TRANSPORT

Object Name: Conestoga wagon
Date Made: 1830 (circa)
1830 (circa)
Place Made: United States of America: Pennsylvania: Lancaster County
Lancaster County
Description: Conestoga wagon from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. German settlers arrived in Eastern Pennsylvania in the 1730s. Some settled by the Conestoga river and started to build the wagons of the same name. Conestoga wagons were the heavy lorries of their day. Farmers used them to carry heavy loads of goods over rough roads to market. They could carry up to six tons of freight, pulled by teams of six horses. They were also used by the military. General Braddock used them in 1755 to take equipment through the Appalachian Mountains. They were also used for transporting supplies during the American War of Independence. Conestoga wagons differ from European wagons. The wagon body is longer and deeper, and dips in the middle. This keeps the cargo stable when traveling over rough roads. Conestoga wagons are very durable. The frame and floor beams are oak, and iron reinforces every point of strain. The wagon bed attaches to the running gear at only three points. It connects over the centre of the front axle where the axle swivels, and at two places over the back axle. The beams under the wagon bed extend beyond the side of the floor. They support ironwork braces designed to prevent the sides from bursting under load. Three pairs of chains, fastened in the middle by hooks, stop the wagon load from pushing out the sides. The large canvas canopy keeps out dust and rain, protecting the cargo.
Materials: wood
Catalogue Number: OMAFP.1976.613

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