THE ORIGINAL FOOD CART

By Greg Eiden

Hard biscuits and cold jerky

Couldn’t appease a cowboy’s soul.

For hard work in the saddle

Would cause him to skedaddle

Unless a hot meal could soon console.

—Anonymous cowboy poem

In 1866, cattleman Charles Goodnight was about to take a slightly different approach to the usual trail fare of burnt biscuits, beef jerky and meat on the fire. He had hired 18 drovers to drive 2,000 steers from Belknap, Texas, to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and then on to Denver (the beginnings of the famed Goodnight-Loving Trail). He knew that the way to keep cowboys happy along the hot, dusty, lightning-storm-filled journey was through their bellies.

Hell-bent on figuring out a way to serve top-notch victuals during the trip, Goodnight came up with the world’s first food cart. In fact, the name "chuck wagon" probably was coined for its inventor Charles’s nickname, Chuck.

Part Frankenstein-ed wagon parts and part ingenious storage room, the first chuck wagon began as a sturdy U.S. Army Studebaker wagon. Goodnight drafted a cook/pseudo engineer to help him strip away unnecessary weight and add improvements, such as steel axles able to withstand rugged ground. Typically under four feet wide but a good 10 feet long, these wagons had to hold food prep gear as well as months-worth of foodstuffs. So they added all kinds of drawers, shelves and storage like a chuck box full of utensils with a fold-down food prep.

A coffee mill for grinding beans was cleverly attached to the outside of the wagon. Stashed in a boot below the chuck box was the one of the hardest-working essentials, the Dutch oven. A large water barrel fit on the side and a cook pot below.

The hero of this off-road show was the "Cookie," second in authority only to the trail boss. While Cookie was a common handle for the camp cook, nasty nicknames awaited if his dishes slipped to the subpar: "Chow Chump" and "Belly Bandit" among them.

Cookie made sure he started a drive with a good stash of foodstuffs that wouldn’t go bad or get too wormy. Supplies included flour for biscuits, molasses, sourdough start, dried fruits, chili peppers, salt, onions, potatoes, pinto beans and of course the all-important coffee beans.

Days started with endless pots of coffee and ended with a hearty hot meal. And yes, the main entrees were often beef—steaks, short ribs, pot roast and scraps for stew. Foraged wild onions and flavorings like sage and various mushrooms made it downright tasty.

SINCE COOKIE RULES, HE HAD SOME RULES: te: it’s been said some Cookies enforced their rules with a skillet upside the head.)

No one eats until Cookie says so.

No one eats until Cookie says so.

Never ride up on the chuck wagon from downwind— horse hair and dust made for poor seasonings. Clean up your own damn mess. No one gets seconds until the last man eats. Don’t walk between his chuck box prep area and the fire.

Never ride up on the chuck wagon from downwind—horse hair and dust made for poor seasonings. Clean up your own damn mess. No one gets seconds until the last man eats.

Don’t walk between his chuck box prep area and the fire.

(Note: it’s been said some Cookies enforced their rules with a skillet upside the head.)

As for Chuck Goodnight, well, he may have come up with a way to ensure his cowboys ate well, but he seems to have preferred a diet of coffee, beef and Cuban cigars. He passed away at 93.

A Fresh Twist On An Old Favorite

The venerable chuck wagon at Paws Up is true to the originals, right down to the Studebaker kitted out with storage areas and gear. And while our menu may be a tad more refined, it’s still rooted in local ingredients and finger-lickin' flavor. For a sweet summertime recipe, click here.