The 1890s HX chuck wagon is owned by Monica Hightower and still in use. Photograph by Halle Munson.
Chuck wagons served a vital role during cattle roundups and trail drives, ensuring that cattlemen had a happy and well-fed crew. The first chuck wagon was built in 1866 by Charles Goodnight, a partner and founder of the JA Ranch. Goodnight envisioned a rolling commissary and brought it to life by converting a surplus Army wagon into a mobile kitchen. This innovation was quickly embraced by cowmen and became an iconic symbol of the West, alongside the cowboys who lived their lives on the trail.
In Goodnight’s original chuck wagon, he added a pantry box with shelves, drawers, and a hinged door that could open flat to serve as a table. Essential items in the chuck wagon included a Dutch oven, a large coffee pot, various kettles and pots, crossbars, and fire hooks. Cooks also had to provide “roundup” pans for dirty dishes and “squirrel cans” for scraps.
The food on the chuck wagon had to be both easy to prepare and preserve. A typical meal consisted of simple ingredients such as beans, rice, dried meat, onions, potatoes, flour, lard, canned fruits and vegetables, and various spices and condiments. Staples of chuck wagon meals were homemade sourdough, fresh beef, wild game, and fish. If the cowboys were lucky, the cook might even prepare a dessert like cobbler in the Dutch oven.
The chuck wagon offered much more than just food. It also carried tools, sewing supplies, first aid essentials, bedrolls, firewood, and water. The cook played a vital role in uplifting the spirits of the trail crew, and the success of a trail drive depended on the cook’s quality. Cooks were often cowboys who were experienced with trail life and were second in command to the trail boss. He received around $45 a month which is almost double what the cowboys earned.
Cowboys eating on the prairie ground outside of Clarendon, Texas. Original image part the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.
Cooks were responsible for preparing three meals a day as well as hot, strong, black coffee with every meal. The cook also did the driving of the chuck wagon, pitching camp, and took on roles such as banker, barber, doctor, dentist, referee (if fights broke out among the cowboys), and a multitude of other duties. The final task of the cook was to turn the wagon’s tongue to face north, signaling the direction the crew would need to herd the cattle in the morning.
At the cook’s call, camp began to stir. Whether it was the clang of a metal triangle or the familiar “Come and get it” cowboys would always hurry along to make their plates. Some cooks had their own phrase like James H. Cook who would open each morning with “Arise and shine and give God the glory!”
The chuckwagon was the only “home” the cowboys had and was often the only sight visible for miles on the open range. Goodnight’s invention created a special place on the trail where the crew could socialize, enjoy a hot meal, and sleep under the stars after a long day’s work.
Pictured is The Chuckwagon Cookbook available at Cogdell’s at the Ranch.
You can enjoy your own “chuck” (food) like the sourdough recipe below from The Chuckwagon Cookbook. This cookbook is available at Cogdell’s at The Ranch located inside the National Ranching Heritage Center.
Sourdough Starter:
Be good to your starter by using or replenishing it every 10 days, and it will reward you with baked goods full of tangy sourdough taste. Remember, the older your starter, the heartier the sourdough flavor.
- 2 cups unbleached flour, preferably organic stone-ground
- 2 cups water
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, water, and yeast until a thin batter forms. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature, stirring once a day, for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. If the liquid that forms on the top turns pinkish, discard the entire batch of starter and begin again.
- Rinse a 1-quart jar with boiling water. Stir the starter well and transfer to the jar and cover tightly with the lid. The starter is now ready to use but will improve in flavor if refrigerated for at least 3 days. The older the starter is, the stronger the flavor, and the better the bread. If a brownish liquid rises to the top of the starter, just stir it back in before using. (It’s only the alcohol forming as a by-product of the fermentation process.)
- To use the starter, rinse out a metal measuring cup with warm water (this discourages sticking). Use a level measured amount. Replace the amount of starter used with an equal amount of flour and water in 50-50 proportions. For example, if you use 1 cup of starter, stir ½ cup each of flour and water into the jar of remaining starter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours to ferment. Cover with the lid and refrigerate until ready to use again.
- If the starter is not used within 10 days, it must be replenished. Discard (or use) 1 cup of the starter. Stir ½ cup each flour and water into the remaining starter and let stand as above. If you feed your starter faithfully every 2 weeks, it should last indefinitely.
