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On all the prairie the white-covered wagon was the only sign of human life. It was visible as far as a sail would have been upon the lake, and the prairie, with its graceful undulations that had once been its bottom, waving now with grass, was not unlike the water's surface. A "prairie schooner" was
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was a heavy
American wagon of English and German type from the late 18th century and into the 19th century. It was used for freight and drawn by teams of horses or oxen depending on load. The covered canvas top was supported on eight to twelve angled bows, rather than upright. Capacity was around 4
336:
American emigrant wagon of light/medium weight and dimensions. Headed by a canvas top supported on bow-shaped hoops or tilts. Either sprung or dead axle, up to a capacity of 3 tons. Lever brakes acted on both rear wheels. Drawn by either two or four horses in pole gear. First came to prominence
377:, migrating northward from British-ruled areas in search of their own homeland. Mostly pulled by pairs of oxen, the Boer trek wagon had a long wheel-base with the sides higher at the rear in typical Dutch fashion. The wagon had a felt or canvas top supported by bowed hoops.
229:
from developed parts of the
Midwest to places in the West such as California, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and Montana. Overland migrants typically fitted any sturdy wagon with several wooden or metal bows which arched high over the bed. Over this was stretched
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With a captain elected by popular vote, the wagon train pulled away from civilization. At night the lumbering whitetops were drawn into a circle, a night herder grazed the oxen on nearby hills and each emigrant started his cooking fire by the side of his
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to 5 tons with no springs. Though it was boat-shaped it did not float. It was used in eastern North
America for freight hauling, with some used for southward migration through the Appalachian valleys and along the
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510:
As far as the eye reached, white-top wagons, drawn each by six handsomely harnessed mules, trailed along the narrow road. As the way pushed up the mountain, far away, the white-tops slowly ascended with
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Once breached, the moderate terrain and fertile land between the
Appalachians and the Mississippi was rapidly settled. In the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took a wide variety of farm
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of 10 to 60 teams. Each team of 5 to 7 yoked pairs of oxen pulled two wagons—a lead wagon (averaging 6,500 pounds), which pulled a trailer wagon (4,000 pounds).
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is a fanciful name for the covered wagon, drawing on their broad white canvas covers, romantically envisioned as the sails of a ship crossing the sea of
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were also used. Authors of guidebooks written for emigrants noted that oxen were more reliable, less expensive, and nearly as fast as other options.
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Trains of from twenty to sixty wagons were observed heading out over the prairie watching a fleet of whitetops undulate across the prairie slopes.
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For "overlanders" migrating westward, covered wagons were a more common mode of transportation than wheelbarrow, stagecoach, or train.
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Before railroads in early
America, ox-teams and wagons were used to haul overland freight, sometimes in great
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developed for the rough, undeveloped roads and paths of the colonial East, the covered wagon spread west with
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Oh, the white-tops are a-rollin', rollin', the big wheels keep on turnin' ('Song of the
Wagonmaster').
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during the gold rush period of the 1840’s. Not to be confused with the much larger
Conestoga Wagon.
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Military have used covered wagons for transport of supplies. Called "baggage wagons" during the
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This article is about a canvas-covered horse- or ox-drawn wagon. For the railway wagon, see
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525:. Vol. 12–13. State Historical and Natural History Society of Colorado. p. 229
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Logistics of
Liberty: American Services of Supply in the Revolutionary War and After
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The Plains Across: The
Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-1860
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1692:‡ indicates vehicles that were used historically in public transport services
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or similar sturdy cloth, creating the distinctive covered wagon silhouette.
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713:(1993 paperback ed.). University of Illinois Press. pp. 107–08.
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were the most common draft animal for pulling covered wagons, although
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top used for transportation or hauling. The covered wagon has become a
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had a baggage train of 1,500 wagons that stretched 12 miles long.
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548:. Brownville, Nebraska: Nebraska Historical Society. p. 8.
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Covered wagons at
California Interpretive Center in Elko, Nevada
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A 'prairie schooner' was what the settlers called such a wagon.
777:. Newark, London, Cranbury, NJ: University of Delaware Press.
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General Joseph Wheeler and the Army of the Tennessee
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The Prairie Schooner: A Story of the Black Hawk War
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The Prairie Schooner: A Story of the Black Hawk War
545:Flashes from the Story of Colorful Old Brownville
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619:"Historical Trails - Trail Basics - The Wagon"
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559:Music in the Western: Notes From the Frontier
519:"A Pioneer of the Eastern and Western Slopes"
8:
725:"Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence"
517:Templeton, Henry (1934). J. Monaghan (ed.).
596:. Boston: W. A. Wilde Company. p. 15.
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186:Territorial evolution of the United States
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498:. Neale Publishing Company. p. 209.
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1735:Western (genre) staples and terminology
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623:National Oregon/California Trail Center
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371:Dutch-speaking settlers in South Africa
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125:. It was too heavy for use west of the
322:what the settlers called such a wagon.
1720:History of United States expansionism
686:"The Prairie Schooner Got Them There"
7:
650:A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles
344:A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles
445:, in one account British commander
146:National Museum of American History
492:Du Bose, John Witherspoon (1912).
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404:Almost exclusively pulled by oxen
27:Canvas-covered horse or ox wagons
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750:Hooker, William Francis (1918).
592:Barton, William Eleazar (1900).
430:Oxen teams pulling double-wagons
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652:. J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd.
392:Diagram of wagon and fittings
263:Pipe Spring National Monument
43:Narrow covered wagon used by
729:South African History Online
45:west-bound Canadian settlers
684:Stewart, George R. (1962).
416:Voortrekker wagon in museum
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1641:Equestrian use of roadways
754:. Chicago: Saul Brothers.
707:Unruh, John David (1979).
690:American Heritage Magazine
443:American Revolutionary War
381:Voortrekker covered wagons
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327:William Eleazar Barton in
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180:America westward expansion
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1725:History of road transport
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773:Huston, James A. (1991).
562:. Routledge. p. 41.
556:Kalinak, Kathryn (2012).
194:With roots in the heavy
1636:Museums and collections
1507:Whippletree/double tree
351:South Africa Great Trek
1487:Swingletree/singletree
648:Smith, D.J.M. (1988).
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288:Covered wagons c. 1871
276:Covered wagon c. 1870s
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857:carriages and coaches
542:Noble, Glenn (1959).
523:The Colorado Magazine
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1459:Vehicle construction
1439:Trolley and lift van
1279:Limbers and caissons
844:Horse-drawn vehicles
809:at Wikimedia Commons
752:The Prairie Schooner
465:Vardo (Romani wagon)
361:Voortrekker Monument
1472:Front axle assembly
1157:carriages and carts
1077:Runabout (carriage)
159:Shows framework at
55:Painting showing a
32:Covered goods wagon
1344:Two-wheeled calash
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369:starting in 1836,
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1047:Marathon carriage
805:Media related to
784:978-0-87413-381-3
261:Covered wagon at
190:American frontier
127:Mississippi River
59:of covered wagons
16:(Redirected from
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1269:Jaunting car
1202:Chasse-marée
988:Four-in-hand
855:Four-wheeled
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733:. Retrieved
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208:Mormon Trail
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18:Tilt (wagon)
1621:Draft horse
1560:Horse brass
1502:Wheelwright
1477:Hammercloth
1375:Sled/sleigh
1368:Non-wheeled
1309:Sprung cart
1155:Two-wheeled
1104:State coach
1098:Stage wagon
1062:Post chaise
628:November 3,
365:During the
225:across the
81:horse-drawn
57:wagon train
1704:Categories
1650:Categories
1497:Wainwright
1404:Chuckwagon
1263:Hansom cab
1092:Stagecoach
1067:Road Coach
1041:Mail coach
659:0851314686
529:January 2,
477:References
367:Great Trek
357:Great Trek
355:See also:
184:See also:
110:See also:
1657:Carriages
1606:Postilion
1540:Breeching
1482:Shaft bow
1284:Ralli car
1170:Cape cart
1164:Cabriolet
1146:Wagonette
1136:Vis-à-vis
1121:Tarantass
1052:Park Drag
963:Dos-à-dos
957:Diligence
929:Charabanc
899:Buckboard
848:carriages
668:11597864M
602:23448559M
1596:Coachman
1530:Blinders
1314:Stanhope
1217:Curricle
1195:Quadriga
1131:Victoria
1082:Sociable
1072:Rockaway
1026:Karozzin
1015:Horsecar
935:Clarence
919:Carryall
894:Brougham
874:Barouche
760:7067570M
460:Ox-wagon
453:See also
340:—
325:—
85:ox-drawn
73:whitetop
1616:Driving
1601:Footman
1589:Related
1555:Crupper
1517:Harness
1434:Trolley
1396:drayage
1380:Travois
1359:Whiskey
1354:Volante
1339:Tumbrel
1329:Tilbury
1222:Dogcart
1212:Croydon
1180:Chariot
1057:Phaeton
1031:Kibitka
973:Droshky
914:Cariole
889:Britzka
422:Freight
98:of the
90:with a
79:, is a
47:c. 1885
1730:Wagons
1682:Images
1631:Tandem
1611:Livery
1575:Terret
1570:Saddle
1550:Collar
1545:Bridle
1429:Telega
1385:Troika
1274:Kalesa
1247:Gharry
1207:Cidomo
1116:Surrey
1109:Gilded
1036:Landau
1021:Jingle
1004:Herdic
999:Hearse
978:Fiacre
924:Chaise
909:Calash
879:Berlin
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566:
536:wagon.
502:
247:horses
232:canvas
223:wagons
214:, and
92:canvas
1662:Carts
1580:Trace
1565:Lines
1449:Wagon
1444:Vardo
1424:Lorry
1419:Float
1324:Tanga
1319:Sulky
1304:Sjees
1237:Float
1227:Dokar
1190:Triga
1141:Vozok
1126:Triga
952:Coupé
940:Coach
904:Buggy
884:Brake
869:Bandy
864:Araba
470:Wagon
243:mules
88:wagon
75:, or
1334:Trap
1294:Shay
1242:Gari
1232:Ekka
1185:Biga
1175:Cart
968:Drag
846:and
779:ISBN
737:2023
696:(2).
654:ISBN
630:2021
564:ISBN
531:2023
500:ISBN
359:and
245:and
239:Oxen
188:and
116:The
1253:Gig
983:Fly
511:it.
83:or
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