MISSISSIPPI TRAILS HIKING CLUB

Water color by Louise Herron HALLIBURTON from 1959 of a hike at Simpsons Furnace near Durango. Besides the invigorating hike there's always vigorous conversation over a cup of coffee. Photo courtesy: Richard "Dick" Vorwald

A map of local hiking trails from 1947 by local naturalist / hiker George Crossley, showing Simpsons in upper left. Photo courtesy: Richard "Dick" Vorwald

MISSISSIPPI TRAILS HIKING CLUB. In May, 1929 the Mississippi Trails Hiking Club was organized by Bernard M. Joy, the first Recreational Commission director. It was supported by the Commission until 1933 when it became an independent organization. The first by-laws were adopted on September 22, 1930 and the name Mississippi Trails Club was selected. Some by-laws changes were made in June, 1969 and also in 1991. One of the changes was to add the word "hiking" to the name making it the Mississippi Trails Hiking Club. Other revisions were made in 1992.

Through the years the records were kept by different people. In recent years they were kept by Howard HIGLEY, the president of the club for six terms during his long membership. The names of he and his wife Joan first appeared in the club's records in 1966. In May, 2017 his grand total was 1,990 hikes.

"First generation club, 1935 Swiss Valley, libely hikes & conversations, at that time a real social event, men & women 'dressed up.' Traditional coffee pot and camp fire. Photo courtesy: Richard "Dick" Vorwald

Albert Giegerich III became the club's historian around 2013 and inherited not only the title but the job of assembling eighty-seven years of records. Included in the mass of artifacts were ledger books, schedules, letters, maps, invitations, photographs, menus, obituaries, bills, scrapbooks, newspaper articles and postcards. Giegerich received it in bags, boxes and folders over a period of weeks. By the time he had assembled all the materials chronologically and then put each in a plastic protective envelope, Giegerich had assembled sixteen binders and photo albums along with a small three-drawer filing cabinet to hold the early ledgers and records of hikes. Early black-and-white photos from 80-year old album pages were remounted in new albums.

'2nd generation' Club members Howard Higley & Jack Rolling, keeping the tradition of lively hikes & conversations alive, Long Valley Hope Farm, Summer 2012. Photo courtesy: Richard "Dick" Vorwald

The following register of officers were assembled by Giegerich:

1929........Bernard Joy...........Founder

1930........Ruby Becker...........Sec. Pro-tem

1931........Betty Coy.............Secretary

1932........Margaret Kohlman......President

1941........Margaret Kohlman......President

1951........Myra Kunz.............President

1952........Phyllis Shultz........President

1953........Delbert Ludwig........President

1954........George Emmons CROSSLEY........President

1955........Arnold Helmrich.......President

1956........Frieda CROSSLEY........President

1957........Frieda Crossly........President

1959........Margaret Miller.......President

1960........Byron Hanna...........President

1961........Byron Hanna...........President

1962-1965...Delbert Ludwig........President

1967........George Crossly........President

1968........Phyllis Shultz........President

1969........Frieda Crossly........President

1970-1971...Joan Higley...........President

1972........Phyllis Shultz........President

1973-1975...Howard Higley.........President

1976-1977...Phyllis Shultz........President

1978........Howard Higley.........President

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Source:

1. Vorwald, Richard (Dick), letter received on May 9, 2020