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Stage Name:  The Chuckwagon

“Official State Vehicle” of Texas, the chuckwagon was invented by Charlie Goodnight in 1866 and soon became commonplace on trail drives and roundups throughout the West.
The wagon’s distinctive feature is the chuck box, which towers over the rear of the wagon. A hinged drop lid creates the cook’s work table and reveals drawers, shelves, and cubbyholes for cooking and eating utensils and foodstuffs, and, oftentimes, remedies such as liniment, salts, quinine, calomel, and medicinal whiskey. A waterproofed canvas roof, or fly, sometimes stretches from the wagon for shade or protection in stormy weather.
A “cooney”—a rawhide or canvas sling—under the wagon carried firewood or chips for cooking. Water kegs, a coffee grinder, washtub, shovels, and other implements were sometimes affixed to the sides. A “jockey box” carrying tools rode up front. Supplies filled the wagon box, and in smaller outfits without a “hoodlum wagon,” the chuckwagon carried bedrolls, spare saddles, tents, and such.

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The cook (also known as cookie, cocinero, coosie, belly cheater, dough roller, biscuit shooter, bean master, sop and ’taters, sourdough, hash slinger, kitchen mechanic, pot rustler) was king of the camp and his domain around the chuckwagon was respected while he whipped up “chuck” such as bacon, beans, beef, biscuits, sourdough bullets, bear sign, son-of-a-bitch stew, huckydummy, sow bosom, Mexican strawberries, pooch, and other culinary delights for the cowboy crew.