Before the railroads established a full connection between the cities and towns of the Eastern United States, the Conestoga wagon served the needs of the farmers and merchants in hauling their goods to market. The wagon originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and was built by German settlers from the area. It was 5.4 meters long, 3.3 meters high, and 1.2 meters wide. The body curved up on both ends to help stabilize heavy loads when passing over rough roads. The wagon had a cargo capacity of almost 6 tons. A heavy canvas cover, coated with linseed oil, protected the cargo from bad weather and the seams were caulked with tar to prevent water from leaking into the body during river crossings. The wagon was usually pulled by a team of up to eight horses or twelve oxen. A strong draft animal, the Conestoga horse, was bred purposely to pull the heavy wagon.
