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History
{Conestoga Wagon} Lancaster produced the Conestoga Wagon in the 18th century (~1750). The wagon was the primary inland freight transport in American trade before the railroads. The hand built, durable wagons were well suited to deal with the poor road conditions of the time. The wagon had four broad wheels that helped to prevent it from being stuck, a convex wagon body that prevented their loads from shifting inside and a white canvas cover to protect its freight and driver from the elements. The wagon could carry a freight load up to six tons and was pulled by teams of four or six horses. The Prairie Schooner, a version of the wagon, was used in the settlement of the Western Frontier (Oregon and Santa Fe trails) in the 19th century.
Content Last Modified on 12/17/2002 3:23:41 PM
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