Submitted by Bonni Smith

Rose Rowan was a longtime resident of Caliente. When she was 90 years old, she was living in Bountiful, Utah, and shared the following memories with her friend Janet Gray, who lived in Caliente.

Rose stated that in 1950, she and her husband, Dan Rowan, along with their friends Kathryn and Bud Duffin, Bill and Doris McGhie and Ross and Betty Harrison and their families, decided to have a picnic in Dixon Park over Memorial weekend. There were many people in town that weekend because of Memorial Day. They would stop by the park and ask what was going on.  After much discussion, it was decided that they would make it a tradition and ask community members, families and friends from out of town and make it an annual “homecoming.” The first official Homecoming was in 1951. Don Rowan was the chairman, and he served in that position for eight years.

The group would get together and plan the menu (BBQ beef, bean, coleslaw, cupcakes, etc.) The menu has stayed almost the same since the first year.  In the beginning Cora Stackhouse and Rose would go to every home in Caliente and ask them to make coleslaw or cupcakes or to volunteer to help serve during Homecoming. Later it was decided to delegate each street to either bring coleslaw or cupcakes.

Ross Harrison and Bob Vowles would order the beef and prepare it in a pit.  The first pit was put in the Soil Conservation grounds. A new pit was later built and placed in Rose Park by the city crew. That pit is still in use today.

Homecoming ribbons were used in the beginning but have since been replaced with Homecoming buttons. At one time up to 600 people were served at the barbecue. Many of the old traditions still stay the same, but many new ones have been added. Homecoming is now not just a gathering of friends and family, but includes softball games, a parade, the Vendor Village at the Rose Park, kids’ games and a cornhole tournament, as well as a classic car show and, of course, the barbecue. There is also a veterans memorial service at the VFW Cemetery.  

These memories were shared by Rose Rowan in 2002.