Prairie Schooner

Photo Taken: June 2025

Location: Mesa Historical Museum

The black sign reads..

"A prairie schooner is simply a fancy name for a covered wagon. Covered wagons were known as prairie schooners because their white canvas tops reminded people of the sails on ships at sea. Most prairie schooners where ordinary farm wagons that were fitted with six to eight large wooden bows that arched over the wagons bed. Thes bows were covered with canvas. The canvas was rubbed with oil to make it waterproof. Mules, horses and oxen were used to pull the wagons. There were many advantages of traveling by prairie schooner. It was a type of rolling home and it offered protection from the weather."