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Page 17 · column 3 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
lar was a dollar, charges were about $1 per 100 pounds per 100 miles in 1820. Speeds averaged about 15 miles per day. That works out to around $80 for a week’s trip (100 miles) for an 8-ton load.
Sperryville’s wheelwright Kiger
Rappahannock County had at least one manufacturer of the great wagons. John Kiger, a wheelwright, operated his factory on Main Street in Sperryville. His house is still there, marked by a Register of Historic Places plaque. He also at one time apparently owned the former ‘Faith Mountain’ building across from the Post Office. One family record suggests that the last ‘Kiger’ Conestoga left Sperryville bound for Missouri in 1839. Little is known of the details of Kiger’s business, however one of his wagons is on display in the Virginia Historical Society Museum in Richmond, a testament to his skills and the importance of the vehicle.
During the westward expansion, the Conestogas proved to be rather too large to be practical for most pioneers. Large ox-teams were sometimes employed to pull the big wagons, however the huge loads tended to kill the teams when the ‘Stogies’ were used on long trips over rough pioneer roads. Halfsized versions of the original design were more common as were simpler ‘covered wagons’, essentially farm wagons outfitted with a canvas top. The smaller vehicles were also easier to repair. Weighing approximately 1300 pounds, they could be jacked up and/or totally disassembled and rebuilt ‘on the trail’.
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