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LaMoille Buffalo Days
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Held in LaMoille,
Illinois | |
Schedule of events:
Planning Meetings have begun - the next one will be Wednesday, Feb. 20th at 7:00
p.m.
at LaMoille Village Hall
This year's theme: To Be Announced
What is Buffalo Days?
In 2006, it was a three-day event held to celebrate LaMoille
community. In 1973 it started with an idea! Mr. Newton Lundquist,
local undertaker, generated the idea to put LaMoille (pronounced laMOYL),
Illinois on the map and celebrate with a festival, "Buffalo Days."
An excerpt from Buffalo (a souvenir program), Spring 1973, written by Robert Henery...
"Would you give $100 to own
part of a live buffalo?" we asked folks around LaMoille, population 700, last
September. The number of "YES's" was astounding. Within a week over
$2,300 was collected. We bought a buffalo bull, two cows and month-old
calf from Warren Van Hook of West Point, IN. Upon the arrival of the
buffalo truck September 30, LaMoille turned out hundreds of happy people who
staged a parade covered by TV, radio and newspapers. The gentle little
family lives in a rustic barn at the edge of town where Mr. and Mrs. Raymond
Hensel provided two acres for buffalo roaming. Four local men took over
the care and feeding. All feed is donated. The community is
enthusiastic about this new venture and response has been fantastic.
School children competed to name the animals, winning buffalo statues and places
in the big June parade. Winning names are Calamity Jane, Blossom, Buffer
and Bullregard submitted by John Carpenter, David Ross, Roberta Henery and Donna
Sampo."