The annual Cato Day will be presented by the Cato Historical Preservation Association on Saturday, November 8th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Admission is free.

Cato, Kansas – The annual Cato Day will be held on Saturday, November 8th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Cato, Kansas.  This free event, organized by the Cato Historical Preservation Association to celebrate Cato’s pioneer heritage, begins with sign-in at 9 a.m.  Visitors are welcome to arrive any time, but we kindly ask that they sign our guest book.  The day’s activities will start at 9:30 with music and history presented by Matt Wells and friends in the historic Cato Christian Church.  At 10:30, a cavalry drill led by Matt Feild will be presented in the area behind the church, and at 10:45, in the “Old Stone School,” Anna Portwood Swank, Elizabeth Portwood Thompson, and Jamie Thompson will discuss the school’s history.  This will be followed by a historical re-enactment of the 1860 Settler Removal in front of the Pioneer Cabin at 11:30. At 12 noon, we will take an outdoor lunch break with musical entertainment by Jim Harris and the Players Circle.  Cowboy Stew, prepared by Shawn Pryer and the Mighty MO Chuck Wagon crew, will be available, with proceeds benefiting the preservation of Cato’s buildings and supporting educational events for local school children.  Shawn will demonstrate Chuck Wagon and Dutch oven cooking.  Throughout the day, presenters will show guests what life was like in the 1800s, and the Southeast Kansas Antique Tractor Club will display and demonstrate vintage tractors. At 12:30, there will be a raffle for a beautiful quilt donated by longtime member, Sue James of Texas.  The highlight of the event begins at 1 p.m. with a hayrack wagon ride, led by Joe Bournonville, to various local historical sites.  The hayrack ride and Cato Day will end at 3 p.m.  All times are approximate.

Booklets about the history of Cato and the Cherokee Neutral Land (present-day Crawford and Cherokee Counties) will be available for sale.  The Cato Store will also be selling other Cato-related merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more. Cash or check only.  Proceeds from the quilt raffle, “Cowboy Stew,” books, and merchandise support the preservation of Cato’s historic buildings and Cato Kids’ Day, which is held every year for local fourth and fifth-graders.

Cato is located in the northern part of Crawford County, off Hwy 69.  From Hwy 69, turn west on 720th Avenue, and follow the signs to Cato.  Directions can be found at http://catoschool.com/.  The Cato Historical Preservation Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the buildings and history of Cato and the surrounding area. These buildings include the “Old Stone School,” built in 1869; the Cato Christian Church, built in 1915; and a full-sized replica of a cabin the early settlers would have used in the 1860s. The “Old Stone School” is on the National Register of Historic Places.  A stone bridge, part of the “Old Wagon Road,” can also be seen on the property.  Cato is an open-air museum, and its buildings are only open to the public a few times a year, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to spend an afternoon of entertainment and enlightenment in historic Cato.

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