It was a scene from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Fort Pierre wagon train riders and coach drivers rolled into Fort Meade late Wednesday afternoon, recreating history of more than 100 years ago - except Calamity Jane and Deadwood Dick didn't have cell phones to call home.

"Surprisingly, it's gone really fast," rider Ginger Massie of Pierre said. She was sad that the train ride, which started July 28, was almost over.

The wagon train is retracing a trail to Deadwood, last used by such large groups in 1908.

It has been a rolling history lesson. On Wednesday, the train crossed over where Lt. Col. George Custer crossed 130 years ago to the day, Monte Putzier of Sioux Falls said.

"We realize how tough it was for our forefathers to come through this country," he said.

Massie said today's trail riders could not have made it without such modern conveniences as horse trailers and cell phones. "I have more respect for the people on the trail," she said.

When James Patrick and Marvin Rask pulled their team into Fort Meade, they immediately began to fix the strap on the horses, adding another hole.

"There are constant adjustments to make, reevaluating what you need to do to make things better," Patrick of Watertown said. The horses anxiously stamped their feet, and one neighed, biting at the bit.

"They know when it's quitting time," Rask of New Underwood said. "It's like a clock in their head."

Rask joined the wagon train a few miles north of New Underwood on a "fluke," he said. Patrick had dealt with some problems from his team, and Rask was there to help him out.

The trail experience was more than hard work to Patrick.

"It fires people back up again. This is what we're here for, to recreate the time," said Patrick, who rode in a chuck wagon rebuilt for the ride and dressed in clothing styled from the 19th century. "It wouldn't do you good to drive an authentic chuck wagon in street clothes."

Cheyenne DeHerrera wore a contemporary T-shirt and jeans with her cowboy boots but said her trail experience was equally invaluable.

"I've been on the trail ride every day. It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it," the 12-year-old rider from Viewfield said. She has missed air conditioning but has new respect for the pioneer settlers.

Bumps, steep hills and crossing waterways made for a wild ride at times. Last Friday, a stagecoach tipped over while crossing the Cheyenne River north of Wasta, injuring a spectator on the river bank.

Todd Bender and Clay Austin were driving that team at the time and said the coach didn't hit the water, as had been reported. The stagecoach's tongue broke but was later repaired, and they were moving in under an hour and caught up with the rest of the train before noon, Bender said.

Doug Hansen restored the stagecoach, which made a run on the trail 100 years ago. Bender and Austin both felt a sense of accomplishment with their journey, especially with the steep hills.

"Going down is a chore. It's an incredible business, an undertaking," Bender said. "It's been quite an adventure."

Some people welcoming the wagons to Fort Meade were hoping for rides with some of the riders. But three children were thrilled to sit in one of the stopped stagecoaches. Austin Dirk, 9, who has cerebral palsy, was all smiles as some men lifted him, his sister and brother into the coach. Then, they put him up in the driver's seat.

Austin's sister, Shaley, 5, told her mother that she wanted one of her own.

"I wish we could buy a stagecoach, too," mother Shannon Dirk said. The Vale family already owns a couple of wagons and a buggy. They came to see the train come in because "anything horse-related is better than sitting in front of the TV," Shannon Dirk said.

For others who came to watch, it was a history lesson, according to Jean Lahman of Thornton, Colo. She and her sister-in-law, Lea Small of Royston, England, wanted to see the wagon train after having read about it.

"It will be one of the best experiences of their lives," Small said.

The Fort Pierre to Deadwood Trail Ride activites:

Thursday, Aug. 14

The Fort Pierre to Deadwood wagon train will arrive at the Oak Grove Way Station by noon. The final overnight stop is on the Boulder Canyon Prairie.

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Firearms & Old West Auction & Show Preview, Deadwood Pavilion

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Auction Productions will conduct appraisals, Deadwood Pavilion

Friday, Aug.15

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Firearms & Old West Auction & Show Preview, Deadwood Pavilion

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Auction Productions will be doing the appraisals, Deadwood Pavilion

Noon - Wagon Trains arrive in Deadwood

Noon - Dignitaries from both rides meet on Main Street

4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Barbecue at the Days of '76 Rodeo Grounds, provided by C-Bar J Catering

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Entertainment and dancing; music by Paul Larson, Kenny Putnam and Jingle Bob Dennis

Saturday, Aug. 16

9 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Auction Preview, Deadwood Pavilion

11 a.m. - Auction, Deadwood Pavilion

2 p.m. - Tours available of Deadwood and historic sites

4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Barbecue at the Days of '76 Rodeo Grounds

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Entertainment and dancing

Sunday, Aug.17

9 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Auction Preview, Deadwood Pavilion

11 a.m. - Auction, Deadwood Pavilion

You can view auction items at www.auctionproductions.com or call Auction Productions at 928-632-8000, Little Johns Auctions Service at 714-939-1170, or Dakota Plains Auction at 605-209-4322 for additional information.