A covered wagon, also called a prairie wagon, whitetop, [1] or prairie schooner, [2] is a horse-drawn or ox-drawn wagon used for passengers or freight hauling.

prairie schooner, 19th-century covered wagon popularly used by emigrants traveling to the American West. In particular, it was the vehicle of choice on the Oregon Trail. The name prairie schooner was derived from the wagon’s white canvas cover, or bonnet, which gave it the appearance, from a distance, of the sailing ship known as a schooner.

Pioneers needed wagons strong enough to haul people and supplies for five months or more. To outlast the rugged trail and months of wear, the wagon needed to be constructed of seasoned hardwood. Most pioneers used the typical farm wagon with a …

Feb 2, 2023 · On a good day, a wagon train might cover 20 miles — seven days a week, with no holidays, trying to take advantage of good weather before autumn and winter struck, trying to cover some 2,000 miles in about five months.

Jun 11, 2018 · COVERED WAGON, the means of transcontinental transportation used for two centuries of American history. The covered wagon was fundamentally a wagon box with a framework of hoop-shaped slats over which a canvas tent …

Oct 23, 2012 · Covered wagons helped push the American frontier all the way to the Pacific Ocean, but for western trails the Conestoga wagon morphed into the prairie schooner. Smaller, lighter, and lacking the distinctive curve, prairie schooners carried household goods and some family members—most settlers walked.

Apr 15, 2019 · Referred to as prairie schooners, they had white canvas covers that resembled the appearance of ship sails, and were smaller as well as lighter versions Conestogas, which were animal-drawn freight wagons that originated in America during the middle of the 18th century.

Feb 15, 2018 · Covered wagons were major contributors to the success (and sometimes failure) of these brave pioneers. With thousands of miles of rough and unfamiliar terrain ahead of them, emigrant families relied on these covered wagons to get …

Jul 3, 2022 · The most familiar covered wagon crossing the plains and mountains to the promised land of the west was a smaller, lighter cousin on the Conestoga wagon of the east. This "prairie schooner" was superbly designed for its job of transporting pioneer families and …

The most familiar feature of the covered wagon of the Great Plains, its billowing cover, was usually a heavy-duty canvas that served as the pioneers' only protection against the elements and other hazards.