Hunting for History | Wheels that Won the West

Who invented the thimble skein? How early were iron wheels and gears used in wagons? Other than International Harvester brands like Weber and Columbus, did other wagon makers offer gears with oscillating reaches? Those questions and at least a thousand other queries form the roots of so much of our research. After all, there is no general store we can drive up to and find these answers. So, every day, we roll up our sleeves and go hunting - Hunting for history, hunting for answers, and hunting for some of the rarest survivors on wooden wheels.

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It's a passion for preserving American history that regularly brings us face to face with some of the most exciting finds on the planet. Couple that with the opportunity to meet amazing people all over the world and there's never a dull moment.

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So... beyond sharing with others and locating so much history, why is it important to find answers to questions like those listed above? Ultimately, that's where things can get even more intriguing because the discovery of scarce pieces of history can be absolutely crucial in authoritatively identifying and authenticating early vehicles. These points can also add significant content to the provenance of a particular set of wheels. Year after year, digging for details has led us to extraordinary finds - discoveries that cover virtually every major maker in the U.S. and many smaller ones as well.

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By the way, while we know the answers to all three questions at the beginning of this blog, I won't reveal everything here. That said, for the answer to the originator of the thimble skein, check out my article inside the October 2013 issue of Farm Collector magazine.