Multiple wagon parts were also found around the farmstead. It remains unclear just how many wagons or carriages Ransom Williams owned, but there was at least one wagon. Wagon parts consist of a wheel hub (a), brake show iron (b), and a wagon wheel skein (h), the part of the axle that the actual wagon wheel attached to so that it could roll. Other parts of the wagon were from the wagon bed and consist of wagon box staples (c), side board brackets (d), and a wagon box strap (e). Also pictured is a fragment of stay chain (f), another mechanism that allowed the wagon to be pulled by the team of draft animals. Image (g) is a threaded cockeye that attached to the end of a single tree so that a leather trace harness could be attached. Lastly, a fragment from a wagon wheel wrench (i) was also recovered. This was used to loosen or tighten the nut on the hub of the wagon wheel. Another wagon-related artifact was a single brake ratchet lock (j). In raised letters, the braking mechanism is labeled with the name "Hurlbut" from the Hurlbut Manufacturing Company, with a patent date of May 21, 1872. On the lower portion of the brake are the words "Caldwell Wagon". This device was bolted to the side of the wagon and served as a parking brake to keep horses or mules from moving the wagon when parked. The patent sketch shows the various working parts and how it attached to the wagon. |