Payson's 125th Celebration

Many townsfolk were involved in celebrating Payson's 125th Anniversary.

Wes Still, also known as the Sheriff, is alarmed by an off-stage heckler during the Zane Grey Mystery, performed as part of Payson’s 125th Anniversary Celebration. The action took place at Majestic Rim, an assisted living center on E. Tyler Parkway in Payson, Saturday, Sept. 29. View photo »
Jinx Pyle regaled the audience at the Mayor’s Breakfast with boyhood tales of adventure. The breakfast was held at Main Street Grille before the start of the Timeline Parade on Main Street. Pyle is a town historian and knows many facts about Payson and its people that you won’t find in any official records. View photo »
A portent of things to come. Thursday evening on Main Street brought intermittent rain and sun during the Community Picnic Auction and the Mock Council meeting, as participants celebrated the 125th activities. View photo »
Breakfast is finished and friends chat about their latest adventures at the Mayor’s Breakfast, held Saturday morning, Oct. 6. From left to right are Carol Flowers, Sheila Riggs, Jim Riggs and Larry Flowers. The Riggs were decked out with a different Western outfit, every day of the celebration. They also participated in the costume judging contest held at Pioneer Park on Main Street. View photo »
Jim West, center, and Kathleen Kelly, right, pay for their slices of pie. Pie eating (a dollar a slice and many flavors to choose from) was a favorite activity between spurts of rain, as everyone waited for the rain to subside during the Thursday evening 125th activities. View photo »
Annette Bashaw, foreground, watches tensely as her ball rolls toward the hole on the 10th green at the Payson Golf Course. Behind her, from left to right, are Sharon King and Joyce Keddington. (Not pictured is Donna Baade.) The foursome was part of the Golf Tourney held on Friday, Oct. 5 during the Payson 125th Anniversary activities. View photo »
Waiting for the judges to come to a decision are entrants in the costume judging contest. All of the contestants wore clothes from the early 1800s up to the early 20th century. The judges were hard pressed to come up with a winner but finally chose the Parson’s wife, Marilynn Kieffer and “Rye Creek Roberts,” also known as David Palmenteer. View photo »
Trying to find a standout cake is no easy task, as these judges can attest. From left to right are Judy Buettner, Cathy Boone and Gay Lene Riepel. A cactus cake from Red Elephant Bakery won. View photo »
A large birthday cake rolls down Main Street in tribute to the 125th Anniversary. The Timeline Parade was separated into time segments and represented what was happening in those times in general and how they related to Payson in particular. View photo »
One of the many demonstrations taking place at the Payson Event Center Sunday was jumping. Others included dressage, Icelandic horse, pole bending and barrel racing. View photo »
Lain Gibbons, left, tries his hand at calf roping, as Aaron Colon gives all the help he can, without actually throwing the rope. A good start for a future cowboy. View photo »
Don Mason takes a close look at a Sunbonnet Sue quilt that was made in Texas in 1937 during the two-day Rim Country Quilt Roundup, an annual event held in conjunction with Payson 125th anniversary festivities. View photo »