The cattle drive is another great example of how history is brought back to life

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - As the sun sets in the western sky in late September, the City of Marysville comes alive with the sights and sounds of the old west. The Marysville Stampede is brought to us every year by the Rosser family and our own living legend, Cotton Rosser, who takes us back to simpler times and the magic of the cowboy lifestyle that he embodies. In this age of technology and the virtual interactions that have taken over so much of our lives, people are still drawn to Historic Downtown Marysville to see an old-fashioned cattle drive through the streets of one of California’s oldest cities.

As I stood on the corner of 5th and D Street waiting for the cattle drive to appear in the historic heart of the city, I could see the smiles on children’s faces and parents sharing their memories of watching past cattle drives with their children. As the cattle travel down D Street, out pop the cameras and cell phones as people record memories of their children’s first cattle drive. The cowboys tend the cattle in the age-old traditional way right out of a Zane Grey novel.  What makes this experience different is that this happens every year right here in our hometown and you can see and experience it up close and feel the magic of western Americana right in front of you.

I coined a phrase a couple of years, “The Marysville Experience,” and events like this help you experience Marysville and its historic magic. As one of the cattle gets loose from the group at 3rd and D Street, cowboys come alongside and bring the stray back to the drive. You get a picture of the old west right in front of you, and it creates a memory that will be passed on for generations. The Marysville Experience is not how you capture it in a photograph, but how you remember it and how you share it with future generations. The cattle drive is another great example of how history is brought back to life in various ways in Marysville every year and helps us all to remember and celebrate simpler times and the magic of the western lifestyle.