We see them in virtually every western movie. From majestic coaches and massive freighters to schooners, chuck wagons, military escorts, farm wagons and buckboards, these wood-wheeled chariots were the early giants of American transportation. For many, they’re the ultimate symbol of the American West. They were the trailblazers; moving freight along the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails; leading cattle drives through the panhandles and plains, hauling ore and timber from remote mountain camps, ferrying pioneer families across Indian Territory, and supporting military campaigns all across the frontier. It's hard to fathom, but over the course of the 19th century, there were literally tens of thousands of wagon and carriage shops. In so many ways, the wheels of the Old West were not so much a hodgepodge of homemade vehicles as they were a diverse collection of builders making up one of the most sophisticated and competitive industries to ever hit the free world.
Our commitment to primary source documentation is vital to accurately profiling the forgotten wheels that built a nation and forged a dramatic lifeline east to west and north to south. With unparalleled archives and research, we're showcasing some of the most exciting history of the Old West; the literal accounts of the beginnings, struggles, and cutthroat domination in what was a transportation empire, hell bent for extinction. The Wheels That Won The West® collection spans more than two centuries of horsedrawn vehicle manufacture. It contains scarce imagery, specifications, correspondence, promotional literature and other, all-but-forgotten historical details of the workings of America's early western transportation industry. The subject is a huge and virtually untouched aspect of western study, rich with untold stories of personal, corporate and national dreams. Focusing on the heavier farm, freight, ranch, coach, business, and military vehicles that built the western frontier of the United States, our research, articles and presentations have been featured on the INSP television network as well as within the American Chuck Wagon Association, National Stagecoach & Freight Wagon Association, Carriage Association of America, Santa Fe Trail Association, The Carriage Journal, Farm Collector, Driving Digest, Wild West magazine and numerous museums and other media.
Complementing our commitment to research, publishing, entertainment and promotional projects, we're frequently called on for vehicle consulting, identification, and authentication work. If you have a question about our products and services or some other element involving early western vehicles, please drop us a line. We’re People You Know and Experience You Trust™ and we'd enjoy hearing from you.
