From Kansas to Kentucky

On September 16th Doug and Holly Hansen loaded up their trailer with a Prairie Schooner, a Freight Wagon, a Mud Wagon, and a Chuck Wagon. They headed south and their first stop was the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous in Ft. Larned, Kansas. This event was very informative with speakers from all over the country providing knowledge on the theme “Communication on the Santa Fe Trail”. On September 18th we showcased our lynch pin 1840's Prairie Schooner and Doug's personal Mud Wagon at the Fort. Doug even had the change to hitch his Mud Wagon to a team of Ken Wasserman's mules and deliver mail with Dr. Leo Oliva portraying Private Robert Morris Peck. Doug gave a talk on the construction and history of the Schooner, Mud Wagon and early Escort Wagon. Greg and Joann Van Covern gave a lecture about their spring wagon and John Deere farm wagon. The event participants ended the day with a delicious dinner served in the quartermasters store house. http://www.santafetrail.org/symposium.php

Ft. Larned - Doug and another speaker, Greg Van Covern

Ft. Larned - Doug Explaining the Construction of a Mud Wagon

Ft. Larned -Taking the Mud Wagon for a Test Drive

Ft. Larned -Doug Joined the Ride and Helped Deliver the Mail

Next the Hansen's headed East to the Museum of Westward Expansion in St. Louis, MO. They had the opportunity to study and research an original Schooner equipped with a steel skein and lynch pin. This wagon is a great example of the early American West's vehicles (circa 1850's). There was also a great reproduction Concord stagecoach and an early ox cart. http://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/museum-of-westward-expansion.htm

Museum of Westward Expansion - Original Prairie Schooner with Steel Skein and Lynch Pin

Museum of Westward Expansion - Replica Concord Stagecoach

Early Ox Cart

The final leg of their journey was the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop was was chosen to provide historic horse drawn vehicles to represent early western American history. The vehicles we provided were a Freight Wagon, a Mud Wagon, a Chuck Wagon and a Prairie Schooner. The vehicles are going to be incorporated into the obstacle course for the the 4 in hand driving competition. After the setup we toured the grounds and were astonished by the substantial size of the complex. http://www.alltechfeigames.com/

World Equestrian Games - World Equestrian Games Grandstands

World Equestrian Games - Doug and Holly Moving the Chuck Wagon into Position

                World Equestrian Games - Doug Placing the Bows on the Freight Wagon

World Equestrian Games - Setting up Doug's Mud Wagon

 

 

 

World Equestrian Games - Restored 1840's Lynch Pin Prairie Schooner

May Update

We recently finished three unique vehicles for Sun Valley Resort. All three of these vehicles are indigenous to the western terrain. We felt fortunate to be chosen to restore these pieces of history. Information we found while undergoing restoration was original lettering under the paint on the Yellowstone coach and we found that Studebaker was the maker of the buckboard. Although the buckboard has a rough appearance we decided to keep it in original condition to be used as a work vehicle. They are currently en route to join the Sun Valley Collection in Idaho.

Below is the beginning of a restoration of an original M.P. Henderson & Son surrey for Melanie Brooker. We are very excited to have the chance of restoring such a rare piece. M.P. Henderson & Son was a famous wagon and coach builder from Stockton California. So far we are finished with the restoration of the undercarriage of this vehicle. We are very impressed with the attention to detail M. P. Henderson & Son put into the construction of this surrey. The finished product will have a rustic natural finish and contrasting black hardware.

Wagonhound's Mud Wagon stagecoach which was in our most recent blog is already nearing completion. The staining, striping, and lettering are already finished. Also Seth has upholstered the canvas top and has began working on the leather interior. We look forward to setting this coach's body on its running gear and seeing the finished product. Doug will be delivering this coach May 27th. Joining Doug will be Jim Patrick with his chuck wagon to feed Wagonhound Ranch's hungry cowboys as they drive 3000 yearlings to their summer pasture.

This original Concord buggy belongs to the Georgeson's from Nebraska. They stopped by the shop earlier this spring to discuss the decoration of their buggy. The idea they came up with was a monogram and roses on the oval body panel with a black fine line striping the undercarriage. The upholstery will be top grain black leather.

Cheyenne Frontier Days stagecoach is almost complete, we chose to accent the rich red body with chestnut colored boots. Wayne Troyer did a beautiful job on the mural of two bull buffaloes on prairie terrain. If you would like to see this stagecoach in person it will be in the upcoming 2010 Cheyenne Frontier Days Parade which will take place July 23rd-August 1st. This rodeo takes place in Cheyenne, WY. For more information visit their website at http://www.cfdrodeo.com/.

This buckboard was another project built for Gary Tritcher. This is our "Cow Boss" buckboard which is equipped with a toolbox under the seat and the rear seat is removable. This is a unique vehicle of American design which uses floor boards as it's suspension. This buckboard will keep it's natural finish to give it western flavor.


Tritcher's stagecoach was just coated with a beautiful paint job. It included striping, a mural, and wonderful scroll work on the bottom half of the body. Wayne Troyer recommended the full scroll so that it would give the essence of the stagecoach era. The mural is a lone bull buffalo which is a great symbol of the west to ornament the door. This stagecoach will be used in parades and wild west exhibits in the future.

Feb. 19th Update

Bain Sheep wagon


Original Bain Sheep wagon Before

This is an original Bain Sheep wagon. This wagon is going through a restoration process. We kept the original running and stripped the body of all its irons. The wood is all new on the body and is getting a distressed finish. It will be equipped with a sheepherder stove and cabinetry. The owners of this sheep wagon will finish it off by decorating it with period correct antiques.


The Restoration So Far


Inside the Sheep wagon

Trichter Stagecoach



Gary Trichter commissioned us to replicate an Abbot Downing Western Concord Mail Coach. This design is made to seat nine passengers and is equipped with leather boots and side curtains. The coach will be used in wild west shows and entertaining. The stagecoach will be given an antique patina finish to look like a rugged historic original coach.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Stagecoach



Cheyenne Frontier Days wanted to have a stagecoach built to promote their Museum and Rodeo. The coach will be pulled by a team of six horses. The stagecoach has been stained and ironed and is ready in the striping booth to recieve it's antique lettering and a mural that will be painted by Wayne Troyer.

Bodoh's Slat Sided Phaeton Carriage



This Cobb style Slat Side Phaeton Carriage is a rare size to find. It is designed for a Cobb size horse. The body is made of a rich dark walnut wood. Restoration is under way and so far the body is being assembled and new wheels have been fabricated.

Wagonhound Ranch Mudwagon



We have done several restorations for Wagonhound Ranch but this project is the most historically significant. In the Lusk Wyoming museum we noticed a mud wagon that had been used on the Douglas Short Line which ran from Lusk to Douglas Wyoming (it is a spur route of the Deadwood Trail). The Douglas Short Line also ran through the Wagonhound Ranch. We are going to replicate all the components of the mud wagon from Lusk so Wagonhound Ranch will once again own a coach from the Douglas Short Line.

Sun Valley Buckboard



This is a unique Studebaker buckboard with a side-spring suspension and partial side boards. We have kept it’s original work character to exemplify it’s rugged life.

Sun Valley Winona Mountain Wagon



This wagon is an original vehicle whose undercarriage was untouched but the body had been repainted. While removing the red paint we discovered original lettering that read Yellowstone West #208. This was an original wagon that carried visitors through Yellowstone’s Park. We were very fortunate to have found this information. If we would have stripped the paint we would have lost this piece of history. We have just cleaned and sealed the undercarriage to keep its original appearance.



Maker's Tag from Sun Valley Mountain Wagon