The Story of Trailer and It's Actors; As a Mobile Home Case _ Nur Gülgör Thesis

heavy loads, but at the same time, it had to be light enough not to strain the
mules and oxen pulling it. In addition, the wagon’s interior was mostly filled
with goods and travel necessities, so the passengers were escorted on foot
so that they did not weigh on the horses and oxen. When they stopped, they
removed their tents out of their wagons and stayed outside in their tents.
Conestoga design was based on earlier Dutch wagon practices that
were also used for long-distance transportation of goods. Its curved floor
prevented the products from slipping to carry heavy materials securely on long
roads, but it was also uncomfortable for people. The wagon can be divided
Figure 1: Pioneers moving west (Image courtesy of Wikicommons,
Public Domain)
into three main parts: bed, undercarriage, and cover. The bed’s frame was
usually white oak and covered by poplar boards. The undercarriage consisted
mostly of iron to carry a rectangular wooden bed. The final part of the cover
had a hickory bow frame to support cotton or canvas fabric. All parts were
created with very basic hand tools; it took several weeks of nonstop work by
the wheel smith and ironworkers to finish the product. 16
Figure 2: A Turnpike Schooner. This Conestoga wagon
was used for carrying freight on the National Pike published
in c1906 (Source: Library of Congress) https://lccn.
loc.gov/2012645749
Figure 3: The Covered Wagon of the Great Western
Migration. 1886 in Loup Valley, Nebr. (Source: National
Archive)
Pioneer emigrants also used Conestoga wagon. Emigrants had
settled on the east side of the continent in the first step, and then they
created a great migration wave to the west side in the 19th century. The most
well-known of these westward routes were the Oregon, California, Santa Fe,
and Mormor Trails and these routes were crowded with wagons, which were
16. Wilkinson, N.B. (1988) The Conestoga wagon. Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission, Harrisburg.
17. Shumway, G. (1964). Conestoga Wagon, 1750-1850:
Freight Carrier for 100 Years of America’s Westward
Expansion. Early American Industries Association.
drawn by teams of four, five, or six horses and featured their specific white
cloth tops. 17 These were Conestoga type with a large interior volume or other
simpler designs of covered wagons. Pioneers have been traveling these routes
for months. The Oregon Trail was completed in four to six months. So, a family
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