Hollenberg Kansas

[Delmonico]

Hollenberg Station was the stop between Marysville Kansas and Rock Creek Nebraska, they had the Pony Express Day on sunday. 

When I got there on Sat evening about dark, I had a very nice surprise.  Those who have seen me set up know I do a cook camp rather than chuck wagon, chuck wagons are a bit expensive, one needs storage room and a trailer to haul them any distance.

Well some friends built one this winter to display and they said, "move right in."  Since we travel to many of the same events we will both win, more folks will look at their chuckwagon and I have a nicer place to roost.

The fella in the second picture is my new trainee, calls himself Oscar.  He is about to roll his first pie crust out, I must report everything worked well for him.

River City John, if this fella looks somewhat familar, he's they guy that was afraid he was being a pest by askin' to many questions at Rock Creek Station with a quick makeover.

[Delmonico]

To those who don't understand why we do such things, this is just a small part of the folks who hung around a bit and left with some good knowledge on what the outdoor cooking of the time was like.  The blacksmith, ropemakers, butter makers and others all added to the knowledge of a public often raised on modern scool history and the "John Ford" referance library.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Del,
Neat stuff.....and a nice looking camp.

Bill

[Advertising]

[Delmonico]

Thanks Bill, I wish the wagon was mine to keep, but my shed ain't big enough to keep it.  It is smaller than the ones used on trail drives since it was built on just a restored farm wagon, but these showed up on roundups.  They can pull the chuck box out to use if for other things if they want.  He says his project for this winter is a "Hoodlum" trailer.

[Delmonico]

Here is a picture of the front of the station, said to be the only original station left in it's original location.  The folks from the Marysville Pony Express Museum brought up their stagecoach.

[Ol Gabe]

Nice setup Del! Great to see how your interpretation is laid out, it looks well-researched and spot-on!
Just curious though, which 'Psuedo-skinner' brought his 2"x12" plank chair along? Gosh, I haven't seen one of those since a 'Vous during the mid-80's at Fort Atkinson, the 'original fort', that is, in N.E. Iowa!
Thanks for sharing your pics, glad your PC and your spell check are both working at full power, so nice to be able to understand your research endeavors better!
Best regards and good cooking!
'Ol Gabe

[Delmonico]

I thought those were orthopedic devices for cosies with sore backs.   They work well, we stole the idea from some of the buckskinners that cross our paths at these things.  We were out numbered by them this time.   The nice thing is that besides helping my back when it gets sore, they break down and fit along the side of the pick-up box.

[Delmonico]

BTW the rack and the big kettle in the bottom left corner is not for the supper.  Rather than build two fires we shared ours with the candle dipper, it is a mix of tallow and beeswax.

[Dr. Bob]

Del,

Sounds like a fun event

'Ol Gabe,

Actually, that Ft. Atkinson is the 2nd of at least 3.  The first on located on the "Council Bluff" of Lewis and Clark located in Ft. Calhoun, NE which is 15 miles N of Omaha.  It was built on the bluff in the spring of 1820 and was torn down and most of it was moved down the river to the newly established Ft. Leavenworth in 1827.

IIRC, Ft. Atkinson, Iowa was built in the mid 1830's and lasted to the end of the 1840's.

I don't remember where the 3rd one was, possibly Wyoming or Arizona.

Not many Generals get 3 forts named after them!

[Silver Creek Slim]

Dr. Bob,
Wisconsin.  http://www.fortchamber.com/community/forthistory/forthistory.asp

Slim

[Ol Gabe]

Del,
Yep, they are great for a sore back, hope your health holds and improves.
Dr. Bob, S.C.S., All,
Regarding 'THE original' Fort Atkinson, I stand corrected, thank you all for the additional information, it adds to the overall enjoyment of this forum when one comment draws three with ten times more data than you'd expect. Thanks again, I appreciate all of your observations.
Best regards and good researching!
'Ol Gabe

[Delmonico]

Although this was at a restored Pony Express Station , it was one of those events that covered most of the setting of Kansas.  Had some lady and her husband brought a couple of those new-fangled ridin' machines.   Look at how she is dressed, them things is gonna be the ruin of proper ladies.

[Delmonico]

Any cosie knows that a blacksmith is a coisie friend, Dave has been doing it sine 1982, he made the iron parts needed for the chuck wagon, plus the stakes for the awning.  I have many items he has made me.

His wife made the ropes for the awning, the younger lady is their daughter that makes candles.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Del,
Do you know a good Wheelwright? My wife and I are thinking about building a 3/4 size functional covered wagon (I have the plans) with all equipement to use as a camp at the various shoots when she retires in january. It will fit nicely on my 18 foot trailer.

Bill

[Delmonico]

You can try Marlowe Jensen of Royal Nebraska, he was there this weekend, I didn't get a current card from him but I checked and the number is still current.  402-893-5462, the E-Mail I have is: Wheels@bloomnet.com, but the card I have is several years old.

Also many around here get them done by some of the Amish down around Jamestown Missouri, I have not contacts on them, I think that is where Dave got his done.  I'll call him and ask, but I bet you just have to go talk to them.   Maybe someone down that way knows how to contact them.

[Delmonico]

The fella from the Tack Dept. just walked through, he just moved in from Illinois, he said there are a couple Amish Wheelwrights over in eastern IL  He's going to see if he can dig up a contact number for them, he father-in-law uses them.  He says they have a phone at the end of their lane on the pole with a small shed and they man it about 1 hour a week on a schedual.

[Books OToole]

That's Jamesport, MO.  I was just up by there last weekend.  I don't know of any wheel wrights, but that is a large Amish community, so I am sure there is one (or more).

Books

[Delmonico]

Well I knew it was James something.   Anyway I know a lot of folks deal with them, heck run up and see if you can find OCB a wheelwright.   The IL ones would be closer though if I can get contact info.  He said Goshen was one town.

Just remembered, the Amish family I know will be making sorgum mollasses at the event I go to in the middle of Oct, they maybe able to help.

[Dr. Bob]

OCB,

You can try Wagon Master, 883 Highway DD, O'Fallon MO 63366-6506.  314 561 4384.  He's located on Highway 40/61 [soon to be I-64 just 20 miles west of down town St. Louis.  He sells wangons and stocks wagon wheels, toungs and other parts.  The card I have is 10 years old, but he is in the same place and if the number is wrong, you should get him through directory assistance.  Has other antiques and old tools and junk.  Ought to have the sizes of wheels that you would want.  Good hunting!!

[Guage Rod]

OC Bill, I think that it would be great to be able to have a 3/4 Scale covered wagon, and have a couple of horses hitched up to it.  I just recently completed a 1/4 scale freight wagon with hay rack sides.  I found the drawings at a re-enactment store in Watertown, Ohio, called Smoke and Fire. That is about all of the room I have in my Garage.

My wagon would definately be a great goat, miniutre poney or miniture burro cart.

 It has very large freight wheelswith large Diameter spokes and wheel segments, (Large for it's size) the rear wheels are 24" dia, the fronts are smaller of course for steering under the chasis and are 20".  I made the wheels my self and one wheel took more time than the rest of the wagon bed and chasis combined. I do not recommend wheel making for the timid woodworker.   I made the entire wagon chasis and bed out of oak and maple.  The materials where all recycled, (so it did not cost me a lot to make) exccept for some of the hardware.  The bed is just under 6 feet long and the gage between the wheels is about 30 inches.  It stands about 3 feet tall at the top of the side boards.  The sucker weighs over 200 lbs since I used white oak for the frame, and hard maple for the bed.  If it had solid side boards it would be over 300 lbs.  The whole thing can be disassembled for fitting in a passenger car trunk (Wheels, and side boards seperate from the bed and frame).   I am afraid it will take 2 people to load it in the truck even taken apart .

I have a few small buckets and other trapings to hang on it  to add to the ambiance, and will bring it to the GAR muster this fall if you would like to take a look.  I used ruber belting as tires for the wheels since I did not want to scratch paint off of my car.  It should also ride a little softer and quieter on hard surfaces.  Heck I might even bring it to the Convention in February of next year so I can haul all my purchases around in it.  I made a rear fram similar to a chuck wagon rig so the guns could set up right and the rest of the cart could be used for other gear like it was designed to carry (Camp canvases, folding chairs and tables).

I sure whish I had some tack and miniture ponnies to pull it.  Heck I don't even own a small dog.  I do have a cousin to a burro living under the same roof as my wife she some times tells me.  Heck I will just as well admit I will be the JA pulling the thing anyway.  

What type of wood are you planning on using?  I have no Idea what a real one would be made out of but if if was a freight wagon, I believe they would have been made out of white Oak.  At least the wheels floor and chasis would have.  

Vaya Con Dios  

Best of luck building your wagon.  It sounds very cool