Chuck Wagon - Chisholm Trail Museum - Kingfisher, OK
Posted by: hamquilter
N 35° 50.912 W 097° 56.361
14S E 595778 N 3967667
This display of a Chisholm Trail chuck wagon is located inside the Chisholm Trail Museum at 605 Zellers Avenue, Kingfisher.
Waymark Code: WM14JGY
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2021
Views: 2
The Chisholm Trail along which over 5 million head of cattle were driven from Texas to the railheads in Kansas, was used roughly from 1867 to 1884. The thousands of cowboys who herded the cattle, of course had to be fed along the way. The chuck wagon was the source of their meals.
Inside the Chisholm Trail Museum there is an historical chuck wagon on display. It was a covered wagon, although this wagon no longer has the canvas top in place. Occasionally, the museum will have an interactive gathering to present the history of the chuck wagons. As of this writing, there is one scheduled on October 1-2, 2021 at 3:00PM. The presentation is free at the museum. There will be demonstrations of Trail cooking, gunfights, and Wild West performers.
A sign at the display gives a history of what life was like for these Chisholm Trail cooks. It reads:"Cattle drives relied on chuck wagon cooks to feed the hard-working band of cowboys. The cook was up well before the sun to start the fire, set the coffee on, and prepare breakfast for the men. After breakfast, the cook would clean up and move the wagon ahead of the herd to prepare for evening camp. Supper often consisted of beans, salted pork, and an occasional extras such as spotted pup, a fruit cobbler, or apple vinegar pie for dessert."
This is a horse-drawn wood wagon, with wood wheels strapped with iron. A painted label on the wagon reads: "Sold by Hockaday & Co. / Hitchcock, OK".