OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2021

September/October 2021 • OklahomaHorses 13 the meal was complete, dishes would be washed and stowed, the cowboys’ bedrolls would be loaded, and the cook would make his way to the midpoint for the day to set up for dinner. “Dinner often included biscuits and leftover salted pork or boiled beef, if available. The evening meal often included biscuits, beans, and boiled beef or salted pork. Every few days, the cook, often referred to as the ‘belly cheater’ or ‘biscuit shooter,’ would make ‘spotted pup,’ rice pudding, a cobbler from dried fruits, or a vinegar pie.” Essentially, chuck wagons were America’s first food trucks, Harris says. “They included everything the cook needed to prepare meals for several months. This would include several Dutch ovens, coffee pots and grinders, frying pans, cups, plates, utensils, and more. Mounted on the side of the wagon was a water barrel. At each source of fresh water, the barrel would be filled to provide water for cooking and drinking.” The cook wore many hats beyond the role of cooking and was held in high regard. He tended to sick or injured cowboys and even filled a motherly role. For younger cowboys—as young as 13 or 14 years old—the chuck wagon was home, and the cook was “mom,” says John Conway, a modern chuck wagon cook. The ChuckWagon Gathering Today, the chuck wagon’s tradition is kept alive by Old West Chuck Wagon Gathering Set for Chisholm Trail Museum October 1–2 by Anna Holton-Dean