Sons In
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Amador County Branch 96 - Jackson, California |
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THE OXEN’S TALE # 2 BY FRANK TORTORICH The pioneer wagon, known by some as the Prairie Schooner, that came to California in 1849 was not a big wagon. The box was about ten feet long and some three and half feet wide. It was straight sided with no seat, no springs, and no brakes. Therefore, nearly everyone walked 15 miles each day for about 130 days. It usually had four or five bows to hold the canvas with full pucker strings for full closure front and back to keep out the dust, rain, and critters. Usually four or six oxen pulled the wagon. The much fancier Conestoga wagon, with its beautiful curved body, was about sixteen feet long and four feet wide and it had about nine bows to hold the canvas. This wagon was too big and heavy to travel the 2,000 miles over the Sierra to California. There is no record of this large freight wagon coming to California or Oregon. It was used extensively on the Santa Fe Trail, for there they had a much shorter distance and no high mountains to cross. Oxen were chosen over the horse and mule because they could make the entire 2,000-mile journey. The horse and mule were too expensive and did not do well pulling that great distance. |
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