In the late 19th century there were several great pioneer women whose exploits have been largely lost to history. One such woman is “Buckboard” Sally Ferguson. A railway worker by day, her real passion lay in the world of underground Crokinole tournaments. The game of Crokinole had only recently been invented and was mostly played in opium dens along the Ontario railway.

When she learned of a massive silver strike in the Wasatch Mountain range, Buckboard Sally decided to go out west and claim her fortune. As she was packing up her wagon, she discovered that her Crokinole board was just too large to fit. So Sally cut that board down to size and hit the trail. On the journey west, her board saw plenty of play among the pioneers, and the name Western Crokinole stuck.

When she arrived, Park City was still a booming mining town, even though the silver was starting to run dry. But there was plenty of timber available, and Buckboard Sally set about making more of her trusty little Western Crokinole boards to sell on the bustling thoroughfare. They were a hit, and Sally went on to open the first toy store in Park City. Sadly, the store was lost in the great fire of 1898, but you can still find Western Crokinole boards for sale today, if you know where to look.