PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — At the heart of Pueblo, Colorado, the Goodnight Barn has welcomed home a powerful piece of Western heritage, a restored 150-year-old chuckwagon.
Once a lifeline on the rugged prairie, the chuckwagon is now a living testament to resilience, resourcefulness and the enduring cowboy spirit.
Originally designed by Charles Goodnight, known as the “Father of the Texas Panhandle” and credited in part to his mother, the chuckwagon remains a symbol of innovation and survival in the American West.
Charles Goodnight introduced the chuckwagon in 1866 to support long cattle drives across the plains. The vehicle served not only as a mobile kitchen but also as a critical hub for nourishment, first aid and morale.
“Coffee was on 24/7,” notes Laurel Campbell, Secretary Archivist of the Goodnight Barn Board, capturing the wagon’s central role in trail life.
The original wagons were reinforced Army surplus vehicles, built to endure the challenges of the open prairie.
“The first wagon… was beefed up with a lot of metal,” explains Campbell.
Cooks, often referred to as “cookies,” navigated harsh terrain, using the wagon tongue to orient north when roads were nonexistent.
Life on the trail was tough, and the menu reflected the environment.
“They ate what they could find, rattlesnakes, rabbits, bunnies,” says Campbell.
Provisions ranged from beans and biscuits to bandages and a bottle of whiskey, the latter “for medicinal purposes, of course.” The chuckwagon was not merely a kitchen on wheels; it was a complete survival system.
Built in 1870 on the western edge of Pueblo near the Arkansas River, the Goodnight Barn was home to Goodnight during nearly a decade of his life starting in 1868 in Pueblo.
The chuckwagon was generously donated to the Goodnight Barn by the David Wade family, along with Baxter and Brianna Kirkland.
The donation honors Dave Wade, a man deeply influenced by the land and cowboy tradition. His wife, Helen Wade, shared that he played a key role in preserving chuckwagon cooking techniques, ensuring they would be passed down to future generations.
“His family is doing the right thing by donating this,” adds Campbell. “Because he'll always be in everybody's hearts and minds.”
Today, the wagon still carries its original pots and pans, Arbuckles Coffee and even a hand-cranked coffee grinder. It stands as a rugged relic, and a heartfelt reminder of how far a good meal and a good idea can travel.
“That’s the biggest thing I can say about getting it,” says Campbell. “It’s home, and it definitely belongs here.”
The Goodnight Barn Historic Preservation Committee invites the public to join in celebrating this remarkable piece of Western heritage.
A special unveiling of the historic chuckwagon, will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 31 at the Historic Goodnight Barn, which is located off West State Highway 96 in Pueblo.
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