What are some differences between earlier Conestoga wagons and this Turnbull farm wagon?
The Studebaker family of Solingen, Germany, emigrated to America, and began building wagons in their blacksmith shops. Origins of the Conestoga wagon in the Conestoga Valley of Lancaster County, PA, are shrouded in the mists of time. The design and construction of the famous Conestoga wagon have a boat like box design with distinctive sloping lines and a bulging middle, no driver’s seat and stiff tongue. The Conestoga bed sloped upwards from the middle to prevent the shifting of the cargo weight. The massively built, early four-wheeled Conestoga hauled freight over rough terrain, trails and rutted roads, being pulled by several teams of horses (or oxen). The high wheels enabled the Conestoga to be driven over small stumps and streams without damaging the wagon bed and its cargo. It was essential that the axles, wheel hubs and spokes be sturdily built. The wide iron-rimmed wheels helped in passing through streams and muddy areas. The Conestoga used “clouts” rather than thimble skeins; i
