Sheep Wagon
General area of Roundup, Montana beside US Hwy. 12.
Had never seen one of these but knew instantly what it was. I remember my Dad telling of going up into the mountains of Wyoming in the 1960,s to see a setup like this, with a herder tending the band of sheep for months at a time. Clear channel radio at night was the entertainment.
It was setting at the end of the lane, so was able to take several photos of it and look around. The beauty of traveling alone, not sure that stopping to check this out would interest many beside me.
....................................................................................................................................................................
History of the American Sheepwagon
(Text "Sheepwagon, Home on the Range" by Nancy Weidel 2001)
The sheepwagon is an object of fascination to many people today. The sheepwagon itself is a marvel of practicality and efficiency. And people often wonder who invented the sheepwagon. The traditional design of the sheepwagon, along with the placement of such defining interior features as bed, stove, table, and benches had become standardized by 1900, just sixteen years after it's invention. But not every sheepwagon was built just alike; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Designed to provide shelter and heat, mobility and storage, the sheepwagon was the ideal home for the herder.
Although the first wagons had only a canvas flap for a door, a Dutch door, or "stable door" as the English called it, quickly replaced the flap and became one of the sheepwagon's most prominent features. The door's top half could remain open while the bottom stayed shut. This feature served several purposes; with the top open, the herder could hear and see his sheep. The open top door also provided ventilation for the wagon and modulated the heat of the stove, which could be quite intense. A closed bottom door also kept out the herder's dogs and other animals. According to ranchers, however, the primary function of the Dutch door was to allow a herder or camptender to stand within the wagon - or even sit on the side bench or a box - and still be able to extend his arms through the open top door to hold the horses' reins when the wagon was being moved. The sheepwagon has retained its original interior configuration because the placement of its door on the front, and its component parts such as the bed and stove, utilized the small space in the most efficient manner possible.
One observation of the interior of the western sheepwagon was the remarkable resemblance to a ship's cabin, another version of a compact, efficient living space. Both have well-designed storage areas, built-in benches, retractable or fold-down tables, and a sleeping berth. A story is told of two old sheep-herders, both former sailors, who finally felt at home in the western desert which they described "like being on a dry sea." A term often applied to the deserts and high plains is "a sea of grass," the empty landscape consisting of only two elements, treeless earth against a huge sky, the undulating hills resembling waves on the ocean.
Although no documentary evidence appears to exist that would confirm it, most experts agree the first sheepwagons were probably improvised by sheepmen of the northern territories since it was here that they needed protection from the harsh weather. They began with a standard wagon box about ten feet long and three feet wide. The bows of such light freight of farm wagons could easily be covered with canvas and outfitted with perhaps a bedroll inside. Adding a built-in bunk and fastening a small stove to the floor were the next logical steps in the evolution of the crude house on wheels.
By the 1900s, as the sheep business continued to expand rapidly throughout the western states, sheepcamps were in demand. A rancher had a choice as to where he could obtain a sheepwagon. He might build one himself or obtain one through the local blacksmith. Blacksmiths played a key role not only in the invention and modification of the first sheepwagons, but also in the subsequent building and repair.
..................... The full article this came from can be found below:
Sheep Wagon
General area of Roundup, Montana beside US Hwy. 12.
Had never seen one of these but knew instantly what it was. I remember my Dad telling of going up into the mountains of Wyoming in the 1960,s to see a setup like this, with a herder tending the band of sheep for months at a time. Clear channel radio at night was the entertainment.
It was setting at the end of the lane, so was able to take several photos of it and look around. The beauty of traveling alone, not sure that stopping to check this out would interest many beside me.
....................................................................................................................................................................
History of the American Sheepwagon
(Text "Sheepwagon, Home on the Range" by Nancy Weidel 2001)
The sheepwagon is an object of fascination to many people today. The sheepwagon itself is a marvel of practicality and efficiency. And people often wonder who invented the sheepwagon. The traditional design of the sheepwagon, along with the placement of such defining interior features as bed, stove, table, and benches had become standardized by 1900, just sixteen years after it's invention. But not every sheepwagon was built just alike; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Designed to provide shelter and heat, mobility and storage, the sheepwagon was the ideal home for the herder.
Although the first wagons had only a canvas flap for a door, a Dutch door, or "stable door" as the English called it, quickly replaced the flap and became one of the sheepwagon's most prominent features. The door's top half could remain open while the bottom stayed shut. This feature served several purposes; with the top open, the herder could hear and see his sheep. The open top door also provided ventilation for the wagon and modulated the heat of the stove, which could be quite intense. A closed bottom door also kept out the herder's dogs and other animals. According to ranchers, however, the primary function of the Dutch door was to allow a herder or camptender to stand within the wagon - or even sit on the side bench or a box - and still be able to extend his arms through the open top door to hold the horses' reins when the wagon was being moved. The sheepwagon has retained its original interior configuration because the placement of its door on the front, and its component parts such as the bed and stove, utilized the small space in the most efficient manner possible.
One observation of the interior of the western sheepwagon was the remarkable resemblance to a ship's cabin, another version of a compact, efficient living space. Both have well-designed storage areas, built-in benches, retractable or fold-down tables, and a sleeping berth. A story is told of two old sheep-herders, both former sailors, who finally felt at home in the western desert which they described "like being on a dry sea." A term often applied to the deserts and high plains is "a sea of grass," the empty landscape consisting of only two elements, treeless earth against a huge sky, the undulating hills resembling waves on the ocean.
Although no documentary evidence appears to exist that would confirm it, most experts agree the first sheepwagons were probably improvised by sheepmen of the northern territories since it was here that they needed protection from the harsh weather. They began with a standard wagon box about ten feet long and three feet wide. The bows of such light freight of farm wagons could easily be covered with canvas and outfitted with perhaps a bedroll inside. Adding a built-in bunk and fastening a small stove to the floor were the next logical steps in the evolution of the crude house on wheels.
By the 1900s, as the sheep business continued to expand rapidly throughout the western states, sheepcamps were in demand. A rancher had a choice as to where he could obtain a sheepwagon. He might build one himself or obtain one through the local blacksmith. Blacksmiths played a key role not only in the invention and modification of the first sheepwagons, but also in the subsequent building and repair.
..................... The full article this came from can be found below: