Table Of Content'ijoming
History Journal
y^ummer IQQS 67,%.
'J)o\. I
i>Ai
WSHS
Report from the Executive Secretary
Welcome to the Wyoming State Historical Society's no governor since the society's founding in 1953 e^ \
official Journal ofWyoming history, Wyoming History questioned the relationship; though no Appropriatio
Journal. Wyoming History Journal is being published Committee member in my memory has questioned
1i
by long-time members ofthe Wyoming State Historical funding; the executive committee decided not to conts
Societyandisprovidedtoyou,asitspredecessorAnnalsof the decision and to begin to reorganize.
Wyominghas been since the founding ofthe WSHS, as a Inordertomakecertainthatthegeneralbusinessof
tl
benefit ofmembership. You may notice that this issue is WSHS wouldbecarried out without inconvenience tot'
somewhat different from the publication you have been membership, the executive committee contracted with
receiving and that difference warrants some explanation. private service (which then hired Judy West our forrr
Six months ago Celeste Colgan, new director ofthe coordinator)tomaintainthecorrespondenceandmemb
Wyoming Department of Commerce, told the WSHS's ship records and to compile the information need for t
executive committee that the relationship between the awards luncheon atthe annual meeting. We will contin
society and the DoC was under scrutiny. Ms. Colgan this arrangement through September.
suggestedthatthismightmeanendingstatesupportforthe The executive committee also felt ithadan obligati
WSHS's coordinator and for Annals of Wyoming as a to provide ajournal ofWyoming history to its membc
benefit ofsociety membership. In June, Ms. Colgan con- ship. Rick Ewig and Dr. Phil Roberts, both long tir
tinned the withdrawal ofstate support indicating that an members ofthe WSHS and fonner editors ofAnnals
infonnal opinion issued by an assistant attorney general Wyoming,volunteeredtoproduceaqualityhistoryjourrr
had called the relationship "unconstitutional." forthe members. While thisjournal may not look as sli
Ms. Colgan's decision not to provide the Annals of as what you have become accustomed to - that W(
Wyomingto the WSHS members does not mean the DoC designed and visually interesting publication was prr
will not publish a journal. Since her original announce- duced with equipment the WSHS helped the DoC to bm
ment, DoC staffers, and others, have been trying to deter- and which has not been returned - it will be a solid!
minewhethertheywill publish ajournal, whatitwill cost, researchedandinterestingcollectionofWyominghiston:
andwhatitwill looklike.Ms.Colganhasstatedthattheold Its BoardofEditors includesmostofWyoming'sbestam
Annals was focused too narrowly on history and a new best known historians. The name was changed by motiw
journal wouldhavetoappealtoawideraudience.Thenew ofthesociety'sexecutivecommitteeonAug. 12 in orderr
journal would also have to be self-supporting, relying on better describe thejournal's contents and mission.
subscriptions and donations to succeed. At times the pro- This is truly yourjournal and we want to hear froi
posedjournal hasbeen describedaspromotingtheDoC or you. Whatkindsofarticlesdoyouwant?Howoftenshout
as beingmodeledafterthe Montana MagazineofHistoiy. we publish? How important are book reviews? Film n
She told the Wyoming Legislature's Joint Travel, Recre- views? Museum exhibit reviews? Photographs? Layouii
ation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee on Price?
August 2 that there would be a DoCjournal but that what JustasWyomingHistoryJournalisyours,theWSF
it would look like had not yet been decided. It might also is yours. It is extremely important that you talk to yo
costasmuchas$25 foranannual subscription. Itmayalso elected leaders. They needto haveyourideas as to how
come out in direct competition with the journal you are proceed into the future. Come to the WSHS meetings
now reading. Casper September 8, 9,10. Attend your chapter meetinii
In the meantime, the Wyoming State Historical Soci- andtalkaboutyourstate society. Andplease support yo'
ety decided to celebrate its rebirth as a private historical WSHS. These volunteers, long-time dedicated WSF
organization by going forward and continuing to meet its members, need your help.
obligations to its membership. The Casper Star Tribune
reported that following Ms. Colgan's decision to cut off
supporttothesocietyandendthedistributionofAnnalsas
Dr. David KathH
abenefitofmembershiptheexecutivecommitteeappeared
"resigned" to the decision. Though the society's first
president FrankBowron,hadwrittenaspiritedrebuttalto
,
the informal assistant attorney general's opinion; though
'uipimng
-Editors
History Journal
Rick Ewig
Phil Roberts
/oming State Historical Society 'Jfie'lounmlof tfu: '/I'yarningState'Jii.'^toricafSociety
ficers, 1994-1995 Summer 1995 '/'of 67, :\p. 1
th Lauritzen, President Report from the WSHS Executive Secretary Inside Front
Green River By Dr. David Kathka
.^. :
iggi Layton, First Vice President
Riverton
The Wyoming Sheepwagon ' 2
;n Morris, Second Vice President
Kemmerer By Nancy Weidel
erry Taylor, Secretary Many Wyomiiii;craftsmenandsheeprancherswereinvnlvedintheevuhitidnnftlus
Casper symbol(ifthe Wyaming ranife.
:k Ewig, Treasurer
Laramie Railroad Ladies: 18
Prostitution in Laramie. Wy(iniini;. lX6S-iy()()
ard of Editors By Carol Lee Bowers
Forthewomen whon'orkeclinI.iiramie'sJeminiondetherewiis tilth' ^hinimirand
rbara Allen Bogart nnichsiifferiiii;-
Euanston (1996)
Hodgson
in
Torrington (1996) Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief: 32
wrence M. Woods The Life of Frank Powell, Medicine Man
Worland (1996) By I'jic V. Siirg
A. Larson
Laramie (1997) Ahnii;withhisothertitles, hewasapoliticianandspeculator, huthemaxhebest
rememberedforhisclosefriendshipwiththelegendan'BuffaloBill.
hn D. McDermott
Sheridan (1997)
CoverArt
in Noble
Cora (1997) "The Rendezvous near (ireen River-Oregon" (1837)
omas F. Stroock AlfredJacobMillerioinedthe1837Americanh'urTradingexpeditiontotherendezvous
Casper (1997) held nearHorseCreek, aGreen River tributary' in what is today southwestern Wyoming,
vid Kathka Miller was the first artist to travel the Oregon Trail and the only artist to record events
Rock Springs (1998) associatedwiththefurtrade.Miller'spaintingsportrayaromanticWest.Thepaintingism
lliam H. Moore theAmericanHeritageCenter.UniversityofWyoming, andusedhere bypermission.
Laramie (1998) ITiedesign ofthe title, above andon thecover, was done by .lanet Van Nuys. .Ian. a
erry Smith Laiainiegraphicartist,isownerofTypcworksCreativeServices.
Jackson (1998) WyninuigtiislonJoiinuil\spulili.shedhyttieWyoming.StateHi.'^toncalSocietymcooperationwiththe
American Heritage Center, University ofWyoming, and the Department of Hi.story, l'niver<;ity of
5HS Publications Committee Wyoming.The|Ournalwa.sformerlyknowna.sthe QuarterlyBiillelin (\')l'i-25).AnnalsofWyonun^
(Ex Officio) (\^}2f<-\99'i)and Wyomm:iAnnals(199.^-199.'i). Thejournal ha.sbeen the official publication ofthe
chael Cassity, WyomingStateHistoricalSocietysince 19.^.^TheCo-Editor.";ofWyomingHiston .lounialwelcome
manuscriptsoneveryaspectofWyomingandWe.sternhi.siory. Authorsshouldsubmitmanuscriptson
Laramie
diskettesutilizingWordPerfect.MicrosoftWordorASCIItext,andtwocopiesdouble-spacedhardcopy
alter Edens, to: WyomingHistotyJoiinial.P.O. Box421^6, University Station,Laramie,WY82071. Manuscripts
Laramie shouldconform to.l ManualofStyle (UniversityofChicagoPress). Authorsare responsible for the
iry Garman, interpretationmtheirarticles..ManuscriptsarerefereedhymembersoftheBoardofEditorsandothers.
Theco-editorsmakedecisionsregardingpublication.
Sundance
ren Jost, WyomingHiston .lounialisreceivedby membersoftheWyoming State Historical Society. Current
Riverton membershipis2..^.'iO. Membershipduosare:singleS9.jointSI2.institutional S20.Tojoin,write the
editors. Copies of Wyoming HistoiyJournalmay bepurchased fromthe editors. .lournal articlesare
abstracted inHistoricalAhslractsandAmeric{i:HistoryandLife.
CopyrigtitWyoming State Hismrical Stx'icty l'''),'i
J. E. Slimson Photograph. CulturalResourcesDivision. Dept. ofComiiwne, StateofWyoming
- •
W5
I
it's fiard to imagine Wyoming without the sheepwagon.
which played such an important role in the state's once
large sheep industry. One hundi'cd and ten years after its
introduction the sheepwagon can still be seen in parts of
hJNcI itiE corraI In sort of a heAp
the state, a lonely silhouette on a desolate landscape.
\ hoME likE I USEd whEN I ONCE [HERdEd S^EEp. Large bands of sheep once fed on the grass and
sagebrush Wyoming; in the yearly grazing cycle, sheep
E ROof is aH qoME, iIhe sidE \N dECAy often moved hundreds miles, from the winter range of
E flooR ANd ifiE whEEls jusT RonJNq AWAy. lowerelevationstothemountainsummer range.This type
of sheep management, known as transhumance. was
E old double trees tIte Itorses IriTclrEd to introduced by Spaniards to the New World in the 16th
VE loNq qoNE tIte wAy tItat qood antIques do. century. The practice of transhumance moved into this
countrywiththedevelopmentofthesheepindustry in New
Mexico. Arizona. Texas, and Calit\)rnia. L'nlike cattle,
E TONqUE is A WRECk, bEEN aH shoRTENEd Up
sheep required the presence ofhumans to watch over and
pEARS TO IhAVE bEEN STubbed foR A ModERN pick'Up.
protect them from predators and sudden storms. The
m
sheepherderserved this function and played a vital role
E sllEEphERdERS STOVE iN tItE CORNER by tIhE doOR the history cif the western sheep industry.
RUSTiNq AWAy u/ItIt aU Its Iore In grazing areas of the southwest, the herder and his
OAkEd tIte bEST biscuiTS, cooked tIte tastIest stew dog followed the sheep. One or two pack animals carried
d ii bREwed bEUER coHee tItan motIter could do. supplies, and the herderoften slept on the ground beneath
the stars. Due to the severe weatherofthe high plains and
E llASp ON tIhE doOR Is fASTENEd wItIt A Slick mountains ofthe northern states, the herder needed pro-
lyoNE could ENTER wiThouT ANy TRick. tection on the open range from the snow and winds of
Ey could STiR up a MEaI to TlrEiR own dESiRE winter and the mountain storms of summer.
The Wyoming sheep industry developed during the
,T cIean up tIhe mess ANd Ieave wood foR A Nre.
1870"s in the .southern part of the state along the Union
Pacific Railroad, a convenient access to distant markets.
E ovERliEAd bows ARE qood TO tItIs dAy By 1880. more than one-half million sheep grazed in the
T tItE CANVAS ROof ItAS WASTEd AWAy. state. The industry boomed by 1900as more men entered
the business and total stock sheep numbered 3.675.000.
E [antern foR liqlrT is STill hANqiNq tItere By that time, sheepwagons had become an integral
tIt a CArsdlE NEARby to use as a SpARE. tool ofthe industry andwerebeingbuilt all overthe state.'
Sheepwagons replaced the tent and dugouts on the w inter
E IaST IrERdER CAMp I SAW ON tItE RANqE range, although the "herders tipi" (a small tent) continued
\s slriNiNq ANd qlisTENEd, iT lookEd qoofy ANd sTRANqE.
tIt qAS ANd A RElRiq wIhO could dREAM of TflE likE
id beside It was pARkEd a Suzuki bike.
-Edward Norri.s Wentworth.Americn's Slwcp Trails
(Ames: Iowa State College Press. 1948), 11-12, 143.
jthorofpoem unknown. Reciled by Bill Norton. Buffalo,Gel. 15, 1993.
tonrestoressheepwagons and write.scowboy poetry. 'Wentworth. 312.
"• Wyoming Agricultural Statistics: 1994. (Cheyenne: Wyoming
Department of Agriculture; Wyoming Agricultural Statistics
Service; University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, 14441,
17.
'Ads for sheepwagon builders began appearing m the Wsoming
State Business Directories around ihis time.
" Interview of Bill Taliaferro. Rock Springs, Feb. 2,1944; Inter\ie\\
ofVern Vivion, Rawlins, Nov. 8. 1994.
Wyoming Histon' Journal
to be used in the highest elevations of the mountain delivered supplies and moved the sheepwagon to a n
summer range." location, might be the herder's only contact with civili;|
Designedfora specific puipose, the sheepwagon was tion for months at a time.
the ideal home forthe herder. About 11-1/2 feet long and The basic sheepwagon consisted of a rectangu
6-1/2 feet wide, it was enclosed by a canvas top, with a wagonbox,with 18-inchwidehorizontalwoodextensic
stove forheat and cooking. A.most important feature was oneach sidethat increasedthe interiorspaceofthe wag
that itcould be movedeasily. The wagoncontainedlotsof by three additional feet and gave the wagon its unusi
storage areas, both inside andout. A large box builton the shape. The bows, as few as four or as many as eig
back of some wagons held grain. Other wagons had a crossed by stays, comprised the roofstructure. A canvi
moveable wooden grate in this same spot which carried cover, applied loosely over the roof, provided protecti
equipment. Wagonsoftenhadsmallerexteriormessboxes fromtheweather. Iteventuallyshrankasitgotwet. Atle:
built on the sides ofthe wagon box, between the front and one builder poured melted paraffin over the canvas tc
back v\heels. Some ofthese could be accessed from both whichhelpedwaterproofit.'Alayerofoneortwoblank(j
inside and outside the wagon. installed under the canvas provided insulation for
t
Although sheepwagons were used early on in the Big wagon. Women often had a hand in this aspect of t
Horn Mountains, someherdersinCarbonandSweetwater construction. Mrs. VashtiHuffrememberedthedifficui
Counties continued to use pack animals and the ""herders of stitching long blankets together on her home sewiii
tipi"" in the highest ele\ations of the summer range be- machine to make the insulation layerforthe sheepwagoi
cause it was impossible to trail a sheepwagon there. her husband built."
Teams ofhorses pulled the compact, efficient wagon ' Interview ofVashti Henderson HutT, Buffalo. Oct 17, 1993. '
overthe vastgrazingareasofWyoming. Theherder, with Ninety-one-year-old Mrs. Huff is the daughter ofJames
hissheepanddogsforcompany,andthewagonforahome, sHehnedeeprwsaogno,nsanidntJhoehnwsifoenoCfoutnhteyl.atSehEelmreecralHluefdf.waBtocthhinmgetnhebuilt
might stay in a remote grazing area forone ortwo weeks, paraffin waterproofing process,
dependingon the amountofforage. The camptender, who interview ofV. Huff. 1993.
—
. Stove Pipe
Coal oil Lamp
Sometimes arranged
to slide forward
& back
*Bench Lid
Cupboard for pots,
pans, seasoning, etc.
Storage Space
Tin to keep hot
coals off floor
Rough sketch of the
• One on either
side of wagon Tongue winasgiodenowfiathshferoenpt-&
opens into
door removed
bins or boot
Everylliini^ liticl itsplace in a sheepherder's wagon. Illustrationfrom Jack Gage. Ten Sleep andNo Rest.
Hinimcr 14Q5
t Zella Pelloux Slayton. daughter of Buffalo sheep handy as an extra bed; it could be pulled all the way out
licher Martin Pelloux. recalled that she and her mother from its cavity, with each end resting on a side bench to
vays repaired the canvas and blankets on their wagon create a sleeping surface.
)S. Unlike the Huffinsulation, which layered the entire Theenclosed space underthe bed platform and table
if. only the area above the bed was insulated in the slot contained additional storage space that could be
lioux wagons." accessed either by doors, drawers, or a combination of
Theexteriorcanvashadtobereplacedfrequentlydue both,dependingonthewishofthebuyerorthewhimofthe
generalwearordestructivehail storms.Casper"s Kistler builder. Sometimes, the builder left the space under the
nt & Awning Company, established in 1918. provided bed open so a herder could store bulkier supplies such as
rivas for many of the early wagons in the central and a saddle, lamp, kerosene, and boots.
rtheast areas of the state. Even today. Kistler makes Although the fiist wagons had only acanvas tlap for
rivas sheepwagon covers. a door, a double door, or stable door as the English called
The sheepwagon is a marvel of practicality and it. quickly replaced the flap and became one of the
jmpactness. The interior configuration proved so effi- sheepwagon"s most prominent features. The top door
i'nt that 1 10 years after its "invention."" the same basic could remain open while the bottom stayed shut. Tiiis
inisused inthefewsheepwagonsmadetoday. Whether functional feature served a number ofdifferent purposes.
designoraccident,the sheepwagon interioralsoserved Withthe topopen,the herdercouldhearand see his sheep.
the model formany modern campers. Onecanbegin to Theopen topdooralso provided ventilation forthe wagon
preciate the durability of the sheepwagon's interior and controlled the heat of the stove which could be quite
'sign when itiscontrastedwiththechangesinresidential intense.
)or plans that have occurred over the past one hundred According to ranchers, the primary function of the
ars, a gradual evolution from small enclosed rooms to doubledoorwasthat aherderorcamptendercould remain
ge open living areas. The sheepwagon retained its standing within the wagon, sometimes even sitting on the
iginal interior configuration because the space worked side bench, andextend his arms through the open topdoor
efficiently. to hold the reins ofthe horses while the wagon was being
The door was at the front of the wagon. Most doors moved. Erom \\ithin the wagon, the driver could also
.'re six feet high, a few inches shorter than the interior operate the wagon brake, located to the right as he faced
ight ofthe wagon. As one stepped into the wagon from out.Thebottomdoor,thesmallerofthetwo,remainedshut
; tongue, a stove sat to the immediate right with the during a move so the driver would not fall out of the
)vepipe extending to the outside through a hole in the wagon.'"
nvas top. Some type of built-in cupboard or shelf People wonder who invented the sheepwagon and
ually occupied the space behind the stove. Easy-to- speculatethatthefirstonesweremodeledontheConestoga
.'an oil cloth often covered a portion of the wall and wagon. Actually,theConestogawagon reached itspeakof
iling nearthe stove. Each long side ofthe wagon had a activity in the years between 1820and IS40 and probably
nch for sitting that doubled as storage space. A hinged nevermade it westoftheOhio Valley. It isoWnn confused
provided access to the storage space within the bench, with the "prairie schooner." the wagon that transported
I
lich held tlour. meat, or other food supplies. Some many pioneers across the continent.'
igons had a built-in tlour box placed on the end of the
nchacrossfromthestove, just leftofthefrontdoor. The " Interview ofZclki Pelloux Slaylon. Bultalo. Oct. 17. \^M}.
iterJug usually rested in this corner, on the bench. '" Interview ofDon Meike, Nov. 14, 199,^. Carbon County sheep
Locatedopposite the frontdoor, the bed was built on raneher Vern Vivion eoncurred on the primary function ofthe
raised, enclosed platform, perpendicular to the side door.
nches. Anoperablewindowwasalwaysbuiltintheback ' George Shumway. Edward Durell, Howard C. Frey, Coiie.sf(>i;ii
all ofthe wagon, above the bed. A table, actually a long Wagon 1750-1850: Freight Carrierfor 100 Years ofAmerica's
Wesnvard Expansion (York. Pa.: Early American Industries
lb ofwood, slid out from a slot under the bed and was Association. Inc. and George .Shumway. 1964). 1-2.
tensupported by agate legorachainthathungfrom the
'' Agnes Wright Spring. "Sheep Wagon Home on Wheels
iling and attached to the front end ofthe table. With the originated in Wyoming." Wyoming Stocknum-Farmer 46.
3le extended foreating, the side benches provided com- (December 194(1): I..^; Clel Georgetta. Golden Fleece in Ncvadti
rtable seating for the diners. The table also came in (Reno: Venture Publishing. 1972). 79-80; Tlie Ranchers (Alexan-
dria. Va: Time-Life Books. 1977). 96.
I'
Wyoming History Journal
James Candlish, a Rawlins. Wyoming, blacksmith, there. He made his way to the United States where
j
is most often credited with the "invention" of the worked as a blacksmith for the Union Pacific at Omal
i
sheepwagon in 1884.'= But evolution of the wagon is Nebraska.
i
perhaps a more apt termthanoutright invention. Inearlier Candlish followed the building ofthe tracks westi
studieson sheepwagons.both IdahofolkloristTomCarter Rawlins, then worked for the government at Fort Stee
i
as well as his Nevada colleague, Blanton Owen, recog- He had movedtoRawlins by 1881 where he establishes
i
nized Candlish as one who. among others, refined the blacksmith shop at the corner of5th and Buffalo Stree
i
sheepwagon into the form we know today."For reasons near the site of the present-day Carbon County Cou
I
lost in time, the credit wenttoCandlishearlyon, although house. Mrs. Dodgecreditedherfatherwiththedesigna
i
a search of official records revealed no patent for the building ofthe first sheepwagon which she referred to
.
sheepwagon. in Candlish's name or any other. "the house on wheels."'"
;
TheWyomingWoolGrowersAssociationwishedto Candlish did not remain in Rawlins for long. Nev
credit Candlish as the inventor; in 1909 they commis- paper accounts show that he sold his "Blacksmith She
\
sioned a commemorative fob made of three small discs tools and stockfor$1000.00" in 1885." It is believedtli
linked by a chain. The top disc noted the "5th Annual theCandlishfamilymovedtotheLanderareafromRawli
i
Convention Wyoming Wool Growers Assn. January 1 1- and little is known ofJames Candlish after 1885."*
12, 1909." The middle disc bore a likeness of "The AletterfromMrs.FrankFerristotheStateHistoric
Inventor James Candlish." The bottom disc featured a Boarddisputed the claim ofthe Candlish invention. Ml
sheepwagon and proclaimed "The Modern Sheep Palace Ferris stated that she married Frank Ferris, son ofone
i
Was Made in Rawlins. Wyoming 1884." Each memberof Rawlins' most prominent sheep-ranchers, George Ferrl
the Wool Growers Association received this souvenirfob whoranchedintheareaduringthelate 19thandearly 2C
attheannualbanquetthat centuries. Mrs. Ferrisnotedthat "creditwasgiven,and
year in Rawlins. One of acceptedit,toEdCowdlish(sic)forinventingandmaki
these 1909fobs isondis- the first sheep wagon. The truth is this."
playattheLaramiePlains Mrs. Ferris explained that George Ferris came
Museum(seephoto, left). Rawlins before the Union Pacific arrived and became t
Noted Wyoming secondpersontostartraisingsheepthere.SheclaimedtH
author Agnes Wright George Ferris designed and built the first sheep wage
Spring conducted re-
search into the invention "Tom Carter. "Home on the Range: Utah Sheep Camps," unpub-
ofthesheepwagonforone lished paper presented at the Utah State History Society meeting.
of the first articles ever Sept. 8, 1979.
written about them.'^ '"' Spring, Wyoming Stockman-Farmer. 1.3. |
Spring's article became a '^ Sheepwagon articles are cyclical and appear about every 10 yeij
or so. in newspapers and periodicals. Although she is rarely citedI
majorsourceformanyof Agnes Wright Spring's 1940 article is obviously the source for rr
the articles that followed ofthese. Like the game "Whispering Down the Lane." over time
on sheepwagonsoverthe some ofthe information in Spring's original article became dis-
torted. Examples ofa few ofthe articles are: Wanda Daley. "Evo
next thirty years." In re-
tion ofSheep Wagon Came Through Necessity, Comfort and
sponse to her inquiries, Inventive Minds," Northern Wyoming Daily News. August 23, 19'
shereceivedaletterfrom Maurice Kildare. "Sheepherder's Home," Relics 1(Spring, 1968):
one ofJames Candlish's 16; Neal Blair, "The Sheepherder's Castle," Wyoming Wildlife 40t
daughters, Mrs. Fred W. (April 1976): 29-31; Claire Casey, "The Sheep Wagon," Wester>
Horseman 57, (June 1992): 64-69.
Dodge, of Ontario, Or- " Letter, Dodge to Spring, Oct. 12, 1940. Vertical File,
egon, who supplied de- Historical Research Section, Wyoming State Museum,
tails of Candlish's life. Cheyenne.
Born in Montreal, Que- '' Record Bill Sale Book A, p. 445, County Clerk's Office,
Carbon County Courthouse, Rawlins.
bec, Canada, her father
learned the wagon mak- h'i"sItnotreiravniewwhoofhRaasnsreBsaekarecrh,eRdaJwalimness,CFaenbd.li1s6h, a1n99d4. Baker is a
ingandblacksmithtrades sheepwagons.
Photoby RichardCollier
;rnminer 199;
'hich was "some largerthan the present day wagon and a ranged bottles and canisters.. On a triangular shelf
anvasscurtainwasusedinsteadofadoor." Sheaddedthat across the corner stood bread, bacon, cheese. ..The
1 1890. Ferris hired Ed Coudlish (sic) to build a sheep house was ventilated by two round holes, like the
'agon "to his specifications" ofwhich she had a picture, lights ofa ship's cabin, wuh wood slides.-'
headdedthatherhusband.FrankFerris,was"nearing80"
nd requested that "this little bit of history should be The sheepwagon as we know it todav is clearly
orrected while he is living."'" related to Hardy's shepherd's hut: a door, small stove.
A Douglas blacksmith. Frank George, is sometimes \entilation holes, the ideaofshelterforthe shepherd. But
ited as the inventor of the wagon. George's biographv the shepherd's hut was a smaller, heavier wagon, not
junds similar to that of Candlish. Born in Wisconsin in designedtotravel the hundredsofyearly milesoverrough
856, George trained as a wagonmaker. He airived in terrain demanded ofthe western sheepwagon.
/^pyaoimriinnggiwna1g8o7n7sanwditsphenCthtahrrleeesyeHarosgsatonFo.rtaFeSttweerdmiasnh. foundAnmotthheerwrrieltaitnigosnotfo RBoribteirsth TIsalyelsora,ntoenceedoefnttshecamnosbte
agonmaker. and Fred Ericson. aNorwegian blacksmith, successful sheep ranchers of the late mth and carl\ 2()th
rcorge worked on wagons from Fort Reno and Fort centuries.TaylorimmigratedfromScotlandtoPennsylva-
aramie, and also did some freighting in the area. niain 1867. Afterspendingthe 1870s inCalifornia.Taylor
Frank George moved to Douglas in 1887. shortly trailed a herd ofsheep to Wyoming in 1880. By 1883. he
ler the Fremont. Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad had set up ranch headquarters at Antelope Springs, near
;ached that town, opened a wagon and blacksmith shop, Rav\lins.
id later worked for the Florence Hardware and Lumber Taylor spent Christmas of 1SS6 m a sheepwagon
ompany. He is credited with building, according to thirty miles west of Rawlins. In a letter to his brother in
arious sources, either "the first sheepwagoneverbuilt in Scotland, dated December 25. 1886. Tayk'r v\rote "1 am
'ouglas,"-"or "the first sheep wagons ever built."- some- writing this in one of my sheep wagons. These are filled
me in the late 1880s or early 1890s. The George wagon like a cheap traveling van in the old country with stove,
;came known as the Florence wagon, namedforthe wife bunk. etc. We move around all winter."-'
fMr. Knittle. the owner ofthe hardware company. Anotherantecedenttoourwestern sheepwagon isthe
George remained in Douglas until 1902, when he "gypsy wagon." An 1880 monthly journal. Fhe Coach
lOved to Sheridan and operated a wagon shop for si.x Painter, described a gypsy wagon "recently built in Pitts-
;ars. He then homesteaded near Rozet and established a burgh" as "elegantly carved and painted, with three win-
agon and blacksmith shop in Gillette in 1923.-- dows on each side which can be lowered, and three at the
A number of sheepwagons made by Frank George back. The wagon is divided into two parts, the rear being
irvive today. One is displayed at Gillette's Rockpile the bed-room, and the whole interior is lined with drugget
[coarse woolen stuff used for floor co\ering]."-' "Vashti
[useum. George may have built the Florence Hardware
leepwagon at Buffalo's Jim Gatchell Museum. '"Ferris to Mr. Fred W. Marble. May 16. 1955. Vertical File.
Wyoming State Museum, Historical Research, Cheyenne.
The ideaofacovered wagon fora shepherdwas not
-" "A Venerable Pioneer of Early Wyoming Days." \\'P.\ File 34S.
new one. An antecedent ofthe sheepwagon was a small Historical Research Section. Wyoming State Museum. Cheyenne.
ctangular shepherd's hut used in the British Isles during The 1936 article was a collaboration between Georgia B. Kelley
enineteenth century. IntheEnglishnovel.FarFrom the and 80-year-old Frank George.
'adJiiiiiCrowd, publishedin 1874.authorThomasHardy -f'amCiilUty'lftreieNnedwao-fRFercaonrkd.GeJourlyge2,7.is1a96g7o.o9d. eTxhiasmpalrteicolef,hworwitt"efnacbtys"a
ascribed the shepherd's hut: are altered over time. The 1936 article (footnote #20). claimed
George "built the first sheep wagon ever built there."
The hut stood on little wheels, uhich raised its floor -- WPA File #34S.
about a foot from the ground. Such shepherds' huts -' Thomas Hardy, FurFrmn TheMtulilmi; Cnmil(New York:.The
are dragged into the fields when the lanibuig season New American Library. Inc..19601. 19-21. John Vince. GUI Funiis:
comes on. to shelter the shepherd in his enforced An llliistnileilGuide (New \'ork: Schocken Books. 1983). 150, has
night attendance. The hut had a door, a small stove, a rendering ofa shepherd's hut.
and the bed which consisted of a rather hard -' Robert Perry, Sheep Kiiii;: The Sum- i>l Robert Taylor(Grand
couch, formed of a few corn sacks...covered half cIsrloawndd:edP:ra"iBriilelPHioognge,ermPyresfso.re1m9a8n6,).th1e9.he2r7d.erT,ayalnodr'smyvs\ealgfonlivweasm it."
the floor ofthis little habitation. In the comer stood
the sheep-crook, and along a shelfat one side were -^ The Coaeli Painter 1880. (New York: Museum at Stony Brook,
reprinted from the Carriage Reference Library. 1983). 10.
''!;
^"\'oming Histoiy Journal
Henderson HutY. daughterofJames Henderson who built curious who watched the entourage arrive and perha]
sheepwagons in Buffalo during the 1920s, recalled that noted their mode of conveyance. Candlish could ha\
man\- people lived in gypsy wagons in her native state of rememberedthis "traveling home" andborrowed some (j
Alabama,wherethe Hendersonfamily residedintheearly its features for his "home on wheels" sixteen years late
|
1900s.^" Similarly, blacksmith Frank George was employe
Yet anotherexample will illustrate that the idea ofa at Fort Fetterman during the late 1870s and early 1880:
small covered wagon, with windows and a stove predates As the army ambulance was a common vehicle on tl!
the "invention" of the wagon by James Candlish. In her military frontier, George alsocouldhave adapted some(
bookM\ArmyLifeOnThePlains.Mrs.FrancesCarrington the details to a new type ofagricultural wagon.
describedatripmadefromFortPhil Kearny. Wyoming,to One must also remember the importance offreigh '
Omaha. Nebraska in January 1867. one month after the ing in a state such as Wyoming during the late nineteen
Fetterman Massacre. The women and children from the century. Goods were shipped to the west by railroad, bi
j
fort made this perilous journey, through hostile Indian then hadtobe hauledhundreds ofmiles intothe burgeoii
territoryduringaragingblizzard,inawagonshedescribed ing settlements of the interior. A blacksmith of the tini
in some detail and called "my traveling house." would have seen and worked on numerous types ofwa;(
Genera! George B. Dandyfittedupthearmy wagons ons, includingmilitaryandfreightwagons, stagecoache
in which they were to tra\el as well as the more refined wagons used by townsfolk.
A numberofpeople have noted the striking simila
in a manner that prosed our very salvation on such ity between the interior of a sheepwagon and a sailiri
ajourney. . . It was a novel caravan indeed. The vessel, which alsoservedas acompacthousing unit. Raul
wagon covers ofcloth were first doubled, and both Baker tells of two old sheepherders in the Rawlins are •
sides and ends ofthe wagon bodies were boarded bothformer.sailors,whofinallyfeltathomeherdingshee
up, with a window in each end. A door at the back j
on the Red Desert, which they described "like being on
ofeach wagon swung on hinges to admit ofeasy i
ingress and egress, and near the door was a small drysea."The similaritiesofaboat'scabintotheinteriori
sheet iron stove made from stove-pipe, with a a sheepwagon are remarkable. Both have well-designe.i
carefully adjusted smoke escape through the wagon- storage places. Many pleasure boats have benches ci
co\er aboxe. "The best modern kitchen-range eithersideofthemaincabinthatopentocontainstill moi
. .
could not secure as far reachmg results as our little storage. Compact beds are tucked away under the bo\
sheet-iron stoves." Tablesfolddownwhennotinuse. Everythinghasitsplac
,
in a boat as in a sheepwagon.
Rans Baker, a contemporary Rawlins historian, has Prominent Rawlins sheeprancher, William Dale;
a theory about the "invention" of the sheepwagon in whotrainedasaship"scarpenter,providesanotherconnei
Wyoming that links togethermen like blacksmithsJames tion between the military, the sea, and the sheepwago
CandlishandFrankGeorge,RawlinssheepranchersGeorge DaleyworkedatFortPhil Kearnyduringitsbriefexistenci
Ferris and William Daley, and the military wagons. Ac- and built the flagpole there that is solike a ship's mast. N
cording to Baker, the Army ambulance, the enclosed doubt, he saw the rigged-up Army ambulance thatcarrief
wagonthatservedMrs.Carringtonandtheentouragefrom thewomenandchildrensafelytoOmahaandmayhavehi
Fort Phil Kearny, was commonly used for all types of a hand in the conversion of it. Daley settled in Rawlii
conveyance on the western military frontier during the duringthe 1870sandcouldhavehadsomeinfluenceontl
periodfollowingtheCivilWar. BothCandlishandGeorge, early interior design ofthe wagon.-"
as military blacksmiths in Wyoming, would have been By the end of the 19th century, sheepwagons wei
familiar with the army ambulance as well as the many partandparcelofthesheepindustry. Accordingtovarioi
varieties of wagons used at that time.-'
Since Candlish worked for the Union Pacific Rail- -interview ofV. Huff. 199.^.
road at Omaha in 1867, he could possibly have been an -'Frances C. Carrington. A-ZvArmy Lifeandthe Fort Phil Kearny
observeron that day the entourage arrived from Fort Phil Massacre (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippineott Co.. 1910). 181-82. 185.
-'Richard Dunlop. Wlieels West. /590-/900 (Chicago: Rand
Kearny,whichwasundoubtedlyanoccasionaswordofthe McNally & Co.. 1977). 96-100.
Fetterman Massacre spread across the United States. If -"The Hag pole incident was recounted in Carrington. MyArmy
Candlishwerethere,surelyhewouldhavebeenamongthe Life, pp.109-16; William W. Daley Collection. #1400. Box #1.
American Heritage Center. University ofWyoming. Laramie.
