A First! WFA breaks reunion tradition and crosses the Mississippi River coming all the way to California for its annual reunion. Previous reunions in the "Far West" celebrated Frances Willard (founder of the Women's College at Northwestern University near Chicago) and Archibald Willard of Ohio (painter of the famous 'Spirit of '76".) Now we learned how much further west the "Far West" really extends.

Our WFA reunion celebrated Lewis & Clark Expedition Corps of Discovery member Alexander Hamilton Willard. (Alexander-6, Jonathan-5, Jonathan-4, Jonathan-3, Henry-2, Simon-1) Alexander was born in 1778 near Charlestown, NH. He joined the Army and was an 'artificer' in Capt. Stoddard's artillery company in Illinois Territory when Lewis & Clark came through requisitioning strong backs to pull their boats up to the headwaters of the Missouri River and then to proceed on to the Pacific Ocean. After the end of the Expedition, Alexander lived next door to Capt Clark in St Louis and was sent as a contract blacksmith to treaty Indian tribes. As the War of 1812 loomed, he was back in the Army and was sent as a courier across hostile territory to warn a distant outpost of the impending hostilities. After leaving the Army at the end of the war he settled on a farm in Michigan Territory (present southwestern Wisconsin). He was back again in military service for the Black Hawk War. With the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, he followed his sons to California and settled on a farm in Georgetown (present day Franklin) where he died in 1865.

The Capitol Plaza Holiday Inn in the center of Sacramento was the headquarters hotel. Friday evening was devoted to socializing and dinner. Saturday morning we assembled at the Franklin Cemetery gravesite of Alexander Hamilton Willard.

The Kit Carson Mountain Men provided a color guard. Carl Amudsen and family led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Reverend Findley of the Point Pleasant Methodist Church gave the invocation. Dennis Buscher, president of the Elk Grove Historical Society and Lois More (great granddaughter of Alexander H. Willard) welcomed us. Elizabeth Pinkerton, principal of the James Rutter School, spoke on "America's Hero - The Giant of Georgetown". Henry Kloss, a resident of Franklin, reminisced "My Grandfather Knew Him". Supervisor Toby Johnson of the Sacramento County Fifth District told of "Citizen of California." The Kit Carson Mountain Men fired a memorial gun salute, the Elk Grove school children laid a wreath and Elk Grove High school student Scott Hamel sounded Taps. Sarah Pinkerton, Miss Elk Grove and her Princesses were our guides and hostesses. We then adjourned to the Elk Grove Park for a box lunch. The afternoon was devoted to visiting Old Sacramento and the Railroad Museum. The day's activities concluded with a dinner at the Firehouse.

Now that precedent has been set, are we ready to go even further west and celebrate the Willards of Alaska?