Back in
the good old days, when
settlers roamed the land, the
cooks wagon was
coined the "chuck wagon". Because the cook was always
rumored to mean and
cantankerous, no one ever dared to raise dust near the wagon. Likewise, no one ever took anything from the chuck wagon without
asking.
As for the wagon itself, the back of it was fitted with
drawers and shelves to carry
utensils and
cooking supplies. A "
cooney", or
cradle-like device, under the bed of the wagon carried
wood or
cow chips for cooking fuel. Standard goods? A
jug for
sourdough, a
sack of
flour, cans of
coffee,
salt,
potatoes,
tomatoes (canned),
sugar, molasses,
lard, salt
pork, and
beans.