Most weeks, this blog is filled withbehind-the-scenes details related to western vehicles created a century or moreago. This week, the thoughts are stillrelated to those early pieces, but I wanted to share some more current newsrelated to our website.
We’re in the middle of a number of site changesthat are expected to launch this week. From the beginning, our desire has been to showAmerica’s early western transportation industry for what it was… and still is! It’s an intricate blend of extraordinary art,science, dreams, devotion, and sweat equity surrounded by a heritage of realworld challenges and unforgiving competition. For me, it’s the most intriguing segment of the Old West because itdramatically impacted virtually every aspect of it.
Conveying those truths has sometimesbeen difficult since there are a number of misconceptions about the industry,the vehicles, and the times. One of ourprimary goals for the Wheels That Won The West® Archives has been to activelysearch for lost details on brands memorably tied to the development of the AmericanWest. Honestly, it’s not easy. The journey requires a tremendous investment of time andresources and most of the efforts go unseen. Fortunately, the passion I have for this subject is its own fuel andthat drive continues to uncover some pretty amazing material; the bulk of whichis preserved for other projects and often not included in these blogs.
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| This screenshot shows some of the rich imagery and storyline details that have been incorporated into the Wheels That Won The West® website. |
With that in mind and, in an effort tobetter explain who we are and what we do, we’ve been working on a number ofnoticeable changes to the ‘Wheels’ website. The homepage has undergonea complete overhaul and is designed to more effectively convey the depth,artistry, and complexity of heavy horse-drawn vehicles from the 19th and early20th centuries. With such a broad baseof original, primary source materials at our fingertips, the site is alsofashioned to expound on a world of exclusive Vehicle Services. Details can be found in the ‘Records &Research’ as well as the ‘Presentation & Media’ sections. All of it should be more mobile-friendly, soyou can take us with you anywhere.
You’ll note the ‘Articles’ section hasbeen updated to include even more of our writings. With several hundred pieces penned to date,this new section clearly doesn’t include everything we’ve written but at leastit’s a start. Finally, I’m working onmaterial for a special section we’ve entitled, “Search & Rescue,” that willultimately include information on unique present-day western vehiclefinds. I continue to believe that we maybe the last generation with any hope of locating and recognizing remainingsurvivors tied to the development of the West. This feature is currently linking to the ‘Articles’ section but willeventually become a separate source of vehicle information.
This is a ‘soft launch’ of the new site– meaning that we’re still working on other areas and some of the link-to pageswill be changing as we move forward. Nonetheless, it seemed noteworthy to let everyone know of the newlook.
Other projects on our front burnerinclude an upcoming article for Farm Collectormagazine and a final report documenting the restoration of a rare andtransitional John Deere wagon that we worked on with the folks at Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop. In this project, our files were tapped foraccess to ultra-rare logos, striping, and other authentication elements. We also have a few original running gears inthe shop that are slated to have darkened linseed oil removed while preservingthe original paint.
Finally, as of late last year, my wifeand I are officially grandparents so we’ve been working on backyard playgroundplans. Yes, I know, the kid isn’t evencrawling yet but let’s not let details get in the way of fun!
We appreciate your continued support,encouragement, and suggestions. Ifyou’ve been reading this blog for a while and have yet to introduce yourself,please drop us a line. We really would be glad to hear fromyou. Have a great week!