Hunting for History | Wheels that Won the West

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

It’s a passion forpreserving American history that regularly brings us face to face with some ofthe most exciting finds on the planet. Couple that with the opportunity to meet amazing people all over theworld and it’s never a dull moment.

So… beyond sharing withothers and locating so much history, why is it important to find answers toquestions like those listed above? Ultimately, that’s where things can get even more intriguing because thediscovery of scarce pieces of history can be absolutely crucial inauthoritatively identifying and authenticating early vehicles. These points can also add significant contentto the provenance of a particular set of wheels. Year after year, digging for details has ledus to extraordinary finds – discoveries that cover virtually every major makerin the U.S. and many smaller ones as well.

By the way, while weknow the answers to all three questions at the beginning of this blog, I won’treveal everything here. That said, forthe answer to the originator of the thimble skein, check out my latest articleinside the October 2013 issue of Farm Collector magazine.