"The Mitchell Wagon"

The MITCHELL WAGON WORKS

Story by Roger Edison 

The Mitchell Wagon has often been referred to as one of the oldest wagon companies in America. While other companies in the east held earlier dates of establishment, the roots of the Mitchell wagon, begins in 1834.  Like other firms, Mitchell suffered its own series of financial hardships and growing pains in the early years, but ultimately triumphed into a major western vehicle competitor. Mitchell built an array of vehicles including farm, freight, stage, and spring wagons as well as buckboards, delivery wagons, hitch wagons and buggies. They even marketed their own line of wagon grease.  Some of the Mitchell farm and freight wagons were even converted by consumers used as Chuckwagons along the cattle drives that followed after the civil war.

Mitchell's history not only covers the majority of the development of the old west, but it also played a significant role in the transition from horse drawn vehicles to the early automobiles at the turn of the century.  Mitchell Wagon Company was purchased by the John Deere Company in 1917 and marketed for several more decades before ceasing operations. Although, while Henry Mitchell sold off the long establish Racine, Wisconsin Wagon factory, it was not due to lack of demand for his wagon's, but more because the nation was industrializing and the automobile was the future.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Gary Taylor with Tom Davis arrive with the restored Studebaker Wagon

Cow Camp Cowboy Church

              

Several weeks ago, I heard about a new Christian Ministries in Weatherford, Texas obtaining a restored 1880's era STUDERBAKER wagon. The congregation plans to convert the wagon into a working Chuck Wagon as did Charles Goodnight when he planned the logistics for his first cattle drive.  Goodnight selected a Army surplus supply wagon manufactured by Studerbaker. Then added the pantry that had the fold down table that has become known as the chuck box. The group are members of  Cow Camp Cowboy Church plan to use the wagon for many future gatherings states, Traci Davis, who is a member of the congregation and co-owner of T-N-T Ranch along with her husband Tom Davis.

With such excitement over the wagon, Traci expressed that while this is a beautiful wagon, they are a long ways from a full conversion. A basic wagon will need many items to complete the task. Luke 11: 9 "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for."  Traci's prayer is merely for the help to outfit this fine restoration so it can be used to bring forth Christian fellowship.  

Items like building the future Chuck box, a boot box, fire box along with adding the bows, canvas cover and such will slowly come into gear. Chuck wagons also had to be outfitted with cookware using cast iron dutch ovens and skillets, Enamelware coffee pots, iron spit and tri pod are just a few items that will be needed to making this into a fully functional Chuck Wagon. Of course, what wagon would not be complete without having the large water barrel and the mounted coffee grinder.

Pastor Frank Johnson is the minister of the Cow Camp Cowboy Church. He has a vision that some may believe is as big as a 10-gallon hat, and rightly so, that vision is to bring the gospel of the Lord to the small town community of Weatherford in a way that people can relate and enjoy through Cowboy Ministries. Their motto is "Gathering Mavericks and making top hands" where his congregation is growing since opening last April.  

Pastor Johnson wants people to see “cowboy” as they drive-by the church. Also have parking attendants greet visitors by horseback, and most of all to have the church function as a haven of rest and fellowship, much as the historic cow camps did during the days of the Texas cattle drives. 

He moved to Weatherford from East Texas with hopes to eventually have more acreage with a Rodeo Arena, bleachers and facilities to host many large scale Cowboy Christian gatherings. However, for now, operating on several acres and the recently restored wagon is an exciting start. 

Pastor Johnson stated, he does not plan to use the wagon in Chuckwagon Cooking Competition, but would like to use it as a spiritual tool. The Chuckwagon not only provided as a kitchen but was home on the range for the working cowboy. 

Other Cowboy Ministries have used the chuckwagons in unique ways. David and Sherry Roberts, owner of Deep Fork Cattle Company in Chandler, Oklahoma along with Arb Lenamon of Fannin, Texas are among several Chuck wagon teams who annually team up for Cowboys for Heroes.  A program assisting wounded military members from Iraq and Afghanistan along with their families held at Brooks Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.  The Cowboy for Heroes provides a western entertainment day that is a free event for the military members held annual during spring each year.

Other Cowboy Ministries are helping out nation wide, too. Whether traveling to events or at home in their local communities, the Chuck wagon seems to make people feel at home. Perhaps it's the aroma of coffee, a hearty meal or sitting around a camp fire in the western environment that makes folks comfortable. Sometimes, one merely needs to Ask, and you shall receive. We look forward to the progress and completion of the Cow Camp Cowboy Church Chuck Wagon.

If you desire to assist or contribute too Cow Camp Cowboy Church, please contact the Pastor Frank Johnson. Email cowcampcowboychurch@gmail.com or call  817-594-1447.

Wish list: old wind up alarm clock, cast iron cookware, enamelware coffee pot and cookware, Canvas fly, poles, water barrel, coffee grinder, grates, firebox, spits, tri pod, harness and old horse collars, crock, etc

Wild Fires Across the Range

The evening skies of the Trans-Pecos country rest with the ambient rays of brilliant orange color as the sun sets each night. Although, the early part of April found the sky glaring its burnt orange from raging fires which spread across Texas. 

Lana Grubb Hickok, former Miss Rodeo USA 1992, today resides in Crawford, Texas. She grew up in Fort Davis.  Saturday evening Lana received a phone call from her 92 year old grandmother who explained that the town of Fort Davis was being evacuated due to wildfires. The family members where heading too the McDonald Observatory operated by the University of Texas for safe refuge. Lana's father, Judge George Grubb, of Jeff Davis County managed the Observatory for 25 years before becoming the county judge. Most nights are filled with star gazing, though the night of April 9th, folks who took shelter at the observatory witness the nasty fires that streamed across the west Texas horizons. 

Up the Chisholm Trail

Up the Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive, Georgetown, Texas

The Georgetown, Texas local history museum sponsors the Old West festival with cowboys in period correct attire as they ride herding longhorn cattle along the San Gabriel riverbanks.  Part of the Festival includes a full Rodeo of Barrel Racing, Bronc Riding, Roping Events and Bull Riders. Other activities range from live music entertainment, trick roping, the western art show and a day of cooking from the Chuck Wagons that come from around the nation to participate in the Up the Chisholm Trail Chuck Wagon Cook-Off.

Way of the Chuckwagon

There is a majestic beauty viewing over the massive grazing lands that run from Texas north through the Dakotas reaching into Canada. These plains expanded westward into Colorado meeting the rocky mountains and northwest to the Cascade Mountain Range. Scenic hills covered in tall Buffalo grass that whispers its historic past as one might sit silent reflecting upon the romantic images of the American West. As the wind blows through the wild blades of green stems that still flourish today, the sounds of the cowboys yawp can nearly be heard as they command their livestock on the long cattle-drives. Today, no other item best reflects the images of those cowboys who worked the cattle drives than the “Chuck Wagon”.