Kitchen, dining hall, medical center, storage unit—the chuck wagon was the most vital part of cowboy life on the range. Texas cattleman Charles Goodnight believed a trail herd ran on its stomach, so he created a mobile kitchen to keep his hardworking cowboys fed well on long cattle drives. Gone were the days of hard tack and jerky; the chuckwagon carried everything needed to create a hearty, scratch-made meal for the entire trail crew.

Each road-worthy chuck wagon carries supplies that were common in 1880, at the height of its use. Included are a coffee grinder mounted on a chuck box, water barrel, kerosene lanterns and cooking wood. Likewise, only ingredients and spices from that time can be used for cooking. The wagons themselves are authentically designed with complete tongue assembly, bows and sheet, spring seat, workable harness and hames, and wooden wheels with iron tires. Stroll through a chuck wagon camp and let your senses take over—the sights, sounds, smells and tastes transport you to another world, where you’re working alongside the cowboys moving the herd to market.