We drove out to the auction location and wandered around looking at all the amazing horse drawn vehicles and antiques they had for sale. There was a double treadle CPW in good shape, and a flat rim that seemed to have a Vizina tilt-tensioner, but no flyer, and a screw tension CPW-precursor type wheel that was missing a whorl. The auction pictures had included a great wheel, which I was going to pick up for a spinner friend of mine if it went at an okay price, but it didn’t seem to be there.
It was amazing to see all these neat things: there was a real Conestoga wagon, the box and gear all original. At the peak of the curved cover, it was eleven feet tall, and I had to get right up on tiptoe to even be able to peer into the back of it. Just thinking about all the families that travelled in these things, all their belongings packed in there, children and cooking utensils and food and everything, rolling along the bumpy paths to the west. And we complain if the air conditioning goes out in our minivans. Wow.
The antique tables had some neat stuff too … we weren’t sure what this was when we first saw it, but apparently it is for rounding leather to make reins:
There were lots of lovely buggies and carts and wagons, too. I think it’d be really fun to have a horse-drawn wagon that you could take down to the lakeside cottages in the summer and sell fresh vegetables and farm eggs off the back. Sort of like the ice cream truck, but healthier and with horse bells rather than that annoying electronic music. One like this would be great, don’t you think?
That covered wagon is beautiful. It belongs at Fort Edmonton so everyone can enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteIt did stay in Alberta - I think that one went to Grande Prairie. It was amazing to see, it really was.
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