History of the Rocking T Chuck Wagon

 The Rocking T Chuck Wagon has been in the Tegeler family for almost 100 years and is now enjoyed by the fifth generation of the family. Originally purchased by Herman Tegeler in the early 1900’s, the wagon remained in continuous use on the family farm & ranch near the small community of Sempronus in Austin County, Texas, until the retirement of Herman Tegeler in the late 1950s.

 Herman Tegeler, his wife Dora and their two sons Raymond and Leroy would use this wagon as their primary mode of transporting corn and cotton crops from the fields, delivering cotton to the cotton gin in the local community of Phillipsburg, Texas and hauling feed and supplies from the larger community of Kenney, Texas. The wagon was an important vehicle and rarely ever stayed outside of the wagon shed overnight. The wagon served the family in a similar manner as today’s pick-up truck serves the modern farmer and rancher.

 Herman Tegeler and his family would eventually enjoy the luxuries of the modern Ford Model T automobile, however the wagon was always found to be more dependable and reliable, especially during rainy days and muddy roads. During the early 1950’s, Lonnie Tegeler, as a young boy would enjoy summer vacations with his grandparents and “helping” his grandfather while riding on the wagon and making the daylong trip to the cotton gin.

 After his retirement, Herman would sell his mules and leave the wagon protected in the wagon shed where it would remain for another 40 years. Raymond Tegeler inherited the wagon from his father and refused numerous offers from individuals wanting to purchase the wagon. Occasionally the wagon would be removed from the wagon shed, cleaned and used as a “serving table” for outdoor family picnics, but always returned to the wagon shed for safe keeping.