Prairie schooner, 19th-century covered wagon popularly used
by emigrants traveling to the American West
.
What was a prairie schooner?
A prairie schooner is simply a
fancy name for a covered wagon
. Covered wagons were known as prairie schooners because their white canvas tops reminded people of the sails on ships at sea. Prairie schooners and Conestoga wagons were not the same.
What were covered wagons used for?
Designed for
hauling heavy loads over rough roads
, the covered wagons could carry as much as six tons of freight; each one was handcrafted from wood (including oak and poplar).
When did the prairie Schooner start?
Originating
about 1750
in Pennsylvania, it flourished for a century. But it was almost never used beyond the Missouri except by freighters along the Santa Fe Trail.
What did a prairie schooner look like?
The typical prairie schooner weighed about one ton, was
14 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep
. Built of seasoned wood such as maple, hickory, or oak, schooners’ only metal fittings were their iron tire rims and reinforcements on their wooden axles.
Why didn’t most pioneers ride in their wagons?
Teams of oxen or mules pulled the wagons along the dusty trail. People didn’t ride in the wagons often,
because they didn’t want to wear out their animals
. Instead they walked alongside them, getting just as dusty as the animals. The long journey was hard on both people and animals.
What were old wagons called?
The Conestoga wagon
is a specific design of heavy covered wagon that was used extensively during the late eighteenth century, and the nineteenth century, in the eastern United States and Canada. It was large enough to transport loads up to 6 tons (5.4 metric tons), and was drawn by horses, mules, or oxen.
What did pioneers sleep on?
Some pioneers did sleep in
their wagons
. Some did camp on the ground—either in the open or sheltered under the wagon. But many used canvas tents. Despite the romantic depictions of the covered wagon in movies and on television, it would not have been very comfortable to travel in or sleep in the wagon.
How much did a covered wagon cost in the 1800s?
It was costly—
as much as $1,000 for a family of four
. That fee included a wagon at about $100. Usually four or six animals had to pull the wagon.
What animals pulled the covered wagons?
Teams of 10 to
12 horses or mules or six yoked oxen
typically were used to pull one of these wagons, with mules and oxen generally preferred. Ideally, several more animals would be kept in reserve to replace those that became lame or worn-out along the route.
Why did people buy oxen instead of horses?
Why did so many Western-bound wagon trains use oxen instead or horses of mules?
Oxen were slower than mules or horses
, but they had their advantages, such as they ate less, required less care, and they could pull heavier loads. And while a mule or horse could cost $90, an ox could be bought for about $50.
How big was the average wagon train?
These vehicles typically included a wooden bed
about four feet wide and ten feet long
. When pulled by teams of oxen or mules, they could creak their way toward Oregon Country at a pace of around 15 to 20 miles a day.
What were wagons made out of?
A wagon had to be light enough to not over tax the mules or oxen that pulled it and strong enough not to break down under loads of as much as 2,500 pounds. For these reasons wagons were constructed of such
hardwoods as maple, hickory and oak
.
Why did the people walk the Oregon Trail?
Travelers were
inspired by dreams of gold and rich farmlands
, but they were also motivated by difficult economic times in the east and diseases like yellow fever and malaria that were decimating the Midwest around 1837.
What were the two main causes of death along the trail?
Nearly one in ten who set off on the Oregon Trail did not survive. The two biggest causes of death were
disease and accidents
.
What was the main item that pioneers brought with them in their covered wagons?
The pioneers would take with them as many supplies as possible. They took
cornmeal, bacon, eggs, potatoes, rice, beans, yeast, dried fruit, crackers, dried meat
, and a large barrel of water that was tied to the side of the wagon. If the pioneers could take a cow, they would.
