Not long ago I
received a question from a friend asking if there were ever design variations
or different construction styles of a Peter Schuttler brand wagon hub. It’s a great question and one that some
enthusiasts may not be aware of. Beyond
the obvious variations in different hub sizes, there indeed were subtle, but
notable differences in certain aspects of Schuttler designs over the
decades. Believe it or not, there were
even major color shifts in some Schuttler running gears.
A while back,
during one of my research trips out of state, I happened across a Peter Schuttler
brand wagon with a ‘yellow’ gear. It had
been sloppily overpainted orange but the original color, striping, and
stenciling could still be seen in several areas. The initial color of the gear had clearly been yellow with black striping and
stenciling. While there were a number of
early builders that were known for producing yellow running gears, Schuttler is
not one that usually comes to mind – even to knowledgeable collectors. Orange was the gear color seen on virtually
every Peter Schuttler wagon from the company’s beginnings in 1843. It’s a
statement reinforced through period literature as well as an extremely rare
survivor located at the Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Kept
in a climate-controlled enclosure, this set of wheels represents the earliest
surviving Schuttler and one we were the first to extensively study, photograph,
and identify back in May of 2007.
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We were given exclusive access and the opportunity to thoroughly document this 1856 Peter Schuttler running gear in 2007. |
I wrote a
follow-up article on the discovery later that year and it was published by The
Carriage Journal in January 2008. We
also posted a variation of the story on our website at the time. Along
with several tons of miscellaneous supplies and goods, the spanking-new wagon
gear was originally loaded on board the Steamboat Arabia. The journey was short-lived as the entire ship
sank on the Missouri River not long after leaving Westport (Kansas City) in
1856. Today, at well over 150 years in
age, it is likely to be the oldest surviving factory-built wagon in
America. We were graciously provided extraordinary
access to the vehicle at the time; allowing us to document various technologies
present as well as dimensions, colors, construction features, and surviving
markings. In the process of the review,
we found a number of remnants of orange paint pigment on the wagon. Our Archives
also hold 1870’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s-era color advertising from the company. Combined with the gear found on the Steamboat
Arabia, the surviving evidence seems to confirm the regular and consistent use
of orange paint on Peter Schuttler running gears throughout the 19th century.
For a company to
be so aligned with a particular hue, the use of a different color like yellow can
be indicative of some type of change within the firm. Sometimes, these changes are identifiers of
different types of vehicles or even a preference indicated by an end user or
retailer. In this case, the gear had
other variations as well, leading us to feel reasonably confident that the yellow
coloring is likely tied to the transition of the company’s assets from Chicago
to Springfield, Missouri during the mid-1920’s. Close examination of the wagon revealed a number
of additional design elements consistent with transitional vehicles built
during early ownership by the Springfield Wagon Company.
Why is this
information important? For the very
reasons our Wheels That Won The West® Archives exist as a historical resource,
this knowledge helps us to better identify, authenticate, date, and provide supportable
provenance to vintage pieces. Without
these background details, a wagon is just a wagon with no personality to
separate it from a sea of non-descript designs.
Ultimately, every stick of timber, every contour, every bit of iron, and
every part of the paint hold clues… Clues that bring us closer to fully
understanding America’s early wagons and western vehicle builders.
Thanks for
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continued feedback and look forward to sharing even more wooden vehicle info in
the coming weeks.
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