Ridgway in Ouray County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

True Grit Jail Wagon

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025

1. True Grit Jail Wagon Marker

Inscription.
Filmed in and around Ridgway, CO September 1968. Released 1969.

This paddy wagon was built specifically for the True Grit movie by Joe English, Owen Vaughn, and Paul Gibbs. An extensive photo collection of the pre-test shots taken by Paramount of True Grit scenes are located inside museum.

~Photos gifted by Bob DeJulio~ (Specialty painter/artist hired for the movie)

Jail wagon donated to Ouray County Ranch History Museum by Ridgway Community Pride 2018

Erected 2018 by Ouray County Ranch History Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1969.

Location. 38° 9.12′ N, 107° 45.276′ W. Marker is in Ridgway, Colorado, in Ouray County. It is on North Railroad Street just north of Sherman Street (State Highway 62), on the right when traveling north. The Jail Wagon and marker are located on the west side of the Ouray County Ranch History Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 321 Sherman Street, Ridgway CO 81432, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this

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marker is in the Western Slope.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ridgway Depot Outbuilding (within shouting distance of this marker); True Grit Landmark #1 (within shouting distance of this marker); History of Ridgway / Gateway to the San Juans (within shouting distance of this marker); RGS Coach 252 Restoration (within shouting distance of this marker); DRG(W) 5574 (within shouting distance of this marker); D&RG(W) Caboose 91 (0575) (within shouting distance of this marker); True Grit Landmark #2 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); RGS Motor 1 (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ridgway.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. True Grit Filming Landmarks

Also see . . .
1. True Grit (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: True Grit is a 1969 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Hal B. Wallis. Starring
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025

2. True Grit Jail Wagon Marker
The marker is mounted inside the Jail Wagon. The Ouray County Ranch History Museum is in the background.
John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, the story follows Marshal Cogburn and Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) as they are hired by a young girl, Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), to apprehend the outlaw who killed her father.
Filming took place mainly in Ouray County, Colorado, in the vicinity of Ridgway, around the town of Montrose, and the town of Ouray. (The script maintains the novel's references to place names in Arkansas and Oklahoma, in dramatic contrast to the Colorado topography.)

(Submitted on August 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. True Grit Jail Wagon - Small Part - Bigger Backstory (glencampbellforums.com).

Excerpt: The wagon part of the True Grit jail wagon was originally purchased from the Montgomery Ward Catalog in 1903 in Delta, Colorado. It was originally a freight wagon. It belonged to a long time Ridgway ranch owner by the name of Frank Charles. The jail cage (upper piece) was made for the wagon so it could be used as a prop for the movie. It is fairly evident that the decision was made to allow Mr. Charles to keep the cage prop with his wagon. At some point, Mr. Charles
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025

3. True Grit Jail Wagon
removed the cage and placed it behind one of his barns. At some point it "mysteriously disappeared along with a cutter sleigh". Its whereabouts remained a mystery until Ridgway annexed the Charels Ranch. At some point, Ridgway contacted Mr. Charles and asked if he would donate the freight wagon since they now had an unknown or nameless source that had donated the original True Grit cage prop. The original 1903 wagon is still privately owned and the cage sits on another wagon at the museum in Ridgway. If you look closely, you can tell that the wagon Ridgway is using is different than the one in the movie.

(Submitted on August 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 95 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.