KNOX, Pa. (EYT) – The Knox Horsethief Days festival will kick off on Saturday with the annual Softball Tournament.
There’s something for everyone at Knox Horsethief Days which runs through Saturday, August 17.
Thanks to the sponsors, all spectator events are completely free.
The annual softball tournament will begin on Saturday, August 10, and continue on Sunday, August 11.
Throughout the week, there will be yard sales, live music, a bed race and obstacle course challenge, a bike race, tractor races, and many other activities.
Food will be also available at the Knox Fire Hall and Edenburg Church.
The Firemen’s Parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, followed by an ice cream social at Knox United Methodist Church, and then fireworks at dusk.
Volunteers and sponsors are needed. For more information, visit Knox Borough’s website.
History of Horsethief Days
Knox gained its reputation as the Horsethief Capital of the United States through the operations of Sebastian “Boss” Buck, who was touted as the most notorious horse thief in US history. He and his gang continuously moved a string of stolen horses along a trail from Kentucky to Maine.
Clarion County was renowned for its horse thieves in the 1800′s. The county had this reputation because it is the only locale in the eastern U.S. where a man was hung as a horse thief. Horse thieving relates to the Buck family because one of the most famous of the thieves was Buck. Although he was a known horse thief, he was never convicted of this crime. Boss was not hung as a horse thief, but he did spend about five years in jail for counterfeiting.
Horsethief Days originated back when Sebastian (Boss) Buck started stealing horses and altering their appearance, so when he sold them that the real owners wouldn’t discover that the horses that Boss was selling were theirs. Boss wasn’t an educated man, but he was the planner of all the schemes and had the intelligence, power, and daring, to be the leader of the horse thieves.
According to bossbuck.blogspot.com, Buck lived up to certain standards that kept him in the good graces of those who looked upon his livelihood with scorn. He would not permit the theft of a horse from a person who could not afford to lose the animal.
Like Jesse James, there are innumerable stories in circulation as to his acts of kindness, his generosity as well as his desperation.
It is said that Buck did not sanction cruelty or murder on the part of his clansmen. Horse stealing and counterfeiting seemed to be his vocation. At Eagle Furnace, Bear Creek, and just west of Parker’s Landing were three distinct counterfeiting plants under the direction of Buck.
2019 Tentative Horsethief Schedule
Saturday, August 10:
– Food: Knox Fire Hall and Edenburg Church
– 8:00 a.m. Annual Softball Tourney
– Guts and Glory Tractor Pulls behind Fire Hall
Sunday, August 11:
– Food: Knox Fire Hall — Hot Sausage/Edenburg Church
– 8:00 a.m. Softball Tourney Continues
– 11:00 a.m. Rod and Gun Club Gun Raffle at the club
– 11:00 a.m. Multi-Church Service on Main Street Stage, Mike Dunlap guest speaker
– Keystone Mini Rod and Antique Tractor Pull
Street Closed 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Monday, August 12:
– 5:00 p.m. Rod and Gun Bingo, doors open at 5, starts at 6:00 p.m. — open to the public
Tuesday, August 13:
– Food: Brown/Asian/Fly by Night
– 5:00 p.m. Cornhole Tournament on Main Street, sign up
– 6:00 p.m. Edenburg Church corn hole golf course on Main Street
– 6:00 p.m. Rod and Gun Chili Cook Off at Rod and Gun, open to the public to bring in chili
– 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Music: Ashleigh Bennett on Main Street Stage
Street Closed 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 14:
– Food: Knox Fire Hall — Hot Sausage/Edenburg Church/Brown/Asian/Fly By Night
– 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Rod and Gun Picnic at club; open to the public, Free
– 5:00 p.m. Registration Tractor Races & Meeting
– 6:00 p.m. LawnTractor/Push Mower Races
– 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Music: White Cat Out 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Main Street Stage
Street Closed 12:01 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 15:
– Food: Edenburg Church breakfast at church/Brown/Asian/Fly By Night
– 3:00 p.m. until sold out Rod and Gun Ribs & Chicken BBQ at club
– 5:00 p.m. Lion’s Bike Races sign up/Power Wheels following and Bed Races on Main Street
– 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Music: Tunes In A Bucket on Main Street Stage
– Community Theater at Knox United Methodist Church
Street Closed 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday, August 16:
– Food: Knox Fire — Hot Sausage/Brown/Asian/Church/Fly By Night
– 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. John Winkler Car Show/Bike Night
– 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sons of Legion Brisket BBQ at Legion Hall, open to the public, Music: Lonesome Bob 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
– 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Inside Wine/Shine/Craft/Cider Festival at Knox Volunteer Fire Co. Hall
– 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Music: Billy and The Neptunes 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Main Street Stage
Street Closed 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 17:
– Food: Mason Breakfast pancakes/sausage at Mason Hall 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m./Knox Fire Sausage/Edenburg Church/Brown/Asian/Fly By Night/Mason BBQ Ribs and Pulled Pork in Alley from 11:00 a.m. until the parade
– Games all day at Edenburg Church
– 8:00 a.m. Street Sales on Main Street
– 8:00 a.m. Lion’s Broom Sale and Raffle All Day, Pull Winners at 5:00 p.m.
– 9:00 a.m. Tractor Show & Hit and Miss on Main Street
– 10:00 a.m. Jeep Invasion behind Fire Hall
– 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Music: Robyn Young
– 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bingo at SMILES
– 3:00 p.m. Scavenger Hunt Main Street
– 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and one hour after the parade, Music by Gravel Lick
– 5:00 p.m. Little Firefighters Winners Main Street Stage
– 5:00 p.m. Recognize Citizen of the Year
– 5:30 p.m. Fireman’s Parade
– After parade, Knox United Methodist Church Ice Cream Social
– 6:30 p.m. Soccer Scrimmage at High School vs. Redbank
– Peak Pyro Fireworks (Kellners) at dark
Street Closed 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
For more details, visit https://knoxborough.com
