Were told they needed to purchase everything necessary to sustain them along While outfitting for the journey, early pioneers Passage out of town on the same steamboats that were bringing in supplies for They owned (or at least what the bank had not yet repossessed) and booked The Oregon-bound emigrants were generally poor families who had sold everything Outfitting the western travelers was big businessДЇor merchants along the banks of the Missouri River from St. In Council Bluffs, but they left its cargo of picks, shovels, bottles,Д¬lothing, medicines, and similarly mundane supplies for Twentieth Century

Salvage crews back in 1868 removed a small treasure of gold bound for the banks Supplies and tools to outfit gold miners following the latest rush to Montana. The Bertrand was heading to Council Bluffs with a load of Tethered to the deck, was brought up intact, preserved by the suffocating mud Its cargo, right down to an unfortunate horse The Arabia was supplying the covered wagon trade of The other, the Arabia, was dug out of a soybean field near Independence One, the Bertrand, was brought to light 120 yearsДЄfter sinking in what is now part of the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge near Riverboats sank in the Missouri River during the mid-Nineteenth Century. It is believed that over 200 steam-powered Canvas was frequently waterproofed with oil base paint or linseed oil, and sometimes slogans were painted on the long white sides.

Wagon covers were made of cotton or linen canvas or osnaburg cloth, either made commercially or hand woven and sewn at home. Wagons were sometimes painted bright colors to coordinate and identify all members of a train traveling together. Soaking the wagon wheels on lay over days helped wood shrinkage in dry and arid climates. Lubricants for wagon wheels were made from animal fat and pine tar and had to be frequently applied to axles, about every 50 miles. Slightly smaller wheels in front provided greater turning capability for the Prairie Schooners. In the early years the wheels were attached with linchpins, but by the 1850's thimble skein axles and lug bolts were becoming the preferred method. Wheel spokes and rims were made of Osage orange, hickory, oak or other very strong hardwoods with iron rims or tires. The boxes and running gear for both type of wagons were made of well seasoned hardwoods, and reinforced with iron hardware. Uphill pulls required winches and double teaming.ДЄgain, as I visit with visitors to the center I ask them to equate the Prairie Schooner with a Chevy Short Box pick up truck. Some wagons had braking devices but these were inadequate on steep declines, and chain locks, rough locks, shoe brakes, log drags and windlasses were employed on downhill grades. Prairie Schooners only required between 2 and 6 oxen to pull them, and could carry up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. The boxes on the Prairie Schooner measured 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. The smaller more efficient Prairie Schooner was lighter, less bulky and could turn a tighter circle than the Conestoga wagon. I often ask guests if they would drive a Peterbilt up the Blue Ridge Parkway? They would have been to long and cumbersome to travel the Oregon Trail efficiently. When visitors ask me about the difference I often equate the Conestoga with a modern Peterbilt. The metal rims on the wheels for the Conestoga wagon were 4' wide to float the weight of the wagon across long stretches of sandy trails. Conestoga wagons required between 6 and 10 oxen to pull them. Wagon box were caulked with tar to protect them from leaking whileД¬rossing rivers. The side boards could measure 4 feet high.Д®ach wagon could carry up to 12,000 pounds of cargo. The average box length of a Conestoga wagon was 10ДЇeet long and 4 feet wide. Wagons were custom designed and built with double decks for special Large wheels, wide rims and extra carrying capacity made them perfectДЇor hauling large loads or multiple families.They were mostly used on the California, Santa Fe and Old Spanish Trails, as the terrain was flatter and mostly sandy. Conestoga Wagons were widely used for freighting.

Oregon trail 2 two wagon weight