Community-wide revival of Tarkiesta May 25

A community-wide annual celebration from the 1940s is being reborn this spring in Tarkio. The Tarkiesta celebration will be held on Sunday, May 25. The theme will be centered on celebrating the 200th birthday of David Rankin.

In the late 19th century, Rankin became the largest farmer in the United States and a key developer of Tarkio. After buying his first land in Atchison County in the 1870s, he moved to Tarkio in 1885 from Illinois at the age of 60. His two sons preceded him to Northwest Missouri. Rankin created a farming empire and pioneered the practice of farming with multi-row cultivators with his army of mules, as well as crop rotation, and profit-sharing with his managers. In addition to his farming enterprises, he also was a co-founder of Tarkio College and established Midland Manufacturing Company, which made cultivators and other farm equipment. Other local enterprises he began included bringing the railroad to Tarkio, Fairfax and Westboro, which was key for development of the town of Tarkio, as well as establishing the First National Bank, local telephone and electric utility service, among several other ventures.

Tarkiesta was first celebrated in August of 1941, suspended during WWII, then resumed in 1946. The festival was last held about 75 years ago.

This year’s celebration will begin with “Cowboy Church” at 8:30 a.m. in the Rotary Theatre at The Curnutt Center at Tarkio Tech. At 10:30 a.m., a community-wide worship service will take place at the Tarkio Presbyterian Church. Reverend Mark Dalbey will be the speaker. Food trucks will be set up at 1st and Main streets for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A historic business “self-tour” will take place during that time on Main Street from 1st to 4th streets. A David Rankin program will be held at 1st and Main from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and a parade will follow at 2:30 p.m. The parade will go up Main Street, starting at 1st and ending at the Tarkio Tech campus. Campus and museum tours (the TCAA Museum at Rankin Hall and the David Rankin Museum at The Curnutt Center) will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Also during that time, mules will be on display on campus. A Rankin Homes riding tour will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. beginning on the west side of the Dr. Jack Schmidt Welding Center on campus. At 5:30 p.m., a wreath ceremony will be held at Tarkio Home Cemetery and Center Grove Cemetery outside of Westboro.