Picture of the Oxen at the Hartford City Civil War Event 2007

We thank photographer Linda McMillan for allowing us to post this picture taken at the Hartford City Civil War event in October 2007. The Four Kings are great around cannon. This event several years ago was their first time around large cannon. They had been around other artillery, but nothing this large. The first firing on the line took them a bit by surprise, but with Gerry by the lead team of George and William, and me by James & Charles to reassure them, by the 3rd firing they had settled and have never again really reacted to artillery.

Their calm, quiet acceptance has helped other teams, both horses and oxen, to accept artillery with aplomb.

Itty Bit

Itty Bit, or 'Bit', was named that by the children of one of our Frontier Resources families. She was so small when she was born that when they first saw her she was standing completely under her mother staying out of the rain. She is the most intelligent horse we have ever had and is trained to ride, drive, either single or in a team, or work as a pack horse.

It is almost impossible to stop her. She has amazed us with the loads she can pull. Bit was bred to resemble the Colonial horses, she is short and muscular, with a large head. We say she looks like a whiskey barrel with four legs.

Salt & Pepper - Matched Grays

Salt and Pepper are Arab/Quarterhorse crosses, the pair are nearly perfectly matched and full brothers. They are practically inseparable. Both of the boys will ride or drive. They are good natured animals, not bothered by crowds or traffic.

Notice in this picture that we have a safety person walking in front of the wagon. Need for a safety depends on the venue. That's me driving.

The Four Kings

A team of Durham oxen trained to move wagons, farm or haul logs in the woods. Durham oxen were introduced as a breed in England in 1747 and were becoming popular in the Americas about the time of the Revolution. These four are named after Gerry’s least favorite English Kings: George, William, Charles and James. The four oxen are good friends and bicker very little amongst themselves. None of them are related.

Freight Wagon Project

The living history experiments are the cornerstones of Frontier Resources. We use our living history techniques to learn as well as to teach. Past experiments have included such projects as building homesteads and stations, taking packhorses through the mountains, road building and recreating military campaigns. We have found that the more complete and accurate the experiment, the greater the findings.

From the 4th through the 13th of August 2006, four people and four oxen took part in a living history experiment in Daniel Boone National Forest near Morehead, Kentucky. While there are a number of descriptions of wagons on the roads of eighteenth century America, practically nothing is known of their operation. We do not know the distances traveled, speeds, possible loads, nor the problems and solutions encountered. The purpose of the project was to examine these questions.

The project was strenuous. Some of the trails were no wider than the width of the wagon. Often the wagon had to be unhooked from the oxen and manhandled around a tree or switchback on a trail. Depending on the difficulties encountered, the wagon traveled from four to twelve miles a day. The load was varied from one thousand pounds to a ton to test the capabilities of the wagon and team.

The participants established wagoners' camps next to the trails in locations that would provide water and grazing for the animals. The people slept in the open or under tarps when necessary. The wagoner slept on his load in the wagon twice but found it very cramped and uncomfortable. Sleeping under the wagon never was possible because of the vegetation and terrain.

The foods were limited to those available to travelers in the eighteenth century along the Great Wagon Road. Most meals were based on dried meats, rice and sweet potatoes. Cornmeal was used daily in the form of hoe cakes or Johnny cakes. Beverages were most commonly cider or water, but some experimentation was done with "Liberty Teas" such as coffee, sassafras tea, pine needle tea and sumac tea.

Some of the initial findings of the project were:

• We used every tool taken and did not need any tool we did not have on hand. What wagoners carried was well thought out and well designed for the tasks they were apt to encounter.
  
  
• We found the unwaterproofed linen canvas bonnet shed water better than the waterproofed cotton canvas one. Linen canvas is a superior material for wagon covers.
  
  
• The wagon was well designed for the task.. Some of the conditions were extremely rough, requiring negotiating ditches, steep creek banks, narrow trails, rocks and fallen trees. The wagon held up to all of these without any damage.
  
  
• Four oxen can pull a fully loaded eighteenth century freight wagon without injury efficiently. When turning radius became an issue detaching one yoke (two oxen) and pulling the wagon with a single pair made the wagon more maneuverable and did not exceed the capabilities of the animals. After nine days of steady work, the animals did not lose weight and did not seem appreciably tired.
  

Hands On History - Wagoner's Lad (Freight Wagon)

An examination of the transportation industry in early America with a focus on the roles children held in the industry. The class is usually taught with a circa 1755 freight wagon and a team of four oxen. We have the students handle the equipment and a few from each class get a chance to drive the oxen. It is a very real insight into the world that moved at the speed of an ox.

Pictures and additional info here.