Some things are hard to forget. To that point, almost twenty years ago, I
purchased a book by Don Berkebile entitled, Horse-Drawn
Commercial Vehicles. With over 250
images packed into 150 pages or so, the book is chock full of details related
to America’s first and largest transportation industry. In fact, the diversity of vehicle types shown
on almost every page provides a great overview of that era, making it a
must-have reference for any enthusiast’s library.
Beyond those accolades, one of the
things that has always struck me about this book is a photograph it holds of a
giant western freight wagon. From the
first time I saw it, I’ve never forgotten the massive scale of the piece. To me, it’s a reminder of just how big the
challenges and opportunities were on America’s western frontier.
The wagon was handcrafted in 1899 by
legendary wagon and coach maker, M.P. Henderson of Stockton, California. It was ordered by C.D. Lane, a millionaire
mine owner and, at the time of its
completion, was billed as the largest wagon in the world. Looking at how it dwarfs those in the photo,
the wagon was clearly built to haul massive loads. In another way of thinking, it was also
crafted to make a statement. Detailed striping, custom hardware, and the host
of folks gathered in the photo all reinforce the point that this was far
from a run-of-the-mill freighter. Ultimately,
it was created to promote and service the Fortuna Mine – one of the most
prosperous and productive gold mines in Arizona at the time. The proprietor, Charles D. Lane, also owned
the famed “Utica Mine” at Angels Camp, California and the “Wild Goose” in
Nome, Alaska.
 |
This photo from the Wheels That Won The West® Archives shows the massive Fortuna freight wagon. It was built in the shops of M.P. Henderson & Son in Stockton, California. |
Mr. Berkebile includes a brief
description of the vehicle in his book.
He credited an 1899 issue of The
Carriage Monthly for the details.
Since the original write-up on the wagon actually included a bit more
information than the book, we thought it would be interesting to highlight some
of that in today’s blog. Below is a
portion of that article taken from original materials in our Archives...
“M.P. Henderson & Son, Stockton, Cal.,
have just completed the largest wagon that ever was built. The height from the ground to the top of the
seat is 13 ½ feet. The seat had to be
removed before it could be shipped on the railway. The hubs are 16 x 20 inches, and the spokes 4
5/8 inches. The width of the tire is 6
inches, the depth of the rim 4 ½ inches, and the thickness of the tire 1
inch. The front wheels are 5 feet in
diameter, and the rear wheels are 8 feet.
The most notable feature of the wagon is these rear wheels. The idea of having such enormous wheels is
that the wagon will roll easier on the sandy roads of that country. The wagon bed is 20 feet long, and has a
regular width of 3 feet 8 inches. It is
5 feet high inside. The axles are 3 ¼
inches. The complete wagon weighs 6,515
pounds, and has a carrying capacity of twelve tons. It measures 33 feet from tip of the pole to
the back of the bed, and required for shipment the longest railroad flat car in
use...”
Some time back, I was cataloging a few
early articles in our Archives and
came across yet another – even earlier – written account covering the same set of
wheels. To the best of my knowledge,
this discovery marks the first time this earlier report has been pointed out to
modern audiences. The significance of
the find lies in both the affirmation of details in the later piece identified
by Don Berkebile as well as the uncovering of previously unknown information. Both reports include similar statements but,
the earlier piece also shares that the vehicle was to be
pulled by 18-20 draft animals.
 |
This close-up image reinforces the impressive scale of the Fortuna freight wagon. |
Additional features of the massive wagon
included steel standards, double spoke rivets, 14 spokes on the front wheels
and 16 on the rear, box brakes, heavy rub irons, and an adjustable brake
rod. In some ways, the giant wagon looks
a little like an overgrown California rack bed.
Centering the bed on the lowermost sill, the insignia of M.P. Henderson
& Son identifies the firm as the maker.
Just above the Henderson name is a rarity for freight wagons – a hand
painted scene featuring what looks to be a western landscape. Reminiscent of still life paintings
embellishing the doors of period Concord stagecoaches, the extravagant painting
on this freight wagon was clearly meant to reflect the wealth being uncovered
in the Fortuna mine; Hence, the
christened name lettered in the top center of the vehicle box – La
Fortuna.
Further capturing the lucrative nature
of the mining operation, an 1896 report showed that within a four month period, 6,300
tons of ore had been extracted from the Fortuna mine with the resulting gold for
the brief period valued at almost a quarter million dollars. In
another report, the August 16, 1900 issue (p.9) of the Los Angeles Herald
newspaper indicates that the mine was still running strong at that time,
producing $140,000/month.
Clearly, the wagon was part of a
remarkable enterprise. Looking at the
century-plus-old photo, it’s easy to be impressed by the size of the
vehicle. Just as engaging, though, is
the thought of what may have happened to this particular wonder of the
west. With so much attention given to
its debut, it’s tough to think that such a magnificent icon has likely been
lost to time. Fortunately, we have the
written reports and the photo above to remind us of some very ‘big’ moments in
western transportation history. Have a great week!
By the way, if you haven’t signed up to receive this weekly blog via e-mail, just type your address in the "Follow By E-mail" section above. You'll receive a confirmation e-mail that you'll need to verify before you're officially on board. Once that's done, you'll receive an email every time we update the blog. Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can be of assistance. We appreciate your continued feedback and look forward to sharing even more wooden vehicle info in the coming weeks.
By the way, if you haven’t signed up to receive this weekly blog via e-mail, just type your address in the "Follow By E-mail" section above. You'll receive a confirmation e-mail that you'll need to verify before you're officially on board. Once that's done, you'll receive an email every time we update the blog. Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can be of assistance. We appreciate your continued feedback and look forward to sharing even more wooden vehicle info in the coming weeks.
Please Note: As with each of our blog writings, all imagery and text is copyrighted with All Rights Reserved. The material may not be broadcast, published, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from David E. Sneed, Wheels That Won The West® Archives.
