My husband really wants a travel trailer. He bought the truck to pull it a couple years ago, and is dying to get the trailer. I like the idea of traveling too, except that weekends are my writing time, and despite what my husband thinks, writing on the road is not conducive to greater creativity. At least not for me. I do best as a hermit in a space with a closed door with no sound and no disturbance. So, maybe that means when he gets his trailer, I’ll get to retire from the day job so my weekends will be move available. Somehow, I don’t think that will fly just yet, but who knows? It might make a good bargaining chip.
Homes on wheels are nothing new in the American West. One has only to picture the iconic wagon train to realize that. However, there were other, more permanent homes on wheels in use in the late 19th century as well. Ones I recently discovered during a research rabbbit trail for my current work in progress.
I’m working on another western fairy tale retelling – this time a Rapunzel story. My long-haired heroine has been raised by a traveling medicine show peddler who uses her amazing tresses as a tool to sell his invigoratin hair tonics and beautifying elixirs. Wanting to keep the heroine isolated and firmly under his control, and needed to travel every week for his business, they live in two wagons. One is the peddler wagon he uses to sell his merchandise, and the other is more of a homey cabin on wheels. A sheepherder’s wagon.
The sheepherder’s wagon was invented in Wyoming in 1884. Designed for shepherds who lived out with their flocks for months at a time, these small cabins on wheels (also known smiply as “camps” or “arks”) were ideal for a sturdy, warm, transportable home. Typicaly build for one person, the one I’m imagining for my heroine and her “Papa” has been expanded slightly to allow for a second, upper bunk at the back of the wagon.
Did you notice the wagon tongue right outside the door? Many times, travelers would use the tongue as a step if the didn’t have a portable stair option like the one pictured above. Also notice that the door is crafted in the Dutch style with and option to open just the top half. This is how the traveler would drive the team. They would sit on a bench inside the door or stand behind the closed bottom section of the door, and drive from there.
Most of these wagons incuded small cookstoves inside. Imagine you were caught in a Wyoming blizzard. You’d definitely want a way to stay warm. The stovepipe extended through the canvas roof.
There were also lots of drawers and cabinets to hold belongings. Just like in trailers today, people needed to be able to store their belongings securly during travel. Only the most essential items would be taken. There often was a window at the back, above the sleeping bunk.
The table for eating would foldor pull out when needed to save space. It was very tight quarters. Typically, these wagons were about 12 feet long and a little over six feet wide.
What do you think? Ready to go camping in a 19th century sheepwagon?
Are you a camper? Tent, travel trailer, or RV? What do you like most about camping?
The story goes that local farmer John Knox had a dog who went missing in 1862. It turns out his dog followed a critter into a hole that ended up being a cave. A cave so dark that the dog couldn’t find his way back out. Happily, John went search for his dog and found no only his pet, but a large cave. The original opening was very small, but it opened up into a much larger space.
