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Article: Wagoners of the Alleghenies
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
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WAGONERS OF THE ALLEGHENIES
WAGONERS OF THE ALLEGHENIES
transported merchandise from the ports of the East to the trade centers of the West and returned with agricultural products; they rose to prominence during 1810 to 1820, but finally succumbed to the competition of the railroads. Their chief routes were the Pennsylvania Road from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and the Cumberland Road from Baltimore to Wheeling. Their wagons, referred to as Conestoga or Pittsburgh wagons, were about twenty feet long, six to eight feet wide; powered by teams of six or eight horses, they could carry loads of over 6,000 pounds.
There were two classes of wagoners
—
regulars and sharpshooters. Regulars ...