Conestoga wagon

Conestoga wagon
Conestoga wagon on Oregon Trail reenactment in 1961
US ArmyTransport Wagon

The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons (7 metric tons), and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen. It was designed to resemble a boat, to help it cross rivers and streams, though it sometimes leaked unless one caulked the wagon.

Contents

History

The first known mention of a "Conestogoe waggon" was December 31, 1717 in the accounting log of James Logan after purchasing it from James Hendricks. [1] It was named after the "Conestoga River" or "Conestoga Township" in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and thought to have been introduced by Mennonite German settlers. [2]

In colonial times the Conestoga wagon was popular for migration southward through the Great Appalachian Valley along the Great Wagon Road. After the American Revolution it was used to open up commerce to Pittsburgh and Ohio. In 1820 rates charged were roughly one dollar per 100 pounds per 100 miles, with speeds about 15 miles (25 km) per day. The Conestoga, often in long wagon trains, was the primary overland cargo vehicle over the Appalachians until the development of the railroad. The wagon was pulled by a team of up to eight horses or up to a dozen oxen.[citation needed] For this purpose, the Conestoga horse, a special breed of medium to heavy draft horses, was developed.

The Conestoga wagon was cleverly built. Its floor curved upward to prevent the contents from tipping and shifting. The average Conestoga wagon was 18 feet long, 11 feet high, and 4 feet in width. It could carry up to 12,000 pounds of cargo. The cracks in the body of the wagon were stuffed with tar to protect them from leaking while crossing rivers. Also for protection against bad weather, stretched across the wagon was a tough, white canvas cover. The frame and suspension were made of wood, while the wheels were often iron-rimmed for greater durability. Water barrels built on the side of the wagon held water, and toolboxes held tools needed for repair on the wagon. Also, the feedbox on the back of the wagon was used to feed the horses. The Conestoga wagon was used for many types of travel including passage to California during the California Gold Rush.

The term "Conestoga wagon" refers specifically to this type of vehicle; it is not a generic term for "covered wagon". The wagons used in the westward expansion of the United States were, for the most part, ordinary farm wagons fitted with canvas covers.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Wayne Works
  3. ^ American Heritage Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 2

External links

Media related to Conestoga wagon at Wikimedia Commons


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Conestoga wagon — Con es*to ga wag on or Conestoga wain Con es*to ga wain [From Conestoga, Pennsylvania.] A kind of large broad wheeled wagon, usually covered, for traveling in soft soil and on prairies. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Conestoga wagon — ☆ Conestoga wagon [kän΄ə stō′gə ] n. [after Conestoga Valley, Lancaster County, Pa., where the wagons were made] a broad wheeled covered wagon used for hauling freight in colonial America: cf. PRAIRIE SCHOONER …   English World dictionary

  • Conestoga wagon — /kon euh stoh geuh, kon / a large, heavy, broad wheeled covered wagon, used esp. for transporting pioneers and freight across North America during the early westward migration. Also called Conestoga. [1690 1700; named after Conestoga, Pa., where… …   Universalium

  • Conestoga wagon — noun a large wagon with broad wheels and an arched canvas top; used by the United States pioneers to cross the prairies in the 19th century (Freq. 1) • Syn: ↑covered wagon, ↑Conestoga, ↑prairie wagon, ↑prairie schooner • Hypernyms: ↑wagon, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Conestoga wagon — noun Etymology: Conestoga, Pa. Date: 1717 a broad wheeled covered wagon drawn usually by six horses and used especially for transporting freight across the prairies called also Conestoga …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Conestoga wagon — Con′es•to′ga wag′on [[t]ˈkɒn əˈstoʊ gə, ˌkɒn [/t]] n. trs a large, heavy, broad wheeled covered wagon, used to transport freight across North America during the early westward migration. Also called Con es•to′ga • Etymology: 1715–20; after… …   From formal English to slang

  • Conestoga wagon — noun A large cart with a canvas cover drawn by mules, oxen or horses and used extensively during the Westward Expansion of the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the summer and fall the covered broad wheeled Conestoga wagons,… …   Wiktionary

  • Conestoga River — Origin Berks County, Pennsylvania Mouth Susquehanna River …   Wikipedia

  • Conestoga — originally referred to the Conestoga (people), an English name for the Susquehannock people of Pennsylvania. It may also refer to: simply people from the Pennsylvania in 1856 Year, refereed to this named and eventually they scattered in different …   Wikipedia

  • Conestoga — 1690s, name of an Indian tribe in southcentral Pennsylvania, probably from some Iroquoian language and sometimes said to mean people of the cabin pole; later a place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A characteristic type of covered wagon,… …   Etymology dictionary

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