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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Beckykelley79 on August 08, 2014, 02:51:56 PM
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Hello all! I picked up an old bed dated in the 1850s today and was told it was believed to be part of an old conastoga wagon. Not having a lot of luck finding any info online so hoping someone could help or give me some ideas of type of bed, etc? It is all wood painted with milk based paint. Thanks!
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What is the size ??
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Youth - looks like maybe the size of crib mattress or a bit smaller. What I was told was it stored items in a covered wagon like a conestoga and would be used at night for the kids to sleep in. I have been unsuccessful though finding any information on that.... Thanks so much for the reply!
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That is such a neat old bed !! Can I ask what you paid for it ?? I certainly would not say that it wasn`t a bed for a covered wagon !! The conestoga wagons did not come equipped with beds !! Just an open canvas covered wagon bed !! Each family equipped their own wagon with what they needed for the trip !! So if they needed a bed for kids they just made one or took a bed with them if they had one that fit !! It sure looks correct for the time period !!
But one question is what does it look like underneath !! How is it made ?? How and with what is the bed held together ??
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I paid $120.00 for it at a flea market.
Here's what I know about it:
The woman who was the the previous owner was an elderly lady who owned an antique store in DC. She had the piece for many years. She sold it to the folks I bought it from when her shop closed. It was an 1850s bed - Note the colors are blue and pink. The paint is not lead, and is thought to be milk based paint. The paint is original and changed during te time period based on the newest baby who was born. If a boy was born they painted it blue, for a girl it was pink. The bed is nailed together with two slats inside. The bottom looks like long metal prongs that hold the slats. Think of it like a photo frame that has the small metal clips you lift up and down on the back.
I'm making this a bench in our sunroom and actually love it! Just can't find any info on it.
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Here is a picture of the bottom. Notice metal clips on the side.
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Can you see the nail heads ?? It would be unusual to have nails inset like that !! Normally it would he been screws of some type !! Can you check that ??
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Here are some pics of the nails:
Let me know if this helps. No screws anywhere.
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More pics of the nail inset:
Also I looked agin at the clips and they are actually the long end of a nail that's holding the wood slats not metal clips.
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Those are not "cut" nails ..... thus they are post-1882 .... and were probably added post-1900 to prevent the boards from "falling" out due to the weight on them.
And they were surely driven into the end-boards by someone who couldn't drive a nail "straight" ..... or was too lazy to lean over very far when doing said.
If circa 1850's they should be "cut" nails and possibly "peg" construction.
Check those "round" looking nail "heads" to make sure they are not a "wood" peg.
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I agree with Cogar !! And the Conestoga wagons were mainly freight haulers,, the wagons that transported people westwars were the smaller, lighter Prairie Schooners !! Still look basically the same or similar so can see why they made that mistake !! One thing that is troublesome are the dark, almost black areas I see behind the paint !! Looks like the bed was exposed to the weather for many years !! That would naturally age it more than what I would expect !!
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Thanks all for the input. I did take another look and found some wood pegs. Looks like someone nailed the bed together at some point to reinforce it. I will have to look at the other wagon type and see if I can find some information on it.
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You will not find beds of any kind associated with covered wagons !! As I said earlier they would have been equipped by the family that used it,,not the maker of the wagon !! When you buy a wagon of any kind that's what you get !! Just the wagon,, not furniture to go in it !!
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Got it! When I said research I was hoping to find someone who may have something similar to the time but this looks like a one of a kind. Regardless I am happy with my find and it will make a great bench for our sunroom. Thanks to all for your input :)
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No matter what,, you got an excellent buy !! Its a keeper !! Oh and forgot to say welcome to the group !! Just wanted to make sure that in your searches you looked for the wagon,, and not a "wagon bed" !! That would bring up all kinds of wagons because all have a bed,, just not the kind you are looking for !!
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You will not find beds of any kind associated with covered wagons !!
Now I'se remember a hundert years ago, more or less, hearing the Wagon train Master in a "Westward Ho" movie tell an immigrant family ......
"Throw all of those tables, chairs n' beds outta that wagon, you can make yourself new ones when ya get there". ;D ;D
A bed for a "Westward Ho" wagon is akin to a Salesman's Sample spinning wheel.
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Yes,, weight would have been a major factor back then !! If this was in a wagon,,its more likely to have been in a shepards wagon or the gypsy wagons of that time !!
Are you by any chance in the midwest states ??
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I have nothing to add, other than sometimes we regard the covered wagon as a distant piece of history, when in reality we may only be a generation removed from their use. My Mother was born and raised in a sod house, and related stories of growing up to the point where I can easily relive them through her eyes. ;)
..."Old Belle and Fly, our faithful team of horses were standing in the corral, when their ears twitched and they turned their big heads towards the East. Within a minute you could hear the dogs...shortly, a dozen or more came charging and barking over the East hill. Next, came one covered wagon, followed closely by another, both pulled by horses that looked near exhaustion.
I ran to the house, yelling “The Mackey's are coming...the Mackey's are coming”! Yes, the Mackey's were here. After announcing themselves by letter months before, they were here, with six hungry kids, as many horses, and a pack of starving hound dogs. With no money, no food, and no housing, the Mackey’s were here, setting up camp down by the creek"...
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You are right Rauville !! But one thing I can say,, should that day come in my lifetime,,I have the skills to feed and support myself & family well !! May just take a little longer to get to town !!
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I think it is a crib from the mid 19th century that was made by a man for his children a they passed the cradle age. I am not buying the wagon story. The piece has a headboard and all the wear in in the right places. I love the old paint and if I owned it I would re-purpose it to hold firewood on the porch. That is if I had a porch, which I don't.
Here is a French version which is the only image I could find. http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6349196
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Yeah, I am going with frogpatch on this one, no way would a bed be a normal load for a wagon going west on a 5-6 month journey, every pound was precious and not likely to be wasted on such things.
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Thanks everyone for your inputs and expertise. Without knowing the original owner it's tough to get the story behind things.
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Here's an interesting excerpt from an 1848 diary of an actual pioneer:
“Monday, April 9th, 1848. I am the first one up; breakfast is over; our wagon is backed up to the steps; we will load at the hind end and shove the things in front. The first thing is a big box that will just fit in the wagon bed. That will have the bacon, salt and various other things; then it will be covered with a cover made of light boards nailed on two pieces of inch plank about 3 inches wide. This will serve us for a table, there is a hole in each corner and we have sticks sharpened at one end so they will stick in the ground; then we put the box cover on, slip the legs in the holes and we have a nice table, then when it is on the box George will sit on it and let his feet hang over and drive the team. It is just as high as the wagon bed. Now we will put in the old chest that is packed with our clothes and things we will want to wear and use on the way. The till is the medicine chest ; then there will be cleats fastened to the bottom of the wagon bed to keep things from slipping out of place. Now there is a vacant clear across that will be large enough to set a chair; will set it with the back against the side of wagon bed; there I will ride. On the other side will be a vacancy where little Jessie can play. He has a few toys and some marbles and some sticks for whip stocks, some blocks for oxen and I tie a string on the stick and he uses my work basket for a covered wagon and plays going to Oregon.....The next thing is a box as high as the chest that is packed with a few dishes and things we wont need till we get thru. And now we will put in the long sacks of flour and other things. The sacks are made of home made linen and will hold 125 pounds; 4 sacks of flour and one of corn meal. Now comes the groceries. We will make a wall of smaller sacks stood on end; dried apples and pleaches, beans, rice, sugar and coffee, the latter being in a green state. We will brown it in the skillet as we use it. Everything must be put in strong bags; no paper wrappings for the trip. There is a corner left for the wash tub and the lunch basket will just fit in the tub. The dishes we want to use will all be in the basket. I am going to start with good earthen dishes and if they get broken have tin ones to take their place. I have made 4 nice little table cloths so am going to live just like I was at home. Now we will fill the other corner with pick-ups. The iron-ware that I will want to use every day will go in a box on the hind end of the wagon like a feed box. Now we are all loaded but the bed.....I will level up the sacks with some extra bedding, then there is a side of sole leather that will go on first, then two comforts and we have a good enough bed for anyone to sleep on.”
“Tuesday, April 10, 1848.........Now for the bed (feather); nicely folded the two ends together, lay it on the sacks, then I fix it. The covers are folded and the pillows laid smoothly on, reserving one for the outside so if I or the little boy get sleepy we have a good place to lie; the others are covered with a heavy blanket and now my chair and the churn and we will be all done.”
“Our wagon is ready to start; I get in the wagon and in my chair busy with some unfinished work......Uncle John Starr(‘s) two (wagons) are the last so they will be behind today. We will take them in after we get a mile on the road at their place. Now we roll out. Father B(elknap) is on the lead on old Nelly."
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That was a good read !! I admit I wondered how they would pack for a months long trip !! I just couldn`t see a bed as part of it !!