Conestoga Accessories
A number of accessories were carried as a matter of routine on the wagon, and each was attached at a special place. (Click on the images below to get closer.)
An axe was always carried. It was used to cut firewood in the evenings and cut down trees to be tied to the back of the wagon to act as brakes on early types. It was also used to make running repairs to the wagon on the road. The axe was stored in a sheath on the left front hound, connecting the front axle to the wagon tongue. The axe holders were often very decorative. A bucket for water was usually carried under the back axle./Collections/Transport/American-Transport/uafp_transport_american_transport_conestoga_horses)
The horses’ feed trough was five feet long, made of poplar wood and had a light metal strap on its top edge to stop the horses from eating it. It was attached to the back of the wagon by two chains and rested against the back door. When feeding the horses, it was positioned on the wagon tongue and kept in place by an iron lug at one end and a pin at the other. The horses were usually tied to rings on either side of the wagon tongue.
/Collections/Transport/American-Transport/uafp_transport_american_transport_conestoga_access)
Every wagon carried a tar pot suspended from a leather thong just above the rear axle. They were generally turned from poplar logs and had a very characteristic shape. Their lids had a hole in the middle through which stuck a wooden paddle used to apply the tar, a mixture of pine tar and lard. This lubricant was applied directly to the axle.
/Collections/Transport/American-Transport/uafp_transport_american_transport_conestoga_ac-(2))
The wagon jack, pictured left, was used to take off wheels to allow them to be greased. These rugged devices usually outlasted the wagons for which they were made. Many carry date marks ranging from 1729-1889, and some have manufacturer's initials. The wagon jack was stored inside the wagon near the back door. Larger jacks date from 1805, corresponding to improvements in the roads and the increase in size of freight wagons.
The toolbox was positioned on the left hand side of the wagon. It was a simple wooden box bound with iron with a sloping lid. /Collections/Transport/American-Transport/uafp_transport_american_transport_conestoga_ac-(1))
It was often on the toolbox that the most ornate ironwork was to be found.
Picture to the right shows the detail of the Conestoga wagon toolbox with ornate ironwork decoration, and brake lever crossing diagonally in the foreground.
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