Covered wagon

The Covered wagon was long the dominant form of transport in pre-industrial America. With roots in the heavy Conestoga wagon developed for the rough, undeveloped roads and paths of the colonial East, the covered wagon spread west with American migration. Heavily relied upon along such travel routes as the Great Wagon Road and the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, it carried settlers seeking land, gold, and new futures ever further west.

With its ubiquitous exposure in 20th century media, the covered wagon grew to become an icon of the American West. The fanciful nickname Prairie Schooner and romantic depiction in wagon trains only served to embellish the legend.

History

In Colonial times the Conestoga wagon was popular for migration southward through the Great Appalachian Valley along the Great Wagon Road. After the American Revolution it was used to open up commerce to Pittsburgh and Ohio. The Conestoga, often in long wagon trains, was the primary overland cargo vehicle over the Appalachian Mountains until the development of the railroad. The wagon was pulled by a team of up to eight horses or up to a dozen oxen. For this purpose, the Conestoga horse, a special breed of medium to heavy draft horses, was developed.

Covered Wagon (sculpture)

Covered Wagon, also known as Oregon Trail Immigrants Memorial and Pioneer Family, is an outdoor 1934 white marble sculpture by Leo Friedlander installed outside the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, United States.

Description and history

Leo Friedlander's Covered Wagon (1934) is a high relief carving depicting a pioneer family in front of a covered wagon, located outside the Oregon State Capitol's main entrance. The figure group includes a father, mother and young boy, plus a horse. The father faces westward with his proper right hand shielding his eyes from the sun, while the mother is shown kneeling and facing forward. The white marble sculpture, carved from a block made of six smaller pieces, measures approximately 152 inches (3.9 m) x 18.5 feet (5.6 m) x 91 inches (2.3 m) and rests on a granite base that measures approximately 67 inches (1.7 m) x 19.5 feet (5.9 m) x 90 inches (2.3 m). On the back is a map illustrating the area covered by the Oregon Trail and depictions of pioneer life. The installation also includes a signed inscription that reads: LEO FRIEDLANDER SC VALIANT MEN HAVE THRUST OUR FRONTIERS TO THE SETTING SUN.