FORT SILL, Okla. (May 1, 2014) -- During the cattle drives of the late 1800s, one of the hardest working men on the trail was the chuck wagon cook. He had to get up before everybody to prepare breakfast.
After the meal, he had to load up the wagon and push ahead of the cattle to set up and cook at the evening camp site. Before the cook went to bed he found the North Star, and pointed the tongue of the wagon north to give the trail boss a good heading in the morning.
Not only did he cook, he was the letter writer, banker, doctor, dentist and impromptu preacher. He was paid three times what a cowboy received. Some considered him more important than the trail boss, said Vance Johnson, of Kildare, Okla., national chuck wagon cooking champion and five-time Oklahoma state champion.
The chuck wagon was one of the exhibits at Fort Sill's first Western Heritage Days April 25-27.
Activities ranged from a free concert to a parade to trick roping to cowboy story telling to hay rides -- all giving attendees a sampling of Oklahoma culture and history. Over 1,200 people attended the festivities April 26, at Rucker Park here.
"I want the people to celebrate the beautiful history that we have not only in Southwest Oklahoma, but also at Fort Sill," said Brenda Spencer-Ragland, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation director. "I'm really proud of the diversity of talent that we were able to offer to tell our Oklahoma history."
A parade began the festivities Saturday at the Field Artillery Museum, and it featured the Lawton-Fort Sill Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association, Lawton Ranger Rodeo Club and Cache Creek Cowboy Church riders.
Maj. Gen. Mark McDonald, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general, Col. Glenn Waters, Fort Sill Garrison commander, and Gerald Stuck, Field Artillery Half-Section chief, showed off their horsemanship skills as they, too, rode in the parade.
After the parade ended at Rucker Park, quarterhorse Izzy Unzipped, ridden by Eleanor Harowicz, was a natural magnet for children and a popular photo op for their parents.
Performer Cowboy Jim Garling, of Guthrie, Okla., told the story of how Little Jimmy had to explain to his schoolmarm why he was late for class.
To make a short story long, Little Jimmy said that his pa slept in the raw. The previous night his father heard a coyote in the hen house and went to investigate with a shotgun. Just as dad was about to shoot, Zeke, the family's beloved hound dog, cold-nosed dad in the back sending buckshot into the fowl, and not the coyote. So the whole family was up until 3 a.m. pickin' chickens [plucking feathers and gutting them], Little Jimmy said.
During the festivities, McDonald welcomed the crowd and told them they are welcome to come to Rucker Park and Fort Sill at any time.
Marine Peter Ontiveros of Lawton, took advantage of the three chuck wagons, whose cooks provided free meals. He had lunch consisting of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, beans and peach cobbler.
"It was delicious," he said. "I saw those guys working so hard to cook it, and now I'm enjoying it."
The chuck wagons competed in a cook-off with local celebrities as judges. The overall winner was
Crosstimber Ranch with Honey Do Spoiler finishing as runner up.
Another popular attraction was the hayride, where a tractor-drawn wagon took visitors around Rucker Park and through Academic Heights housing. The seemingly long wait in line made one youngster ask, "Where did they go Oklahoma City?"
Lawton resident Carmen Gwaltney attended the free country and western music concert Friday.
"The music was wonderful," she said. She said her family also enjoyed Saturday's parade and other activities; and they were planning on attending Sunday's Cowboy Church and community picnic.
Throughout the day a brisk Oklahoma breeze kept people holding onto their hats as children, oblivious to the wind, pitched horseshoes, danced to music or chased each other around the park.
Food and service vendors were on hand to quench thirsts, fill stomachs and let people know about their services in the Lawton-Fort Sill community. Vendors included Corvias Military Living, the Fort Sill Credit Union, food vendors, USAA, Billingsley Ford and Fat Boy Pizza.
The 2nd Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery "Big Deuce" had a table where they provided baked goods and drinks provided by its Soldiers and their families.
"This [fundraiser] goes to support our troops and we've had a big turn-out," said volunteer, Rachael Parker, who is a second lieutenant with A Battery.
Dozens of volunteers made the event possible including detailed Soldiers, Marines from the Field Artillery Detachment and noncommissioned officers from the NCO Academy, said Laurie Batule, Army Volunteer Corps program manager.
Numerous directorates and their staffs also pitched in including the Directorate of Emergency Services, FMWR and Directorate of Public Works, which spruced up the park leading up to the event.
Nye Library sponsored an Oklahoma-themed poetry writing contest with Jennifer Keller, Lawton High School English Department head, and the Lawton Public Schools as part of Western Heritage Days, said Joan Auwen, Nye Library supervisor. Two Cameron University professors judged the entries, which came from middle and high schools.
Nathanael Butler, 17, Lawton High School Senior took second place, for his work "Fade to Black." The poem is about a rocking chair that sits on the front porch of a single-mother's home during the dust bowl.
"I'm honored, I had no idea that I would win," said Butler, who plans to major in vocal music education.
All the winners and their poems can be viewed via the Internet at www.sillmwr.com.
"The Oklahoma Balladeer" Les Gilliam and his Silver Lake Band from Ponca City, Okla., performed for 90 minutes to close Saturday's activities. The band performed original songs as well as country standards, and even took requests.
The whole Jenkins family from Elgin came out to check out the festivities Saturday, said mom Anna Chmura-Jenkins.
"Western heritage is super-interesting: the pioneer times, the exploration of America and the old west feeling, said Anna, who is from Poland. "I enjoyed the spirit of the event and its connection to the West."
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