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ELKO, Nev. – Learn about mail order brides and an American Indian perspective on the settlement of the West at the California Trail Interpretive Center. The Trail Center is presenting a variety of programs throughout August. The following programs are free and open to everyone:

Aug.  4, 11, 18, 25, 10:00 a.m.:  Pioneer Story Time
Parents are encouraged to bring their young pioneers to the Trail Center for pioneer stories, followed by fun art projects and games. For youth age four through six.

Aug. 5, 2:00 p.m.:  How to Make Lye Soap
Lye soap has been used to wash clothes for hundreds of years. Learn both traditional and modern techniques for making lye soap.

Aug 6, 2:00 p.m.:  Junior Ranger Program: Pack Your Wagon, It’s Time to Go!
Why was a Dutch oven so important to pioneers? How many socks did they pack in their trunks? Learn what emigrants packed in their wagons, and why.

August 12, 2:00 p.m.:  Mail Order Brides: The Original On-line Dating
By the 1850s there were more eligible bachelors in the West than there were in the East. This program will share real-life tales of women who became mail-order brides. Some were successful and were happily married while others were not so lucky. Join Pami Briggs as she recounts tales of these adventurous women.

Aug. 13, 2:00 p.m.:  Junior Ranger Program:  Pia Sokopia (Earth Mother)
Do you have what it takes to live like a traditional Western Shoshone? Learn how to start a fire with a hand drill, traditional cooking in a basket, and other Great Basin Indian survival skills.

August 19, 2:00 p.m.:  The Forty Mile Desert: “The Worst Desert You Ever Saw”
The Forty Mile Desert was one of the most difficult parts of the trail. Along with the crippling temperatures and lack of water, many had to leave behind their animals, personal belongings and sometimes even their wagon in order to make it. This program will discuss the different routes across the desert, the emigrant experiences and their perseverance in reaching California against all odds.

Aug. 20, 2:00 p.m.:  Junior Ranger Program: Pioneer Journaling: A Glimpse into the Past
Attention all kids:  How do we know what the pioneers thought and felt? Because they wrote their stories down in journals and diaries. Learn about pioneer journals, and create your own journal to document your journeys.

Aug. 26, 2:00 p.m.:  How the West was Stolen
Learn about western expansion from an American Indian perspective. The speaker, Jens Camp, is a recent American Indian Studies graduate from Arizona State. Camp served as a Native American Studies intern at the Trail Center in 2016. He currently serves as a research associate for the Great Basin Institute at the Trail Center.

Aug. 27, 2:00 p.m.:  Junior Ranger Program:  Nevada Skins and Skulls: Predators and Prey
Attention all kids: Learn about Nevada animals. Touch and feel their skulls and skins, and learn about predators and prey.

The California Trail Interpretive Center is located eight miles west of Elko on I-80, Hunter exit 292. The Center is open daily, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information about the California Trail Interpretive Center, call (775) 738-1849. Visit the Trail Center online at www.californiatrailcenter.org or https://www.facebook.com/californiatrailinterpretivecenter/.