Throughout two hundred years of horse-drawn wagon manufacturing in the U.S, there were a lot of innovations and transitions - not just in the vehicle design and production processes but in the development of accessories as well.
While some farmers and ranchers merely cut down the wooden wheels on their wagons and had them placed inside steel rims with rubber tires, others took advantage of skein adaptors that could be bolted to traditional vehicle rims. These types of adaptors could be purchased from a number of outlets including large catalog houses like Montgomery Ward.
The photos shown in this blog feature a set of these skein adaptors that were originally purchased in the 1930s to be used on a high wheel wagon. These kits included five bolts that connected to the wheel rim while the sleeve, itself, slid over the wagon skein and was held on by the skein nut. The system was extremely efficient and allowed for quick modifications without permanently altering the original wheels belonging to the wagon. Simple, effective and modestly priced, these adaptors also allowed the wagon to be used as a trailer on improved roads. It was one more feature that extended the use of vintage wooden wagons well into 20th century America.
