Freight wagon tires

Last week we shared some details related to the legendary 20 Mule Team freight wagons.  These freighters are as big as the terrain they traveled and, because of their legendary status, may often be perceived as typical of large western freighters.  I say ‘perceived’ because freight wagons differed in many respects.

 

For instance, the Borax wagons have tire widths of 8 inches.  That’s huge and far from typical.  The reasons for the size go beyond the weight being hauled and also take into account the softer desert terrain.  Several years ago, I wrote an article about the wheel sizes of early chuck wagons and the factors that help determine the tire widths on these and other wagons. Click here for more details.  

The sheer amount of early catalogs and literature in the Wheels That Won The West® collection gives us an advantage in researching these types of questions.  In fact, during one of our recent presentations, we took 8 of the most dominant and well known wagon makers and profiled their standard freight wagon offerings during the 15 year timeframe between 1875 and 1889.  Without exception, from Peter Schuttler, Mitchell, LaBelle, and Bain to the Studebaker, Jackson, Weber, and Fish Bros. brands, the hauling capacities were less affected by tire size and more related to the skein size and type as well as the axle design and geography of the region (sandy, rocky, etc.)  In fact, one of the most common carrying capacities of period freight wagons (often referred to as 60 hundred pounds - 3 tons) was regularly listed within period catalogs with 2 inch tires.  Four and five ton capacities were equally well known with tires measuring only 2 ½ inches in width. 

  

I’ve often said that these wagons talk.  Looking closely at the individual construction features of specific wagons can tell you a lot about the vehicle.  It’s another reason that no two vehicles are exactly the same and learning to notice those variations can make all the difference in “hearing” what a set of wheels is saying.  From the design of the box to the size of the tires and everything in between, nothing is insignificant when it comes to understanding the way life rolled in the early days of the American West.

20 Mule Team Borax Wagons

 Throughout America’s history, there are certain early horse-drawn vehicles that have attained a legendary status… even among the general public.  Examples include Wells Fargo’s Concord Coaches, the big hitch wagons (along with the Clydesdales) of Anheuser-Busch, and the 20 Mule Team Borax wagons.  All are well entrenched symbols of renowned American brands.

 Among those of the largest physical proportions are the 20 Mule Team Borax wagons.  Not only did the entire long-line team and wagon train stretch over 100 feet in length but the wagons, themselves, are substantial in size.  In other words, they’re big… correction, they’re huge, massive, colossal, and any other oversized adjective you’d like to apply.   

Built for the ultra-harsh demands of the raw California desert known as Death Valley, these wagons were used from 1883-1888 to haul tens of thousands of pounds of borax over mile after mile of isolated, desolate and forbidding terrain.  Modern travelers within this amazing landscape typically enjoy the comforts of air conditioning and a paved road.  Yet, within the deceptive beauty of the place, there is a reminder that the environment still demands respect.  During our trip, the wind blew constantly.  Sand pelted our car, faces and bodies.  There were places where small sand dunes were in the process of reclaiming the highway.  Mile after rugged mile, this region was equally deceptive as to the wealth it held during the days of the forty-niners. 

According to the book, “The Twenty Mule Team of Death Valley,” gold rush pioneers struggling to make it through this area as they moved farther west, often referred to the region as ‘the dregs of creation.’  They were completely oblivious to the fortune in borax beneath their feet.  The Death Valley find was reported by the Scientific American in 1873 but, it would be another decade before extraction of this particular ‘white gold’ began in earnest.  Since no rail lines were close, it was decided that a mule train of large wagons would need to be created to deliver the precious minerals 165 miles one way to the rails. 

 

Up close, these wagons easily dwarf the human body while standing as huge reminders of just how big the spirit of the west was (and is)… not to mention the heart of the animals responsible for pulling these loads.  The rear wheels of the lead wagons tower a full 7 feet in height with 1 inch thick steel tires stretching 8 inches in width.  Spokes are over 2 feet in length and the circumference around the spoke bands is 4 ½ feet!  The brake blocks are equally impressive with measurements of 8 inches wide and 43 inches in length.  The box widths ranged between 44 and 48 inches.  Coupled with a 6 foot box height and a 16 foot box length, these vehicles weighed nearly 4 tons standing empty. 

Enjoying early and large vehicle history as I do, these historic sets of wheels are a sight to behold.  Like so many of these giant workhorses from the 19^th century, they are but shells of their former selves.  The sun, wind and weather attack them incessantly.  Without further protection, they will one day succumb to the beatings.  I count it a privilege to have been able to be so close to such a powerful symbol of our nation’s heritage.  Today, borax is still a vital material with a wealth of uses.  Areas like cosmetics, medicines, detergents, ceramics, plastics, fire retardants, flux, food additives, putty, insulation, water softeners, indelible ink, swimming pool maintenance, blacksmithing, moth-proofing wool, and even products designed to help stop radiator leaks all lean on the strength of borax.  It’s a product with countless uses and continues to play a significant role in life everywhere.  Ultimately, the story of the 20 Mule Team and Borax wagons is a testimony to the can-do spirit that built this land and a reminder of the value of freedom, the richness of our nation, and benefits of our free enterprise system. 

Gestring wagon in Santa Ynez collection

I have a weakness for early St. Louis-built vehicles and have written about that on several occasions.  Some may recall that Farm Collector magazine has published several of my articles about one of the St. Louis firms… the Gestring Wagon Company.  Over time, I’ve been surprised at how this brand in particular seems to keep cropping up.  From calls and emails from individuals who own a Gestring to archaeologists with the Missouri Department of Transportation to museums looking for more information on a particular vehicle, founder Caspar Gestring’s legacy is alive and well in the 21st century.  It’s been especially interesting to me since I enjoy studying these 19th century makers from the “Gateway to the West.”   

With that in mind, over a year ago, the good folks at the Santa Ynez Historical Museum had asked me to be a speaker at their ‘Spirit of the West’ symposium this past April.  I was pleased to oblige and equally enthused that they held an original Gestring wagon in their collection.  I’ve learned over the years that every vehicle has a story to tell and I was anxious to see what more I might learn from this wagon.

 

Arriving a half day early, I took some time to go over the Gestring and see what I could find out.  A few quick measurements showed the wagon to have the same general box size as every other Gestring I’ve seen… 43” wide and 9’ 10” long (outside dimensions).  Retaining a fair amount of original paint with hand-lettering and striping on the box, the wagon was sold by Belleville Implement & Motor Company of Belleville, Illinois.  In our research, we discovered that this company was apparently a dealer for Studebaker automobiles as well as International Harvester agricultural products at some point.  More importantly, dealer details like this can be helpful in narrowing down a vehicle’s age. 

 

Beginning with periodicals from the early 20^th century, we found Belleville Implement & Motor Company listed on page 881 of the December 16, 1908 issue of The Horseless Age as one of almost four dozen “New Agencies.”  Other available information leads us to believe the company was officially licensed for business as early as March of 1907.  Based on this information as well as a first-hand examination of the wagon along with previous research within our files, we believe this set of wheels to have a circa 1910-12 date of manufacture. 

 

Like most century-old vehicles, the gear has lost the majority of its original paint.  However, careful inspection shows that some of the initial orange coloring still exists on the axles and other parts of the gear.  While the tire widths measure 1 ½  inches, the broad wheel track stretches 62 inches and wheel heights are 44/54 inches.  One of the most interesting things about this vehicle, though, is the third sideboard on the box.  Not only is it diagonally cut to perfectly match a set of original Gestring-made St. Louis seat risers but, the uppermost sideboards are also trimmed to slope downward from 6 ⁵⁄₈  inches in height at the front to only 2 ¾ inches at the back of the wagon.  It’s a unique and seldom seen design that was clearly built this way at the Gestring factory.  Other notable elements include additional contouring to the outer ends of the seat bottom, a fingerlink clip to the center spreader chain, and a box brake system with a Geisler-style brake ratchet.

 

We’re pleased to be able to continually share rare imagery and information on relevant early vehicle makers.  Individually and collectively the details help us all to continually learn and appreciate more of America’s earliest vehicle industry.  In keeping with those opportunities, we’re working on another article for Farm Collector that should appear later this year and, if you’re partial to St. Louis vehicles like Joseph Murphy, Weber & Damme, Linstroth, Espenschied, and Luedinghaus, you won’t want to miss it.

 

Wells Fargo Coach #599

 

With tens of thousands of early vehicle builders documented in our Wheels That Won The West® Archives, America’s early transportation industry was anything but small.  Even so, finding specific examples within the millions of vehicles they collectively created can sometimes be a challenge.  It’s a problem further complicated with questions like… Where is information on individual makers located, how did a particular manufacturer design certain features, when was a given technology first used, what are the best books to read and many more similar queries.

Located throughout the U.S., much of the surviving information is so scattered it requires the stealth of a detective to find it.  In hopes of lessening the conundrum of locating some of the vehicles, several years ago we added the “Destinations” section to our website.  It’s far from complete but does offer a few insights into areas with interesting sets of wheels. 

 

 

On our recent trip to southern California, we saw more than a hundred vehicles ranging from Big Wheels (giant logging carts), mud wagons and touring coaches to rack bed wagons, mountain wagons, Concord coaches, buckboards, and tall-sided freighters.  Makers of these early wheels ranged from Studebaker, Schuttler, and Weber to Winona, Bain, Abbot-Downing, M.P. Henderson, Gestring and others.  It was a lot to take in and we took away nearly 2,000 photos of original western wagons and coaches for our archives.

 

One of the first places we visited was in the heart of Los Angeles.  Centered in the financial district, the Wells Fargo History Museum is home to a very special vehicle.  Coach #599 is a 9 passenger Concord Coach built by the Abbot-Downing Company in 1895.  It was originally used on J.B. Barbee’s stage line from Columbia to Campbellsville, Kentucky.   According to the book, “Time Well Kept,” released by Wells Fargo Historical Services, this coach was later acquired by C.H. Burton for his Monticello to Burnside route – believed to be the last stagecoach line in operation in Kentucky.  As shown in the photos below, the coach – in predominantly original and exceptional condition – is on display at the Wells Fargo History Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

 

We’d like to extend a special thank you to the great folks at the Wells Fargo Museum for such great hospitality during our visit.  In the coming weeks, we’ll share additional images and information on even more of the vehicles we had the privilege of documenting.  In the meantime, if you haven’t signed up to receive notices every time we update this blog, click on the link in the right hand border and don’t forget to confirm your info.  That validates your sign-up and helps make sure you don’t miss a single posting.  Wishing you the best! 

 

Restoring An Overland Stage Station

 

We recently received a press release from the Virginia Dale Community Club located near the Wyoming state line in north central Colorado. The group is restoring a rare, surviving stage coach station and they have an Open House fund raiser coming up in June. Below is more information on their activities.

 

Restoration begun on 1862 Virginia Dale Overland Stage Station

Open House June 7-8, 2013

 

 

Restoration of the Virginia Dale Stage Station, the only remaining Overland Stage Station still standing in its original location started on April 1, 2013. Under the direction of restoration expert Bill Bailey of Historical Associates, Inc. and Paul Matosky, Field Engineer, the Stage Station will be stabilized and restored back to its 1862 origins.

 

 

The now 151 year old Stage Station was built by the notorious Jack Slade and is designated a National Historic Site. It was an overnight station for the Overland Stage, a pony express stop and has been in continual use by the Virginia Dale ranching residents, families and friends as their Community Center.

 

 

The Stage Station, located four miles south of the Wyoming border on U.S. Hwy 287, was recently straightened and inspected for needed repairs before undergoing the complete restoration.  Due to volunteer labor, in-kind and monetary donations, and the generosity of the American Society of Civil Engineers ( who chose the Stage Station as its Community Service Project for 2012), the original $326,000 restoration estimate has dropped to $135,000.

 

 

Each year the Virginia Dale Community Club, whose members own the Stage Station and the adjoining Hurzeler house (1909), have an Open House to celebrate the Stage Station's historical significance, the rural way of life and to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the Stage Station so that many more generations can enjoy its unique heritage. Admission is free and all proceeds go towards the restoration and maintenance of the Stage Station.

 

 

This year's Open House will be held Friday, June 7 and Saturday June 8. The theme will be “Abe Lincoln and the Civil War”.  The local popular band “Barely Gettin' By” will kick-off the weekend with a western dance from 7-11pm on Friday at the Stage Station and an old-fashioned pie auction will be held at intermission.  Saturday, June 8, 9am to 4pm will be the annual quilt raffle, craft show, and bake sale.

 

Speakers for this year include Bruce Spear as Abe Lincoln, Joan Day as Virginia Slade, Eva Sue Littleton as Lady Moon, Wayne (Mr. History Ft. Collins) Sundberg, National Freight Wagon & Stagecoach Association, Oregon California Trails Association, American Tapestry Acappella Choir, Stephen Hyatt ( Civil War expert) Rocky Mountain High School bivouac re-enactors, Susan & Duane Kniebes (Graves of Virginia Dale) and Dick Hart cowboy poet.

 

Local artisans will also offer their talents. There will be food, games for all ages, animals, spinning demonstrations by Esther Nance- Beck, Kaye Collins and Helen Hart, silent auction, a General Store and the Model A Ford Club. The club will begin filling its time capsule with memories.

 

 

The Virginia Dale Stage Station is located 4 miles south of the Wyoming border on US Hwy 287. Turn onto County Rd. 43F at the memorial plaque placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Stage Station is 1 mile down the road.

 

Visit us on our website  www.virginiadalecommunityclub.org or call Sylvia Garafalo 970-495-1828 or Marcie Wells 970-568-7646.