Back in July, I posted a detailed blog about a chuckwagon that was being built at the Escondido History Center. Yesterday I saw the chuckwagon again, and it’s almost finished!
Here’s how it appeared a few months ago:
Yesterday, this is the chuckwagon displayed outside of the Penner Barn:
The vehicle, representative of the Old West, is mostly assembled now. I was told a few additional things must be done. The cloth covering is obviously one of those things.
What project is next at the history center’s Bandy Blacksmith & Wheelwright Shop? An old-fashioned buckboard!
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Imagine owning a table umbrella that’s also a work of fine art!
No need to imagine. Look for Studio 26 in Balboa Park’s amazing Spanish Village Art Center. That’s where you’ll find Edward Juarez, the friendly artist who you see in these photographs!
He was painting away when I walked through Spanish Village yesterday. I asked him about the umbrella. When finished, it will have multiple coatings and will be absolutely waterproof. The finished carousel umbrella on the patio nearby has been outdoors for a good while and still looks great.
It was incredible how the cowboy image he was painting came to life and acquired depth as he continued to apply color. This umbrella will be as vibrant as an oil painted framed canvas! He kindly took me into his studio and showed me other Western paintings perfect for this umbrella.
It would be super cool to own one of these table umbrellas, don’t you think? Good news! Edward told me he does commissions! Step into his studio and you’ll notice he paints every kind of subject matter.
Imagine my own surprise today when I discovered guys building an old-fashioned chuck wagon at the history center’s Bandy Blacksmith & Wheelwright Shop!
The retired volunteers, working on the project, let me step into the wheelwright shop to see exactly what they’re up to.
Check it out! The chuck wagon is being built from scratch and will be faithful to designs used over a century ago in the Old West. They hope to have it ready in time for Escondido’s 2025 Grape Day Festival, which will take place this September in Grape Day Park.
A chuck wagon is a horse-drawn wagon operating as a mobile field kitchen….They were included in wagon trains for settlers and traveling workers such as cowboys or loggers…
As you can see from my photos, this wagon is going to be awesome when finally completed!
First, here’s the old blacksmith and wagonworks building on the Escondido History Center‘s Heritage Walk, where the chuck wagon is being built…
Next is an old photo of a typical chuck wagon (without its cloth covering).
The guys working in Escondido will create a covering for their chuck wagon using duck cloth. You can see how the rear of the old chuck wagon in the photo has compartments used for storing food and cooking materials.
Now, inside the busy wheelwright shop today…
In the next photo, the wooden section that folds down near the front of the wagon is the foot board. The wagon’s seat will be mounted there behind it.
Next is the chuck box, which will be mounted to the rear of the chuck wagon. The combined cupboard and fold-down workspace stores cooking utensils, spices, and essential ingredients for cooking out in the field.
(Think of an old-fashioned tailgate party–featuring baked beans!)
The box-like pan boot is mounted under the chuck box. It typically held pots and pans and other cooking necessities such as a Dutch oven…
The opposite side of the chuck wagon under construction appears slightly different…
A barrel for water or other “liquid refreshment” will be mounted to this side!
The adjacent Penner Barn had its door opened by one of the friendly guys so I could take a peek inside…
The chuck wagon’s undercarriage is ready to go!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Perhaps you’ve seen this sculpture in front Lakeside’s Olde Community Church, home of the Lakeside Historical Society. It depicts a cowboy on a bucking bronco.
The sculpture is in memory of “Mr. Lakeside Rodeo” Ben Bruton. A nearby sign explains: In 1965 Ben Bruton and his associates brought back the rodeo to Lakeside CA to raise money and build a stadium for the kids of El Capitan High School… This bucking bronco statue was a gift to Lakeside by Mr. & Mrs. Mike Bruton to honor his father’s dream to have a rodeo in Lakeside CA for the benefit of our children…
According to this informative Facebook post from 2014: Mike Bruton, Son of Ben Bruton, acquired this statue of a bronc busting cowboy from Bobby Unser Jr. The post goes on to describe the Lakeside Rodeo, and how it went on to become an annual event.
This great article elaborates further on the history of past rodeos in Lakeside.
So far I haven’t ascertained who created the sculpture. If you know the artist, please leave a comment below!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Did you know Hawaii has it own unique cowboy culture? Hawaiian cowboys are called paniolos. You might be surprised to learn that the origin of paniolos in Hawaii has a direct connection to San Diego’s early history, when our nascent city was part of Mexico and cattle ranches flourished!
An extensive new exhibit at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park has the unusual title Aloha Vaqueros. It recalls how several Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) from San Diego moved to Hawaii to help control an exploding population of cattle!
I’ve read Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s Two Years Before the Mast, and I do remember how sailors from the Sandwich Islands (later called Hawaii) participated in the cattle hide trade up and down California’s coast. Several Sandwich Islanders also lived on the beach near the hide houses in Point Loma at La Playa.
I was unaware, however, that in the early 1830s, Joaquín Armas, a soldier and vaquero born at Mission San Diego de Alcalá, was hired by Hawaiian King Kamehameha III as an advisor on how to control thousands of wild cattle that had multiplied on the islands. Armas would then recruit three other Mexican vaqueros from the San Diego region, helping to establish vaquero traditions in Hawaii!
The thousands of environmentally destructive wild cattle had descended from long-horned cattle that were given by British Captain George Vancouver to King Kamehameha I in 1793. The wild cattle, evading hunters and traps, came under control about half a century later as vaquero-inspired ranches popped up on Hawaii’s islands. The cattle were valuable for the tallow and hide trade. Skilled ropers and riders were in demand, so many native Hawaiians would learn cowboy skills!
The paniolo experience would eventually become ingrained in Hawaiian culture. Take music, for example. One important development was Hawaiian open-tuning for the guitar called kihoʻalu, or slack-key.
Why are Hawaiian cowboys called paniolos? One theory is that the word is derived from español–the language spoken by the Mexican vaqueros.
If this very unique history fascinates you, go visit the San Diego History Center!
A few photos to provide a taste…
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
San Diego firefighters fought a blaze all this morning in Mission Valley. The fire was at the long-vacant In Cahoots Dance Hall & Saloon.
I work nearby. I noticed the flashing lights of fire engines on the scene well before sunrise. Late in the morning I walked with my camera around the building at a safe distance. Flames were still visible through the burnt roof and walls.
In Cahoots was a popular Country Western night club for decades. Years and years ago, I had two coworkers who’d line dance in the evening at In Cahoots. I could guess where they’d be heading after work when I saw them wearing cowboy boots!
I’m sure thousands of San Diegans have fond memories of the place.
A thank you to San Diego’s hero firefighters, who prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
There’s an extraordinary museum in El Cajon dedicated to one of the world’s finest artists depicting the American West. Olaf Wieghorst is that artist.
Olaf Wieghorst lived for many years in El Cajon. He has been called the Dean of contemporary Western artists. His depiction of the Old West–of cowboys, horses, Native Americans and vast landscapes–has been compared favorably with the work of Frederick Remington and Charles Russell.
A few weekends ago I visited the free museum. Wandering about the main gallery, I fell in love with the very fine paintings on display. They accurately portray horses and the Southwest because he knew them well.
Olaf’s life story is astonishing. He was born in Denmark. He worked in a circus, later on a farm, then moved to America knowing only three words in English. He was assigned to the 5th Cavalry patrolling the United States–Mexico border, worked as a ranch hand, joined the New York City Police Department in the Horse Mounted Division patrolling Central Park, and gradually grew in fame as an artist.
I marveled at Olaf’s prolific artwork that was used for advertisements, calendars and for the covers of Louis L’Amour novels. I enjoyed viewing artifacts from his life, such as saddles, awards, and memorabilia from the time he worked with John Wayne in Hollywood movies.
I then ventured outside to explore the actual home where Olaf Wieghorst lived, relocated to a spot near the museum’s main building. Docents are happy to open up the small rustic house and provide a tour of the rooms. One can see the window that provided natural light as Olaf painted. That same sunshine fills many of his Western landscapes.
There’s also an extraordinary cactus and succulent garden between the museum building and Olaf’s old home. The beautiful garden is open freely to the public. I blogged about the Southwest Cactus and Succulent Garden a while back here.
I urge anyone in San Diego to visit this wonderful museum. Especially if you like very fine art and the Old West! They’re always looking for volunteers, too!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Today I headed to the annual Ramona Country Fair and stepped through their gateway to adventure!
In addition to lots of friendly people and a fun slice of Americana, what did I find?
At the Ramona Country Fair, which is held each summer in rural San Diego County, there is plenty of adventure! And it’s free!Young and old were trying to shoot bows and arrows, just as folks did once upon a time.I was greeted by a smiling medieval archer! I declined to pick up a bow. I’m bound to shoot myself in the foot.Members of The Sovereign Kingdom of Terre Neuve, a subdivision of The Adrian Empire, had gathered at the Ramona Country Fair. Perhaps they arrived by time machine. But seriously, this friendly group recreates Western European culture between the First Viking Raid on Lindisfarne in 793 to the death of King James I of England in 1625.Chain mail, steel helmets, swords and other instruments from the Age of Chivalry displayed on one table.A demonstration of medieval combat fascinates those watching.Getting a bit more intense…That was a close call!Meanwhile, adventurous shoppers had much to explore on the grounds of the Ramona Country Fair.These super friendly folks from the California Avian Health Education Network were informing the community about prevention, early detection, and rapid containment of foreign animal diseases. They also had to endure a couple of my awful chicken jokes. Artists had their work for sale at the fair. I spotted a cool Yoda created by Boyd’s Crafts!These two cool guys represented Triple B Adventures, an organization that takes Veterans, including wounded warriors, on hikes, campouts and other adventures around San Diego County.It’s the 50th Annual Ramona Country Fair as you can see from their poster! Entries into the fair’s art show were displayed nearby.Some tape prevented my closer approach, but you can see these are winning art entries!Talk about a gastronomical adventure! Super Burritos. Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs. Decisions, decisions…The Ramona Chamber of Commerce, who puts the annual fair together, greeted me!Love Ramona is a bunch of friends and neighbors who do good deeds in the community. They began as a local church group.And, of course, what is a country fair without a huge Fun Zone! I couldn’t believe all the carnival rides. I was told it really gets active later in the day, and in the evening when the outdoor temperature cools. (It was in the 90’s during my late morning visit!)Look at all the fun prizes!This four-legged fair-goer was having more fun than some of the two-legged types.Folks were bringing in horses for the noontime Cowboy Challenge. I’m afraid I didn’t stay for that. Places to go. Things to do.A good photo caught by sheer chance.Folks get the arena ready for cowboy action!
Not only did I miss the Cowboy Challenge, but I was disappointed that the Irish Dancing in the fairground’s pavilion had been cancelled for Sunday. Oh, well. I guess that means a future adventure awaits!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Today I headed up to Old Poway Park to enjoy a very cool event. Scenes from the 19th century were being reenacted at the annual Rendezvous in Poway!
History enthusiasts had set up tents and tipis under large beautiful sycamore trees in the park’s grassy area. I learned that the rendezvous participants had been camping in Old Poway Park for several days already, and that local school students came by during the week to learn about life in the Old West during the 1800’s.
The Rendezvous in Poway, which continues this Sunday, features people in costume representing vaqueros, mountain men, cowboys, pioneers, and even members of the cavalry during the Civil War. For a few bucks kids can pan for real gold and families can ride the park’s fun Poway-Midland Railroad loop and watch a mock train robbery! Many of the attractions are free to the public, including a realistic cannon firing demonstration and Professor Tru Lee Bogus’ Traveling Medicine Show.
I also discovered that the Heritage Museum in Old Poway Park is open on weekends. There are many fascinating exhibits inside, and visitors can learn a good deal about the early history of Poway, back when people reached the once-tiny town by stagecoach.
On a pleasant early October afternoon I walked about the Rendezvous in Poway, enjoying many unique sights–and of course I took photos!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
The human world is complex. I suppose that’s due in large part to the contradictory impulses and plasticity of the human mind.
A big city like San Diego is filled with this often disconcerting complexity.
My walk around downtown today was a little more interesting than usual. Cowboys, symbols of rugged individualism and freedom, had gathered in the Gaslamp Quarter for the annual Fall Back Festival, an event that celebrates the Old West and early history of San Diego. Meanwhile, 6000 neuroscientists attending the big Society for Neuroscience conference at the convention center were sharing sidewalks with San Diego’s large homeless population.
Seeing that particular combination all together–cowboys, neuroscientists and homeless people–fired up a few billion neurons in my own mysterious brain. And stirred emotions.
So many human values, often in conflict.
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Every so often a small work of fiction bubbles out of my brain.
Cool San Diego Sights! 