Week in and week out, we receive a lot of questions related to antique wagons, stages, and America's first transportation industry. The queries come from writers, producers, researchers, collectors, news organizations, archaeologists, historical societies, builders, museums, treasure hunters, and even casual observers. The topics covered in those emails, calls,and texts are as diverse as the hundreds of blogs and articles on our website. There's a good reason for that. These designs of these vehicles are near endless and the accessories and patent details are equally numerous. Likewise, the industry was massive and the entire wood-wheeled way of life endured for over two hundred years in the U.S. That's a lot of history to track. Even though our Archives are full of lost accounts, rare imagery, and ultra-scarce background details for numerous brands, there's still a lot more to discover.
Numerous, original and restored wagons and western vehicles made up the crowd of horse-drawn treasures in 2021.
To that point, I'll be highlighting more of our transportation past in multiple presentations later this year. Several of those talks are scheduled to take place in Council Grove, Kansas during mid-September. Specifically, I'll be part of the KAW Mission Council's Westward Expansion Lecture Series. During my portion of the program, I look forward to sharing more material related to nineteenth and early twentieth century wagons and western vehicles. Among the wood-wheeled topics I'll share are Tips on Collecting, How to Evaluate an Antique Wagon or Western Vehicle, Learning How Much You Actually 'KNOW' About Your Own Wagon, and several question/answer sessions.
The focus on wagons will be the kickoff to the 2025 Santa FeTrail Association Symposium entitled, Marking a Road to Santa Fe: Set Your Sights on Sibley. Overall, it's a week-long series of events. My portion of the talks and demonstrations is slated to take place on September 19th & 20th. Well-known blacksmith and President of the National Stagecoach & Freight Wagon Association, Jeff McManus will be there as well as acclaimed wagonmaker and wheelwright, Don Werner.
Image Courtesy of Mark Brooks, Kaw Mission - Council Grove, KS
The event will be held on the Santa Fe Trail in Council Oak Park, 210 East Main Street, Council Grove, Kansas. According to Mark Brooks, a more detailed schedule of events will be released soon. For more information on attending or showing your wagon, feel free to reach out to Mark at 620-307-2754 or mark.brooks@ks.gov
Based on the last Santa Fe Trail & KAW Mission Council event I was at a few years ago, the wagon participation will be strong with a good crowd of folks. It's definitely an opportunity to see a number of good wagons from all over the country. The other strong part of this event is the opportunity to meet and network with other enthusiasts. Along with the fellowship and activities, there will be period details discussed there that are rarely - if ever - covered anywhere else. It's an opportunity to grow and share in ways seldom possible. Ultimately, it should be a great time with plenty of one-on-one discussions. Hope to see you there!
David
Ps. 20:7