History of the Chuckwagon at our Pancake Breakfast

by Dave Chrisman

[The following account of the wagon’s history is from a 2020 email exchange between founding Rotarians Mike Palmer and Dave Chrisman. For many years, when not at the breakfast, the wagon was on display by St. Vrain Historical Society near the entrance to Old Mill Park. More recently, the wagon became too fragile to move back and forth to the breakfast, and so remains on display at the park.]

Many memories come to mind with the wagon that takes me back to age 5. I originally picked up the wagon from Golden’s, as the Jaycees that used to put on the Chuck Wagon Breakfast had let it fall into disrepair and didn’t want to have anything to do with it anymore. I stored it at my home until the rebuild, where we then transferred it to your [Mike Palmer’s] side yard near your woodshop.

A lot of fun was had with the rebuild. Do you remember you and me going down to McDonald’s Hardwoods in Denver and picking out the Red Oak boards to fabricate the new box? Bob Sarchet made or found a lot of the hardware that we installed. Since it was originally a freight wagon (the oversize wheel irons and axle assembly), it appeared that somewhere back in time that it was converted to a passenger wagon with the previous cantilevered side seating, that we removed due to its poor condition.

Gary Wertz, now deceased, made the white 10 oz. white cotton canvas top at his shop, Saint Vrain Glass and Upholstery. The old business at Third and Coffman is now the Saint Vrain Building and is a private entertainment venue. My son Biff did the stencil design on the top with the Twin Peaks Rotary logo applied. There were many fun and enjoyable afternoons and a few evenings at your woodshop with club members working and all enjoying much beer. Dave Schey was our regular entertainment at those times. He was kind of like Fred Sanford, and the rest of us were his Lamont’s. Great memories right up until Rich Schenker and I tried to unload it at Old Mill Park and managed to break their gate as we winched the old relic into the park with my Jeep’s winch. 

Early on it was Geoff Howe and I that took it upon ourselves to try and help the Jaycees out with the annual Chuck Wagon Breakfast in hopes that when they gave it all up that we as a club could take over the old Longmont Fair and Rodeo tradition. Luck was on our side as we only assisted the Jaycees for just one year, and they were glad to pass the torch on to Twin Peaks. They offered us all their cookers, skillets, etc.

We found most of their equipment in disrepair and on its last legs. So, with a yea vote from the club, several of us trekked up to Cabela’s in Sidney, Nebraska where we purchased new cookers and such. You then made the galvanized steel covered tables yourself that we still use today. NICE JOB, by the way. The wagon was stored at several places over the years and inside after the box rebuild. Out at Karen Sekich’s for a while, but they couldn’t always keep it inside. Then at the Hover Home barn where my wife Laurie and I were nearly arrested by a platoon of Longmont Police officers as we were in the process of loading up for that year’s breakfast. Some nosy neighbor called into the PD and said someone was breaking into the barn and that’s when it got dicey. There were cops hiding behind every bush and corner. I’m surprised the SWAT team wasn’t there in support. Although I don’t know how much their little robot could have done to help. Once again, we needed the Jeep winch to get the wagon on the trailer.

That is a bit of my memory of days gone by and the Chuck Wagon. Good recollections for sure and it appears we may add another chapter or two to the wagon’s long history. Call me when you need help. 

All the best,

Dave