There was a time when sheep wagons were a fixture of the Wyoming landscape. The origin of the sheep wagon is debatable. Certainly, as long as there have been sheep herded in the state, there have been wagons fixed up by sheepmen. Eventually, though, blacksmiths began to produce sheep wagons on a commercial basis.
Some historians maintain that the first commercially produced wagon was built in Rawlins by blacksmith James Candlish in 1884. Others argue that it was a different blacksmith in Kemmerer or even near Cokeville. Regardless, the sheep wagon eventually evolved to a standardized form.
Wyoming sheep wagons were 12 feet long and six-and-a-half-feet high. A tiny house on wheels, the carefully designed interior optimized every inch of space. Originally, the wagons had a canvas cover fastened over the wagon’s wooden bows.
Each wagon was insulated with blanket material. Across the rear of the wagon was a built-in bed. Beneath the bed frame was a pull-out tabletop. Just inside the wagon door was a small wood or coal-fired stove complete with an oven for baking. A kerosene lantern fixed to one of the bows provided light.
Learn more about the history of Wyoming sheep wagons by reading the Robert C. Warner papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.