Judy and I had the opportunity to return to Woolaroc Museum the other day to see how the Chuckwagon installation was progressing. WOW! Looking Good! There is still some work to be done to the front of the display as they had originally planned on doing display cases there that would have contained artifacts associated with the trail drives. Unfortunately, those cases blocked the view of the scene so they were removed and will be replaced by a split-rail fence. Other than that the scene is set and standing there you can almost hear the cattle moving in the background and the wranglers complaining about the slowness of the chow line.
There are a couple of things I would have left out of the scene, i.e., the cast-iron teapot and cornbread mold. I doubt seriously if those two things ever could have been found in a wagons inventory. Maybe I'll point that out during the next trip. You have to keep the details right or there will be those who waste no time pointing out the wrong ones.
Don't ask me why but to me the best position to view the overall scene is this one. Seeing my efforts included in the displays of one of the top western museums in the U.S. is a thrill indeed.
Should you have the opportunity to visit this museum you owe it to yourself to drive just west of Bartlesville, OK, to see some of the best displays of western art around. Russell, Remington, Beeler, Moran, and I'm proud to say...Doughty, are all there plus many more too numerous to name. Woolaroc may be a little off the beaten path but in a way that's what makes it such a wonderful and special place. Here's how to get there:
It took a lot of hard work by a lot of people but the Chuckwagon is finally in it's new home at Woolaroc. All that's left now is to turn that empty corner in the Museum into a fleshed out piece of the Old West. In just a month or so visitors will be able to imagine standing in line, hoping those beans and hot biscuits don't run out before it's their turn. Sort of like visiting the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile. There always seems to be a line when good food is on the menu.
People have ask me if we were sad to see the wagon move to it's new home. No! Even though there was a box of Kleenex setting close by when I signed over ownership to Woolaroc, it wasn't needed as I knew that with each future visit to the Museum we could still see it and think...."That was once ours! Remember those biscuits you rolled out? The pies we baked? The barbecue? The Cowboy beans? Especially that hot, boiled coffee that warmed us up on those frosty mornings." No, we're not sorry at all ..... we're honored that it's has found a new home at Woolaroc where it will be enjoyed by countless other fans of the old west who only wish they too could have enjoyed and experienced such things.
We'd like to offer a special thank you to Museum Director Shiloh Thurman who is ramrodding this project and all the others who bent their backs and helped to get that wagon to it's new place.
Stay tuned for at least one more post. In the meantime, here are some photos we took during the move:
As I mentioned in the last post, we're working on a Big Project that will come together toward the end or middle of February. As part of that I had to build a new display stand, which for an amateur furniture maker, is no mean feat. But, with Judy as my trusty assistant, we managed to do a pretty good job. At least I think so. We still have a lot to complete before then so carving will take a back seat for a while, or at least until the varnish dries.
Stay tuned. It's BIG!
