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.

March 26th Update

Jerome is back to working on Wagonhound's Mud Wagon. Stain finish has been applied to the bottom of the body. He will spend the afternoon sandblasting the irons. Next he will paint all the ironwork.



Seth is starting the leatherwork on Cheyenne Frontier Days front and rear boots. A lot of upholstery goes into a stagecoach the seats, boots and most importantly the thorough-braces. Thorough-braces are straps of leather cured to the strength of steel and strung in pairs to support the body of a stagecoach and enable it to swing back and forth. This cradle-like motion absorbs the shocks of the road. Thorough braces are carefully fashioned and elaborate in arrangement, and it usually requires the hides of more than a dozen cattle to provide enough leather for a single coach.



The original upholstery pattern is finished on Sun Valley's original mountain wagon. All that are left is the finishing touches and it will be ready to hitch.



Here is Joe's finished wagon turned restaurant booth. As you can see the sides were extended outward to accommodate comfortable seating. This wagon will be a unique dining experience for anyone.



Brian's Prairie Schooner's panels have been installed along with the tool and jockey boxes. Today he is going to start on the spray paint job.

Spring is Here and the Shop is FULL of Vehicles!

Sun Valley's mountain wagon top and curtains are finished. Now Seth is in the process of copying the original upholstery pattern. It will have a stitched back roll pattern, in leather.



This Prairie Schooner is going to be on display at Scott's Bluff National Monument in Gering, Nebraska. The whole construction process will be the same as it was in 1840's with all chamfers spoke shaven , and hand-forged hardware. Jerome is working on the wood axle which will be clouted with iron. This technique is a primitive but period correct method. In this photo the mortise and tenon box frame is ready for Brian to install the panels.



Seth has tufted the seats to match the original pattern of this Studebaker buckboard. This rustic piece is ready for display at Sun Valley Resort.



Jerome finished installing the boots and Joel has hand-forged the hardware on Cheyenne Frontier Days' coach; it is now waiting in line at the upholstery shop.



Gary Tritcher's coach body construction is complete and it is now ready for the painting process.



Brian just finished the Dean Sheep Wagon. This original Wyoming wagon has been restored with all the trimmings of an 1880’s sheep camp.



Bodoh's phaeton is on its running gear and ready for upholstery.



This original John Deere wagon is going to be used in a western restaurant in Canada. The wagon will be an actual booth for customers to be served meals in.



Our wheelwright Tim likes to take a break from the wheel shop. Here is a look at a replica British Revolutionary War cannon he just completed, just needs an ammo box and it is ready to fire.

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

End of Year Update

Studebaker “Sprinkler” wagons were used to water down the dust on the roads. The sizes of Studebaker sprinklers ranged from 175 gallons to 1000 gallons. This particular wagon has a 650 gallon tank. Sprinkler wagons were fitted with a 5th wheel running gear that balanced the tank and allowed 90 degree turns. Doug Hansen tested out this wagon and you can watch the video on YouTube.

The Booby-Hut is a unique sleigh design that is a carriage body put upon sleigh runners. The body is suspended with leather braces similar to a stagecoach suspension. There are very few originals of this vehicle left in existence. It is a privilege to be able to restore one in such great condition. At the back of the body you can see what is called the “sword-case”, accessible from the inside of the body. These sword-cases were used to carry arms in the old highway robbery times. This vehicle’s design is very light, strong and elastic. We are anxious to see this unique sleigh in its original colors, it was painted black body with emerald green lower pales, yellow striping and an emerald green gear, this complimented the green plush interior trimming. Check this blog for further updates of this project.

This is a restored Army Escort Wagon. All original hardware was reused but all wood components had to be replaced. This wagon supplied provisions for the troops, anything from food to ammunition to shelter. The unique characteristics are winged flair boards a double tiered jockey box / tool box / foot board, an ax carrier within the wagon, and a shovel carrier under driver seat. Also these wagons had rough lock chains, a tail gate with a chain retainer to offer rear platform. The wheels are heavy duty being 54" high and 3" wide. This wagon is going to be an interactive outdoor display at the Mormon Battalion Museum in San Diego, CA.

You may remember this coach from the last blog post, where it was under construction. The antique patina finish our craftsmen applied to this stagecoach gives it a rich historic look. This coach was recently on display in at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It’s new home is in Glendora, CA where it will be on private display.


The concord buggy was invented in Concord N.H. in about 1813 by Lewis Downing. In 1828 Downing was joined in business by Joseph Stephens Abbot. Their heavy Abbot-Downing coaches became famous, being used by companies such as Wells Fargo. The Concord buggy was an inexpensive, stylish and multipurpose substitute for the pricey and burdensome English carriages of the time. Lightly constructed of strong and flexible timbers such as hickory, the buggy was well suited to rough roads. It was fitted with a top and a dashboard to protect the driver and passenger from dust and mud. This vehicle became typical in the West, and this particular wagon hand crafted by Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop resides at Wagon Hound Ranch in Wyoming.

August Update

Phaeton is the early 19th-century term for a sporty carriage drawn by either a single horse or a pair, typically with four extravagantly large wheels, very lightly sprung, with a minimal body, and speed. It typically had no sidepieces in front of the seats. The rather self-consciously classicizing name refers to the ride of mythical Phaëton, son of Helios, who set the earth on fire while attempting to drive the chariot of the sun.



















On Labor Day Weekend the Cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley host the historic Wagon Days Celebration. The holiday weekend is packed with a variety of activities, many of which celebrate the valley's mining history. Below is one of the freight wagons this celebration is centered around. The wagon on the left is from the 20 hitch mule train in Ketchum Idaho. These wagons were originally used for mining and you can watch a video of the jerk line in action here http://www.youtube.com/hansenwheel.

This is a mountain wagon, similar to the stagecoach but with a simpler design, these are popular for tours with their open sides for passengers to look out of. This wagon will be on display at the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

Hitch wagons, sometimes called express wagons or show wagons, were widely used for light trucking. Companies took great pride in the hitch wagons bearing their business name and in the magnificent team of horses that pulled them. That tradition is still true with many of our customers still providing us with custom logos to have painted on their wagons. This hitch wagon is not entirely finished but it is getting there with just a few chrome pieces left. This is an extravagant hitch wagon and you will soon see it in upcoming shows.

Pictured here is a replication Concord Stagecoach. There is still the same craftsmanship in our coaches as the originals. Each person in our shop has specialized jobs to get our stagecoaches to our customers. The process starts with the coach builder constructing all the wooden components of the coach except for the wheels which are fabricated by the wheelwright. All metal components are hand forged by the blacksmith. Then our upholsterer sews all the seats and curtains. Last the body is stained and all murals, gold leafing and striping are done by a professional painter.

Just Finished!

Ft. Laramie Wagon

Here's the final result of Brian's work. This 1840’s prairie schooner with lynch pin clouted axles and ribbed panel construction was hand-crafted from the ground-up using original designs and processes. All the wood in the construction was shaped with a spoke shave to replicate the tool marks on the finished product that would have been present with original methods used in the construction of such a vehicle. All irons were hand-forged and parts were studied from archeology digs. Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop used this information to accurately replicate the wagon into a piece that would have been used during this time period at the Fort. Read More.

3 Pounder Infantry Cannons

These cannons were used by the British in the Revolutionary War.
Also known as grasshopper cannons, this type of cannon was light weight and could follow the infantry closely, on the battlefield. On the back of these cannons are authentically ironed ammunition boxes.

Two Seated Buckboard

This buckboard was built for a customer in Germany. It was equipped with removable seats, a hydralic braking system, doublebend, and drop heel shafts for a single horse to pull.