Brumley donates Chuckwagon to museum

An old Chuckwagon has found a new home at the Saints’ Roost Museum thanks to the generosity of a Groom resident.

Johnny Brumley donated the 1906 wagon built by the Bain Wagon Co. after it had been in his possession for about 15 years.

“When I got it, it was faded with dried out wood,” he recalled. “I just started from scratch and went to sanding.”

Brumley said he has restored about 25 Chuck wagons and worked on 50 wagons of other types, but this wagon was just for his family’s personal use. He built the Chuckbox for it himself, and never entered it into any competitions.

About four years ago, Brumley said he was approached by a Museum board member at Clarendon’s annual Chuckwagon Cookoff who said the Museum hoped to acquire a wagon for display and asked Brumley to be on the lookout for one that might be available.

“I did look but didn’t find anything,” Brumley said. “Then I got my son and daughter together and asked if they wanted the family wagon. They were not going to use it and agreed that it should go to Clarendon.”
Brumley said he has a soft place in his heart for Donley County.

“Clarendon College was good to me,” he said. “It gave me a scholarship, some books, and two years of education. And also I finished high school at Hedley.”

Saints’ Roost Museum President Derlene Gray said the wagon will be temporarily housed in the 1887 Clarendon Depot on the Museum grounds and said the board has committed to building a new facility to permanently house the wagon.

“We are so thrilled and honored to accept Mr. Brumley’s donation,” Gray said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a treasure for our community and all of Donley County. We look forward to planning a permanent home for this wagon, and we are so appreciative for all the support that allows our Museum to continue to grow.”