A Need for Speed

 It was a hurry-up mindset that decisively shaped the technology of American travel.  The need to move fast over long distances shaped the highways and vehicles by which pioneers moved west.  A  technology of haste...

Long, dangerous stretches of desert, a lack of water, deep snows and hostile Indians made the travel west one where the quicker you made it through, the safer you would be.  To move quickly was a matter of survival, and a now-or-never mentality was the norm.

Wagons, steamships and railroads all were focused on moving people there as quickly as possible, not on building anything for the future.  Every owner of a vehicle that carried pioneers to the West and even around the West knew the importance of light construction, speed and freedom of movement.

For the overland wagon, the Concord carriage or heavy Conestoga wagon of the early pioneer who had shorter travels to get to the frontier would no longer do.  These were replaced by the light "prairie schooner" or "prairie wagon" which was smaller in size, without a door, very bad springs and cheap construction.  They were built for maneuverability and speed, never really expected to outlast the journey.  They did however, skim across the prairies like nothing save a horse in speed.  They were sold as piecemeal or abandoned at the foot of the Sierras but while they were used, they were indispensable.

The prairie got the pioneers to the West quickly and with minimum trouble - just what they were made to do.

Next time...the steamboat

__________________________

Today in Pioneer History: "On August 27, 1875, hours after being asked to resign as president of the Bank of California, powerful western capitalist, William Ralston is found drowned in San Francisco Bay.  He was one of the first men to build a financial empire in the West when he came to San Francisco from Ohio in 1854.  Ten years later he used his Gold Rush profits to build the Bank of California. It remains a mystery whether Ralston died by foul play." 

 

America's First Mobile Home

 One of the most enduring symbols of the Old West is the prairie schooner, aka the covered wagon with the cloth top billowing in the wind and making the wagon train looking like a fleet of ships sailing over the sea of prairie grass!  Another name for the Conestoga wagon of the East, the prairie schooner was a lighter, small version that became the most familiar sight crossing the rivers, plains and mountains on its way west.

The schooner was designed expressly for the 5 month long, 2000 mile journey.  The top cloth protected passengers and possessions from the sun and rain, and could be completely closed off by drawstrings at both ends.  The wagon's hickory frame and bows hold the top, and is waterproofed with paint of linseed oil.  The top is heavy duty canvas or hemp (an important cash top in Kentucky, Missouri, and Mississippi).

The schooner's 10ft x 3 1/2 ft body could carry 1 1/2 tons but the lighter the wagon, the easier it traveled.  Its big wheels rolled easily over the land, the wide rims kept it from sinking in the soft ground.  The toolbox hung on one side of the wagon box, and a water bucket hung on the other.  A feeding trough was attached to the back of the wagon.  A "lazy board" was attached to one side for a place to rest and ride. 

The wheel axles were large and strong to support the weight.  A broken axle on the prairie was serious business, so a spare was often on board.  A grease bucket hung from the rear axle filled with animal fat and tar.  Even the wagon was packed in a certain way - to keep the center of gravity low, heavy tools, furniture and such was wrapped well to prevent movement and packed at the bottom.  On top of that household items and clothing, and lastly food stuffs went on top.

Oxen or mules rather than horses were a better choice.  Oxen were cheaper, sturdier, provided better traction and were not usually stolen by the Indians.  Oxen could also be used as food in emergencies.  Three pairs of oxen were used to pull one schooner. 

Maneuvering a covered wagon could be both tricky and pure genius. Getting up steep slopes was exhausting but getting down was more difficult.  Wheels were locked in place by chains put through spokes and fastened to the wagon.  When the rivers were too deep to ford, the wagons were made watertight with rawhide or tarpaulin coated with tallow, and the wheels were removed and floated across, along with the wagon box as a kind of boat!

So can you imagine traveling 2000 miles at a speed of at most 10 miles, on a good day, in a prairie schooner?!  

Next time...From Dawn to Dusk
____________________________
Today in Pioneer History:  "On February 2. 1847, the first woman of a group of pioneers commonly known as the Donner Party dies during the group’s journey through a Sierra Nevada mountain pass. The disastrous trip west ended up killing 42 people and turned many of the survivors into cannibals.

The Conestoga Wagon

Before we take off on our westward adventure, we need to make some important choices - the first being our wagon, our means of transportation. If we were wealthy enough, we could ride horses and just take a wagon for our supplies, but since we are of average means, we will use our wagon for both transportation and storage. Since we are budget minded, we will not be purchasing a new wagon at a cost of $60 to $90, but will be using our own farm wagon which we will modify to make the trip.

All Conestoga Wagons, aka Prairie Schooners, had several common features, whether purchased new or adapted from common farm wagons.

1. It has to be light enough to be able to be pulled by our team.
2. It has to be strong enough to make the trip at all under wilderness conditions and to carry up to 2500 pounds. (Most wagons are made of hardwoods - maple, hickory or oak for that purpose.)
3. It has to have a canvas or cotton covering, waterproofed with linseed oil that will protect us from the weather and afford us a bit of privacy on our long journey by pulling the drawstrings at each end. We will keep the end open during the day to allow for air circulation. The canvas is pulled over and supported by hickory bows shaped in arcs over the wagon. Our women have added extra storage by sewing pockets into the insides of the canvas~
4. The wagon itself will means a meer 10 to 12 feet long and just 4 feet wide.
5. Iron was used only for certain parts like the axles because of the added weight of iron.

Some things which we will discover on the way about our means of transport will not endear us - since there are no springs on the wagon, the ride will be a rough and uncomfortable journey. The wagon, due to it large wheels has limited maneuverability and the wooden wheels were not so good on the long haul as on the farm. We will have to replace them along the way, even sacrificing a piece of furniture in order to continue our journey.

Add to that the fact that with all our household goods inside, there won't be much room for people. Most of us will walk, with the exception of the small children, the sick or pregnant women. We can not afford the luxury of horses to ride.

Next time we will pack our wagon before we head out for the west...