A Long Haul

A Long Haul. Santa Fe Trail National Historic Byway. At first, traders used whatever farm wagons they could find to transport their goods, but as traffic on the trail increased, heavy freight wagons were built specifically for the Santa Fe trade. The industry employed hundreds of skilled woodworkers, blacksmiths, and wheelwrights to cut, shape, and assemble the huge vehicles. Initially built in Pennsylvania and shipped west, wagons later were manufactured nearer the trail heads as trail commerce expanded., Big Conestoga wagons, called "Prairie Schooners" because of their resemblance on the prairie to boats on a sea of grass, gave way later to box-shaped, heavier freight wagons, probably because they were quicker to build. , (photo captions:), ·As the trade grew along the trail, freight wagons became bigger and heavier. By the 1860s military supply wagons were carrying 10,000 lbs. of freight. The wagons had to withstand hundreds of miles of rough roads, river crossings, and severe weather. In the dry western climate, wagon wheels shrank and shims were put in between the wheel and the iron tire to keep the tire fastened to the rim. Often the wagons were sold in Santa Fe as the eastbound traders were transporting smaller goods on horses or mules., ·With oxen teams, the teamsters walked along side; with mule teams the muleskinner often rode one of the wheelers. A "hitch" was two mules and average mule teams were 8 to 12 hitches long., ·Initially pulled by oxen, by the end of the trail era the wagons were pulled mainly by mules. Both animals had their advantages and drawbacks. Oxen moved more slowly but could be eaten when things got tough and they were less skittish at river crossings. Mules were quicker but were more expensive and were frequent targets of Indian raids. A team of eight oxen could cost $200 compared to $600 for a team of six mules., ·Wagon businesses, such as the Peter Schuttler Company, above, often minted tokens to advertise their products at the huge world fairs of the day, like the Paris Exposition of 1867 and the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876. Mainly spotlighting new technologies and inventions, the fairs also awarded medals for superior craftsmanship and innovation. To win a "First Premium" in either one would have helped the Schuttler wagon business. , ·Studebaker, later an automobile manufacturer, got its start as a wagon maker. The Studebaker wagon, along with the Conestoga, were the most popular wagons.