Jim O’Rourke, originally of Buffalo, Wyoming, had been following the trail of the historic sheep wagons in his home state. His goal was to uncover the rich history of the wagons and their builders when he unexpectedly died in March 2024.
His wife, Lora O'Rourke, said that he had been doing the work he loved, cutting boards to refurbish a sheep wagon just the day before he died of a heart attack. She shared his passion for sheep wagons and respects their history.
“A sheep wagon represents the family heritage,” said O’Rourke, who lives in Chadron, Nebraska. “They are associated with the memories of the great grandparents and the stories that are held, and the hard work and that whole generation of people that lived off the land.”
The sheep wagons were the living quarters for entire families, not just bachelors tending sheep, and served as the center of some early communities. In 1915, a school was opened in the rural oil camp of Grass Creek in Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Surrounded by sage, cattle and sheep, the only available building was a Wyoming sheep wagon.
The converted schoolhouse was placed on the north side of Grass Creek, just above the crossing of the Illinois Pipe Line Camp. The first teacher was Miss Mary Herring, who had taught the “Moor” school on Gooseberry creek the winter before.
Herring lived in the sheep wagon and, because of the size of the wagon, conducted school in two sections, although there were only six pupils. This first school lasted three months before being moved into a bigger building.
These portable homes were first developed in the Cowboy State and once dotted the landscape, crossing state lines into Nebraska, Colorado and Utah. These sheepherders’ palaces on wheels were built in nearly every town in Wyoming during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
They are now a highly desired collectible from Wyoming’s past.
Each sheep wagon is unique to the blacksmith or company who made them, and O’Rourke had made it his mission to discover these long-ago tradesmen. He left behind his notes, a manuscript and incomplete projects that Lora is determined will all be finished as his legacy.
The sheep wagons, according to Lora, are icons of the American West.
Last Trip To Wyoming
In the fall of 2023, O’Rourke had crisscrossed Wyoming to uncover the artisans who had made these relics with his camera and notebook in tow.
He had given himself three days in the Bighorn Basin to see as many sheep wagons as he could. His first stop had been at the Hot Springs County Museum where an old, unidentified sheep wagon resides in the Museum Annex.
After confirming the museum’s wagon was an authentic sheep wagon and not a replica, O’Rourke had examined the details on the wagon to find clues to identify the builder.
“I’m looking for characteristics that are unique to the blacksmith. I’m looking at the door latches, types of braces, types of food boxes, cabinets, and window placement,” he had said. “The trick is to find a wagon that has the builder's name on it.”
When he moved the latch up and down, he had been instantly able to confirm that it was not a Candlish Sheep Wagon from Rawlins or a Douglas wagon due to the way the latch is shaped.
Before his death in 2024, Jim O’Rourke had been researching the history of Wyoming’s sheep wagon. His legacy lives on in a family museum and a book his widow, Lora, is hoping to publish this summer. (Courtesy Lora O’Rourke) 
Jim O’Rourke was passionate about sheep wagons and uncovering their secrets. He said they were more than just homes but part of our western heritage. After his passing in 2024, his wife, Lora, is continuing to share his sheep wagon legacy. (Courtesy Dean King) 
Jim and Lora O’Rourke had their own collection of 20 sheep wagons that they began gathering in 1986. They have restored most of them to their original state and visitors are invited to stop by their ranch in Nebraska for a tour. (Courtesy Lora O’Rourke) 
Jim O’Rourke had a passion for restoring sheep wagons and preserving their past. (Courtesy Lora O’Rourke) 
Latches like these on sheep wagons can reveal the blacksmiths who made them. Each builder had their unique style and Jim O’Rourke had been identifying these characteristics to identify who built each sheep wagon. (Courtesy Dean King) 
Jim O’Rourke took pictures of sheep wagons across the Cowboy State before passing away in 2024. His widow, Lora, is taking these photos and finishing his book, “Sheep Wagon Builders” so others can appreciate the history and makers of these sheep wagons. (Courtesy Dean King) 
A sheep wagon was built by individuals who had their own unique design. They left behind clues of who they were and Jim O’Rourke had been identifying these sheep wagons before his death in 2024. (Courtesy Dean King) 
Jim and Lora O’Rourke had their own collection of 20 sheep wagons that they began gathering in 1986. They have restored most of them to their original state and visitors are invited to stop by their ranch in Nebraska for a tour. (Courtesy Lora O’Rourke)
The Sheep Wagon Builders
O’Rourke had been searching for a J. Wessel Sheep Wagon and was hopeful he would find a sheep wagon the Worland blacksmith had signed. It was a common practice for the builders to put their personal mark on the wagons they built.
Over the years, ranchers have painted over the maker’s mark which made it harder to identify the builders, however, other clues were built into each sheep wagon that was unique to the blacksmiths who made them.
A Schulte, for example had a box on the back end and Wessel was said to have a window off to the left side at the back of the sheep wagon.
“Our goal is to get people to restore their sheep wagons back to how the blacksmiths originally made them rather than just remodel them,” O’Rourke said. “I was guilty of that years ago. I got too quick with a paintbrush and painted over marks or names or that kind of thing. So what we're trying to do is slow down and say, okay, who were the original blacksmiths?”
He was collecting this information for a book, “Sheep Wagon Builders” that he was co-authoring with Tom Lindmier and Richard Kaan. The trio had identified approximately 50 individual makers in 15 counties from newspaper articles, museums and written accounts.
Many of the sheep wagons they had examined were constructed by the individual ranches or custom made by local handmen or blacksmiths.
Continuing O’Rourke’s Sheep Wagon Legacy
After O’Rourke’s unfortunate passing, his widow is determined to publish the book and currently has an editor working on the 18 chapters that had been completed.
“It's just a fascinating story,” Lora said. “This book goes through the very specific details of who first so-called invented the sheep wagon. It also has a chapter on the sheep industry itself and how it evolved in North America and gets into the specifics of each sheep wagon builder.”
While O’Rourke documented the wagons themselves, Lindmier researched the history of each builder, where they started, what towns they had their blacksmith shops, and then how the sheep wagons evolved over time.
Two summers ago, the O’Rourkes had just completed a building for their own collection of 20 sheep wagons and the public is invited to visit in person at their ranch in Nebraska by sending a message to Lora through Facebook. Most of the sheep wagons on display are from Wyoming with a few from Utah and Montana.
“It is a representation of various builders of sheep wagons,” Lora said. “It’s a nice collection to have all in one place where a person can compare the different styles of construction and the differences between each maker.”
Since 1986, Jim and Lora have been collecting these icons from Wyoming’s past and his passion for the sheep wagon lives on in the legacy that Jim O’Rourke left behind. Lora’s wish is that others can appreciate not only the symbolism of the sheep wagon, but the individual history of each “palace on wheels.”
Contact Jackie Dorothy at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
