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COVERED WAGON

The covered wagon came to symbolize America's pioneer days. (The term was in use by 1745.) It consisted of a wooden wagon with a canvas top, which was supported by a frame of either wood or metal. Depending on size and cargo, the wagon was pulled by one team or several teams of horses, oxen, or mules. Pioneers relied on their covered wagons for shelter during long cross-country journeys. Another name for the covered wagon was prairie schooner, because the white canvas cover resembled the sails of a ship as it moved slowly across the "sea" of grasslands.

Another type of wagon used during pioneer times was the Conestoga, so named for Pennsylvania's Conestoga Valley, where it was first built during the early 1700s. Alternately called the camel of the prairies, the Conestoga was an uncovered wagon, pulled by teams of four to six horses. This wagon had wide-rimmed wheels that prevented it from getting stuck in the mud. The wheels could also be removed so that the wagon could be used as a boat or barge. For this reason, the front and back of the Conestoga were built higher than its middle section.

See also: Westward Expansion