The Conestoga Wagon

When you look at cowboy movies, you see a lot of covered wagons. Most of them are small flat-bottoms wagons that are only big enough for one small family. Those are not Conestogas.

Conestoga wagons were created to move freight. They are big. They are heavy. And they have a sloping bed that resists shifting of cargo.

You can tell a Conestoga by the angles. If it is a square box, it's a regular wagon. If the sides, front, and back all slope in, then it is a Conestoga. Usually, the canvas cover in the front and back will also have the same slope to give extra protection from the elements.

The first ones came from the Conestoga Valley near Lancaster, Pennsylvania about 1750. They helped open up the frontier all the way to the Mississippi. They were magnificent on this side of the Big Muddy. They could carry up to 8 tons apiece, and many times, they carried cargo in the bed and settlers on top. A wagon full of people could be pulled by 4 mules, but fill it up with cargo, and you better double the number.

On the other side of the Mississippi, the Conestoga was still used to transport heavy goods, but the terrain dictated when and where it could be used. Settlers were better off with smaller wagons if they were going through the Rockies.

Until the railroads came along, the Conestoga reigned as king of the road.