Our winter has now concluded, and the days grow fair. We embrace the warmth of the sun upon our faces as we venture further from home, unencumbered with concerns of Mother Nature. The days seem brighter, and the smell of blossoming lilacs is so fragrant.

We move toward summer once again with thoughts of rest and relaxation and embrace all that is good. I walk this day and stop for a moment to visit the Morrill Farm cows grazing along the roadside. As I approach, they recognize and greet me gently. The warmth of their touch as they nuzzle my hand is deeply comforting and allows my thoughts to wander. I travel back to the year 1947, when the Concord Police Department was urgently summoned for a cattle drive right here in our fair city.

It was late at night when the silence of the evening was broken by the sound of a double-decker truck approaching Sewall’s Falls Road. The truck was operated by a local gentleman hauling livestock. As Mr. Bouchard approached Sewall’s Falls, the split-body coupling failed, and the truck overturned. Fortunately, Mr. Bouchard survived without serious injury, but the contents of his large truck became an instant concern. He was transporting 127 calves, all of whom were immediately released.

At 1:30 a. m., the Concord Police Department was notified about the accident and arrived in time to see the calves wandering toward Penacook in a scattered pattern. They were enjoying their newfound freedom and wandered without a concern, dispersing further away from the scene as the moments passed.

The Concord Police officers dispatched with instructions to round up the cattle were Sergeant Walter Carlson and officers John Snow, Jason Hines, Wesley Clement, Richard Campbell, Frank Stebbins, Walter Nelson and John Caldon. Without the benefit of lassos, boots and chaps, the officers ventured into the surrounding forest, attempting

It was reported that by 10 the next morning 110 calves had been apprehended, with 17 still prowling around, locations unknown. The search continued for the remainder of the day, with more police reinforcements arriving for the next shift.

The Concord Police officers good-heartedly acknowledged this to be one of the most unique occurrences in recent memory, certainly more exciting than rescuing a kitten from a tree or delivering a newborn baby. But it was the young officers who became the brunt of the jokes that followed in the coming years. With a multitude of humor, the men who responded late that evening simply became known as the Concord Police Range Riders.

May the memories of the officers who gallantly responded late that night in 1947 remain time-honored and respected by all. It is my hope that the Concord Police Range Riders rode off into the sunset over 75 years ago, to a place where old stories survive and where people still appreciate a good roundup.