?
📸 A fun photo spot?
💡 More lights?
🍿 A special event?
🪑 A place to sit and visit?

Or something we haven't even thought of?

Don't worry about cost. Don't worry about whether it's practical. 😂

We just want to hear your ideas.

👇 Finish this sentence:

“I would come to Galloping Goose Alley to __________.”

You never know when one little idea might turn into the next great addition to the Alley.

🪿 Gus says: Let's make some fun!

I really like that fill-in-the-blank question. It gives us better information than “What should we add?”

Someone might answer listen to music, eat lunch, play checkers, take my grandchildren, have coffee, see local art, attend a market.

And those answers tell us something much more valuable:

What would actually bring people into the Alley? Ask your friends, neighbors, etc!

Plus, if we get good responses, next week's post practically writes itself:

🪿 “YOU SPOKE. THE GOOSE LISTENED.” 😂❤️

This post was made by Suzan Perkins, member of the NBV

09/04/2026

🤖📚 ROBBIE GOT HIS LICENSE! 😂
Remember Robbie the Reading Robot, our little book-sharing robot who has been waiting for just the right place for his next adventure? We listened to your suggestions, thanks community!

We found it! ❤️ The Nowata Boys & Girls Club has approved a new home for Robbie outside the Club building! Let's give the Nowata Boys & Girls Club a BIG THANKS. We listen to your suggestions, thanks community for your input.

And we think Robbie is going to be VERY happy there. He'll be filled with books for children to discover, take home and enjoy—and you don't need a library card, money or even a book to trade.

🤖 ROBBIE'S READING RULES
Find a book you like.
Take it home and read it!
Keep it, bring it back, or share it with a friend.
Have a good children's book you no longer need?
You can share that, too.
❤️ Please help us keep Robbie happy and full of books! READ • SHARE • REPEAT

❤️ KEEP IT, RETURN IT OR SHARE IT.
When you're finished, you can bring the book back, give it to a friend, or pass it along for another child to enjoy.

📖 HAVE A BOOK TO SHARE?
You can leave a children's book in Robbie for somebody else. Please make sure it's clean and in good condition.

🌻 LEAVE SOME FOR THE NEXT READER.
Robbie loves sharing!

🤖 AND PLEASE TAKE CARE OF ROBBIE.
He's everyone's little reading robot.

🤖📚 Something exciting is coming! We’re planning a special Grand Opening for Robbie the Reading Robot at his new home outside the Nowata Boys & Girls Club—with books, kids, and a little Nowata fun!

Stay tuned... Robbie is getting ready to open his door! ❤️📚🤖

📓 Lulu says: BE CURIOUS.
🪿 Gus says: DISCOVER.
🤖 Robbie says: SHARE.
And Robbie?

He's going to be right there with them.

❤️ WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME, ROBBIE!

09/03/2026

🪿🚋 COME TAKE A RIDE ON NOWATA'S GALLOPIN' GOOSE

Imagine you're standing in Nowata many years ago. You aren't waiting for a car.
You're waiting for No. 75.

The Gallopin' Goose.

Back in 2009, while researching the images depicted in one of Nowata's murals, I wrote about the Gallopin' Goose as car No. 75 of the Union Electric interurban line. I had completely forgotten about that old blog until we recently went searching for documentation about the Goose...

…and found my own research from 17 years ago! 😂

But this time we found even more. An old historical account describes what it was actually like to ride Nowata's Gallopin' Goose.

So climb aboard.

🚋 THE SEATS

The upholstery was maroon velvet—and by then, pretty well worn. Fresh white linen covers were placed over the headrests. Even better, the seats could be reversed. Traveling with friends or family? Turn your seat around and visit face-to-face while the Goose rattled along.

🚋 LOOK ABOVE YOUR HEAD

Advertisements lined the space above the windows. I would LOVE to know what Nowata and Coffeyville businesses advertised inside No. 75.

🚋 AND WATCH WHAT YOU STEP OVER!

The Goose wasn't carrying only passengers. People traveled with the necessities of everyday rural life. Cream cans. Egg cases. Groceries. Chicken feed. Fence wire.

And sometimes...boxes of baby chicks. 🐥🐥🐥

Can't you just hear that trip? Clackety-clack...clackety-clack...Cheep-cheep-cheep-cheep...

🪿 Gus says this sounds like perfectly respectable public transportation.

🚋 NOW LOOK OUT THE WINDOW

This wasn't simply transportation between two big stations. The trolley could stop along the route to pick up waiting passengers. For people living in rural northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, that connection mattered.

Nowata's interurban linked our community northward toward Coffeyville and into the larger Union Electric system. And then came the automobile.

More families had cars. Roads improved. The way people traveled changed.
Eventually, the old interurban era came to an end.

But No. 75 wasn't quite finished. On July 19, 1947, decorated with flags and bunting, Nowata's Gallopin' Goose made a ceremonial final trip over the full line from Nowata to Parsons, Kansas.

Think about the people who must have watched her go.

And here's the part that makes this history especially meaningful to us today.

We have old film footage showing a trolley traveling behind downtown Nowata, making the turn and heading toward the trolley barn. Right through the area we now call Galloping Goose Alley.

📓 LULU'S HISTORY MYSTERY

Do you have an old photograph showing the Gallopin' Goose?
Did someone in your family ride it?
Do you remember hearing stories about No. 75?
Perhaps there's a ticket, timetable, newspaper clipping or photograph tucked away in an old family box.
Look on the BACK of those photographs, too!
Someone may have written the clue we've been looking for.

🤖 Robbie says: SHARE what you find.

🪿 Gus says: DISCOVER.

📓 Lulu says: BE CURIOUS.

And somewhere, 2009 me is apparently saying:

“I already told you it was No. 75!” 😂😂😂

This post was made by Suzan Perkins, NBV member.

08/28/2026

🏫📓🪿🤖 LULU, GUS & ROBBIE HAVE ANOTHER NOWATA HISTORY MYSTERY...
Lulu opened her notebook. “Gus...how many Lincoln Schools were there?”

Gus looked puzzled. “One?”

🤖 Robbie started digging through the history books.

And that's when our three little explorers discovered that the story of Lincoln School in Nowata is much bigger than one building.

🔎 So far, we've found evidence of THREE school buildings connected to its history.

And what began as a school created for Nowata's Black children during segregation would eventually become part of a very different chapter in our community—the Head Start program.

That's quite a journey.

Lincoln School's story stretches across generations of Nowata families: children who learned there, teachers who devoted much of their lives to those children, families who lived through segregation and integration, and later another generation of little ones who walked through those doors as Head Start children.

But Lulu has discovered a problem.

📓 We don't have the WHOLE story yet.

And that's where YOU come in.

We're looking for:

🏫 Photographs of ANY of the Lincoln School buildings
📚 Old report cards, programs or school papers
👩‍🏫 Names and photographs of teachers
🎓 Class pictures and graduation pictures
📅 Memories of when each building was used
📍 Help identifying exactly where the different buildings stood
❤️ And most importantly—YOUR STORIES.

Did you attend Lincoln School?

Did your parents or grandparents?

Did you later attend Head Start in the Lincoln building?

Did someone in your family teach or work there?

Please tell us what you remember.

A building can disappear.

A street can disappear.

Records can get tucked away in boxes.

But when a community begins putting its photographs, documents and memories together, something wonderful happens:

We can rebuild the story.

Not the building.

The STORY. ❤️

And there's one teacher Lulu keeps finding as she follows the Lincoln School trail...

Mrs. Mabel Vinters.

She taught generations of Nowata children.

But what people remember about Mrs. Vinters isn't only what she taught from a schoolbook.

They remember...

her basket. 🧺❤️

Lulu has already written THAT story in her notebook.

We'll tell you about Mrs. Vinters' Daily Basket next.

📓 Lulu — Be Curious.
🪿 Gus — Discover.
🤖 Robbie — Share.

Because sometimes the most important history of a town isn't about famous people or grand buildings.

Sometimes it's about a teacher who carried a basket to school every single day.

COMING NEXT: 🧺 The Story of Mrs. Vinters' Daily Basket

08/25/2026

🚋🪿 LOOK CLOSELY, NOWATA — YOU'RE WATCHING HISTORY TURN INTO GALLOPING GOOSE ALLEY!

Take a good look at this old trolley.

This screenshot comes from the old film “Union Electric Railway Nowata, Oklahoma to Parsons, Kansas.” And this isn't just an old trolley traveling somewhere around Nowata. Look where it's going. In the film, the trolley travels behind the row of downtown buildings, makes the turn...and heads directly into the alley we know today as GALLOPING GOOSE ALLEY, continuing toward the old trolley barn. 🚋❤️

For those of us working to preserve and reenergize the Alley, seeing that happen on film is pretty special.

Suddenly, we're not just imagining tracks running through downtown Nowata.

We're watching the trolley make the trip.

🪿 BUT GUS HAS A HISTORY MYSTERY FOR US...

Take another look at the trolley in this photograph. It certainly LOOKS like the trolley we've seen identified in old Nowata photographs and memories as the Galloping Goose. But we're history detectives around here—and we're not going to turn “it sure looks like it!” into historical fact until we can document it. 😂

Here's what we DO know:

🚋 Nowata was served by the Union Traction Company and later the Union Electric Railway.

🛤️ The interurban line connected Nowata north through Kansas, including Coffeyville and Parsons.

🚋 Passenger trolley service continued into Nowata until 1947.

🏢 And this wonderful old film actually shows the trolley turning behind downtown and entering the alley on its way toward the trolley barn.

What we're still trying to document is something many local people have known and repeated for generations:

When—and why—did Nowata begin calling its trolley the “Galloping Goose”?

🔎 That's where YOU come in.

Did your parents or grandparents talk about riding the Galloping Goose?

Do you have an old photograph with that name written on the back?

An old newspaper clipping?

A postcard?

A ticket?

A family story?

Do you recognize the trolley in this picture?

Or can you identify any of the buildings visible in the old film?

PLEASE share what you know in the comments.

Sometimes local history isn't waiting for us in a history book.

It's tucked inside an old photo album, written on the back of a photograph, or carried in a story that has been passed from one generation to another.

🎥 WATCH THE OLD FILM HERE:
https://youtu.be/8gFdAiyx1jM

When you get to downtown Nowata, watch closely for that turn.

Then the next time you walk through Galloping Goose Alley, imagine what once happened right beneath your feet:

Rails.

Overhead electric lines.

A trolley coming around the corner.

Passengers heading to and from Nowata.

And a little alley doing a much bigger job than we might ever have guessed. ❤️

🪿 GUS'S HISTORY MYSTERY:

Can we prove that THIS was Nowata's Galloping Goose?

We're looking!

And we're asking Nowata to help us solve it.

08/19/2026

🎡📓 LULU, GUS & ROBBIE ARE READY FOR THE FAIR!

Going to the Nowata County Free Fair this September? Take our three little Galloping Goose Alley explorers along!

We created a FREE Fair Explorer Activity Page especially for the kiddos. ❤️

Lulu wants children to do more than walk through the Fair—she wants them to LOOK, ASK QUESTIONS and DISCOVER!

🔵 Find a blue ribbon
🐄 Say hello to an animal
🌽 Discover something grown in Nowata County
🧵 Find something handmade
🎡 Explore the sights, sounds and fun
❤️ Thank one of the volunteers who makes the Fair possible
👵 And find something an older generation might remember from fairs long ago

Print or save the activity page below and let your little explorer bring it along!

And remember Lulu's three rules:

📓 BE CURIOUS.
🪿 DISCOVER.
🤖 SHARE.

Who knows what they'll find?

Of course, Gus has only one concern...

Can a goose enter the poultry competition? 😂🪿

🎡 Nowata County Free Fair — September 16–20, 2026

08/19/2026

🎡🪿🤖📓 LULU, GUS & ROBBIE ARE GOING TO THE NOWATA COUNTY FREE FAIR!

One morning in Galloping Goose Alley, Lulu came running toward Gus with her notebook tucked under her arm.

“Gus! Gus! Look what I found!”

Gus adjusted his little conductor's hat.

“Is it a history mystery?”

“Nope.”

“A railroad clue?”

“Nope.”

“A really good snack?”

Lulu rolled her eyes. 😂

“THE NOWATA COUNTY FREE FAIR IS COMING!”

That got Robbie's attention.

🤖 “Did someone say FAIR?”

And just like that, our three little Galloping Goose Alley explorers had their next adventure.

🎡 THE 2026 NOWATA COUNTY FREE FAIR — SEPTEMBER 16–20!

But Lulu doesn't want to just GO to the fair.

She wants to EXPLORE it.

📓 Lulu wants to find out who grew the biggest tomato, baked the prettiest pie, canned those beautiful jars of vegetables, raised the animals and made all those wonderful projects.

🪿 Gus plans to investigate the livestock barns, look for old Nowata County traditions and probably stick his beak somewhere it doesn't belong.

🤖📚 And Robbie?

Robbie wants to discover what the kids of Nowata County are making, growing, learning and dreaming about.

Because a county fair isn't just rides, ribbons and food.

It's one of those wonderful places where generations meet.

Grandparents remember entering projects years ago.

Parents bring their children. 4-H and FFA kids show what months of work can accomplish. Gardeners bring the best of their harvest. Cooks bring recipes that sometimes go back generations. Artists and makers bring what their hands have created. Local vendors bring their businesses and ideas. And kids get to experience a tradition that has been part of rural America for generations.

The theme on this year's fair brochure says it beautifully:

❤️ OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR HERITAGE.
OUR FUTURE.

That's pretty much what Lulu, Gus and Robbie are all about too.

📓 Lulu — Be Curious.
🪿 Gus — Discover.
🤖 Robbie — Share.

So over the next month, our little explorers are going to learn more about the Nowata County Free Fair—and we want YOU to help them.

📓 A NOTE FROM LULU!

“Wait a minute! Before we explore the Fair, we have to know what we can ENTER!” ❤️ Did you know the Nowata County Free Fair isn't just something you go SEE?

You can be part of it!

🥧 Do you bake?

🥒 Can or preserve food?

🍅 Grow vegetables?

🌻 Grow flowers?

🎨 Paint, draw or make crafts?

🧵 Sew, quilt, crochet or create something by hand?

🐄 Raise or show animals?

There may be a place at the Fair for something YOU do!

📚 Want to know what you can enter?

Stop by the Nowata County OSU Extension Office, located right on the fairgrounds:

📍 612 E. Roxy, Nowata

and pick up a 2026 Nowata County Free Fair Entry Book.

Lulu has her notebook ready.

Gus is already wondering whether geese qualify for the poultry division. 🪿😂

And Robbie says if there's a book involved, he's definitely interested. 🤖📚

Don't just come to the Fair this year.

ENTER SOMETHING!

You might discover a talent you didn't even know deserved a blue ribbon. 💙🏆

🎡 Nowata County Free Fair
September 16–20, 2026

Our Community. Our Heritage. Our Future.

🎡 Did you enter something in the fair when you were a child?

🏆 Do you still have an old fair ribbon?

🐄 Did your family show livestock?

🥧 Was there someone in your family who ALWAYS entered a pie, cake, quilt, canned goods or garden produce?

📸 Do you have old Nowata County Fair photographs?

Share your memories and pictures in the comments!

We may discover some wonderful Nowata County history before Lulu, Gus and Robbie ever make it through the fair gates.

And Lulu already has one question written in her notebook...

“Gus, can geese enter the poultry competition?”

Gus isn't answering. 🪿😂

📅 Nowata County Free Fair — September 16–20, 2026

And for our local makers and small businesses: inside vendor booths are available for $25, with setup September 16 and required vendor dates September 17–19.

Let's SHOP LOCAL, SUPPORT LOCAL and CELEBRATE LOCAL.

See you at the Fair! 🎡❤️

08/14/2026

📓🪿🤖 LOOK WHO JUST ARRIVED AT GALLOPING GOOSE ALLEY!

We have been having a little fun behind the scenes...and somehow THREE new personalities have emerged. ❤️

Meet Lulu, Gus & Robbie!

📓 LULU — BE CURIOUS.
Inspired by the real Lulu M. Hefner of Nowata, our little Lulu carries her notebook everywhere. She notices things. She asks questions. She wants to know the stories behind the places and people around her.

🪿 GUS — DISCOVER.
Gus is our Galloping Goose, complete with his little conductor's hat! He'll be helping us investigate Nowata history, solve mysteries and discover things we may have walked past a hundred times without noticing.

🤖📚 ROBBIE — SHARE.
Robbie the Reading Robot is actually REAL! Our colorful Little Free Library was created from an old newspaper box and is filled with books for children. We're currently looking for a better home for Robbie where more kiddos can visit him and take a book.

And now our three friends have their very first adventure together!

🔎 LULU'S LITTLE EXPLORER CLUB — ADVENTURE #1: EXPLORE YOUR TOWN

It's a FREE activity sheet created especially for our kiddos.

Children can:

🔎 Go on Lulu's Look & Find
🕵️ Become a History Detective
🪿 Complete Gus's Goose Chase
📚 Take Robbie's Reading Mission
❤️ Do Lulu's Kindness Challenge
👵 Ask an older person what Nowata was like when THEY were a kid

There's no test.

No grade.

Just LOOK. WONDER. ASK. DISCOVER.

We want our children to learn that their own little town is worth exploring—and that the people around them have stories worth hearing.

Our three friends each have a job:

📓 Lulu says: Be Curious.
🪿 Gus says: Discover.
🤖 Robbie says: Share.

And together they're going to help us introduce another generation of Nowata kids to their community, its history and each other. ❤️

We have a feeling this may be only Adventure #1.

After all, Lulu already has another question...

“Can a goose even gallop?” 😂🪿

📚 Parents & grandparents: Save the activity sheet below, print it out, and send your Little Explorer off on an adventure! It's completely FREE.

I would also put a few printed copies inside Robbie once he gets his new home. 🤖

08/10/2026

🪿📚 THE GOOSE WANTS TO KNOW...

WHERE SHOULD OUR LITTLE FREE LIBRARY LIVE? His name is Robbie the Reading Robot. Well, Robbie needs a new home! Help us decide.

Some of you may recognize our little robot library downtown. 🤖📚

It started life as an old newspaper box that the Nowata Star gave us, got a colorful new personality, and became a Little Free Library for children. Our very beloved AERO painted him with much love and character that only AERO could do.

There's just one problem...

The kiddos aren't using it very much.

And we think we know why.

It isn't in a spot that's particularly convenient for children and families.

So instead of guessing where it should go, we're asking YOU!

📍 Where in Nowata would children be most likely to see it, stop by and grab a book?

We're looking for a location that is:

📚 Easy for children and families to reach
🚶 Somewhere kids already walk or spend time
👀 Visible enough that people notice it
❤️ Safe and welcoming
🤝 Somewhere the community can help keep an eye on it

Maybe near a playground? A walking route? A community gathering place? Somewhere we haven't even thought about?

Tell us your idea in the comments!

If you have a specific location in mind, tell us where AND why you think it would work.

Our little robot doesn't care where he lives. 🤖

He just wants a job where he can give away lots and lots of books to kids! ❤️📚

Let's find him a better home, Nowata! Next week, a activity page will be introduced for the kiddos and will be placed in Robbie when he gets his new home.

Galloping Goose Alley

09/15/2026

09/09/2026

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

08/28/2026

08/25/2026

08/19/2026

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08/14/2026

08/10/2026

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