A local industry that has long since disappeared from the memory banks of our readers is the manufacture of wagons. In fact, we had a great deal of difficulty in researching this article. We'll explain where we found most of our local information when we get into the details of the article. We have a long introduction, and we hope we don't drive you buggy with it.
Stories have to begin somewhere, and so we'll head back in time to about 1840 when farming was accomplished mostly with hand power, except for plowing or harrowing the fields or hauling in the crops. Farmers used the sickle or cradle to reap grain, used the flail to thrash it, mowed the grass with the scythe and raked hay, planted corn and sowed grain and grass seed by hand. Oxen and horse had their place on the farm, mostly to plow, harrow and haul in hay and grain but rarely if ever for seeding, cultivating, harvesting or other chores of the farmer. Benjamin Franklin observed in 1769 "that the farmers are more thriving in those parts of the country where cattle are used than in those where the labour is done by horses. The latter are said to require twice the quantity of food to maintain them; and after all are not good to eat, at least we do not think so."
During the seventy years following 1850, work and transportation shifted to the era of animal power--either ox or horse. Stories we have told on the Benton News of oxen often occurred prior to 1870, although we have a number of pictures of oxen pulling small carts through the streets of Benton that are dated later than that. We've told this before, but we'll share one of our favorite quotes about the ox. An unknown writer once penned these words: "All the theory is in favour of the ox. He costs little, works hard, eats little, and when we have done with him he is worth more than when we began--whereas a horse costs much, eats much, and when he dies is worth comparatively nothing."
Many a story has been told about ox drivers falling asleep trying to get their ox to move in a forward direction. Simply put, the ox was slow moving and stupid, but was ideally suited for working on steep side hills and on rough land. But as our local farms were carved out of woodland, as the fields were cleared of stumps and rocks, as honest-to-goodness roads began following the old cow trails, as the need increased to haul more produce to the local and the distant markets, the horse became the critter of choice. By about 1870, the ox had been displaced by horses and mules as a farm animal, and for many that happened even earlier. Oxen were often driven without guide lines as they "geed" or "hawed" under the direction of a whip. Father once said that a lot of hollerin' and some profanity got the ox moving best.
The horse found himself being phased out as a farm animal about 1925 as early general-purpose tractors slowly began displacing the animal power on the more prosperous farms. Many farms continued with the horse since a farmer could raise all his own horse feed, but had to purchase oil and fuel for a tractor. The Pennsylvania Amish were an exception to motorized tractors, of course, keeping the horse and in some cases the mule as a matter of religious conviction.
Horse-power machinery was relatively unknown about 1840 but in the next twenty years patents were being issued for what evolved into modern horse-drawn implements, and in the years following refinements in ease of handling, durability and efficiency came about. We could mention some of these--sulky plows, spring-tooth harrows, cultipackers, potato planters, side-delivery hay rakes and the like, but we'll concentrate on something of a local note: the simple wagon for both town and country use, the large, lumbering four-wheeled, usually horse-drawn vehicle with a large rectangular body, used for transporting loads.
Crude wagons were once carved from the crotch of trees and were called "log boats" or "log sleds." The two branches of the crotch carried the load behind the oxen hitched by a ring to the long main stem or tongue. There was a seat. The boards of the floor were held together by wooden pins. The log sleds transported hay and grain from the fields to the barn and grist could be taken to the mill in this manner, and on Sunday the family could be drug along to Church.
I once asked Karl Fritz, a man we will talk about later in this article, to tell me more about my father when he was young. Karl got a puzzled expression on his face, which confused me since Father and Karl late in life had traveled together across Canada by train on their way to Karl's youthful stomping grounds in the state of Washington. Karl, then 97, explained that he lived in Divide and when he would come to Benton to the grist mill he would get up, milk, do chores, load the grain and slowly make his way to Benton. When the Benton Roller Mills had the feed mixed, he would reverse the process. Karl said in the winter he would often leave Divide before daylight and return to the farm to continue his day after darkness had set in. Karl said he didn't have any time to socialize and in fact didn't even know Father until he was 45 years old. Today if it takes seven minutes to get to Divide, we snort!
A ride on a log sled in the years before roads were improved would have been a trying experience. These crude vehicles evolved into "drags," sledges" and "sled cars" which were often built by the farmer himself using a pole fastened to each side of the horse or via a strap around the ox. The two poles would drag on the ground. Saplings which would bend slightly as the cart slid over rocks were used in some parts of the state.
The first wheeled wagons, going back into the 1700s, rode on solid cross sections of wood three or four inches wide carved from trees and turned on wooden axles, a daunting task to pull by oxen even when empty. Early farmers in Pennsylvania had wagons of varying types and were able to help Benjamin Franklin back in 1755 when he assisted General Braddock prepare for the expedition against the French and the Indians. Franklin printed an advertisement in the Lancaster area stating that he needed wagons for the war effort. Farmers responded and Franklin acquired 150 wagons and 259 packhorses in a span of two weeks.
The wagon was a staple in early life of the upper Fishingcreek Valley. There was the Millville Wagon Works, the Long Wagon Works and the Appleman Wagon Works locally. They may have been more, in fact, made in the barns of the backwoods and produced in limited numbers. The wagons were needed locally, and there was lots of coal and iron made in Pennsylvania and there certainly was no shortage of wood. The wagon styles were extensive. There were, for example,
• the Wagonette, a kind of pleasure wagon, uncovered, with seats extended along the sides, designed to carry six or eight persons besides the driver
• the Vis-a-Vis, a popular style used for weddings.
• the Surrey, a four-wheeled horse-drawn pleasure carriage having two or four seats.
• Hitch Wagon, a four-wheeled carriage; usually drawn by horses and used for carrying freight or merchandise.
• There are many other types of wagons, including the Express Wagon, the show cart, the trail wagon, the Meadowbrook, the Victoria, the Trail Buggy. There were sleighs and side bar runabouts and two-seat spring wagons, fringe-top spring wagon, the two-horse surrey, the touring buggy--and others by local names.
The Appleman Wagon
Luckily for us, back on July 29, 1989, Karl Fritz and Robert Lewis sat in front of Bob's Appleman Wagon and began a chat session that was recorded on video tape.
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Bob bought his Appleman wagon from Carl Keller, who once lived in the O'Brien Hill area, a son of Marvie Keller. The original selling price of the farm wagon was $50. | |
Pictures of the Appleman Wagon courtesy of Robert Lewis |
When he bought it, Bob thought that it was one of the popular Long Wagons, but then found the telltale rear axle marking used only by the smaller wagon manufacturer.
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The rear axle has the word "Appleman" in raised letters. |
The only thing not original on this wagan was the rear tailgate, which had apparently been broken and had been replaced by new boards.
The S(amuel) F(rancis) Appleman signature is prominently displayed on the rear axle.
The original paint and lettering made the wagon very valuable. Jim Vance, Orangeville, is the current owner of this wagon.
The proprietor of the wagon company was Samuel Francis Appleman. Karl Fritz married Sara Appleman, one of Sam Appleman's daughters, and for a wedding present from her father Sara received a shiny new Appleman Wagon--possibly as an incentive to keep Karl busy on the farm!
Sam Appleman was busy making Appleman wagons before the turn of the century and continued up to 1920. The wagon we show was manufactured around 1910. When Bob Lewis bought the wagon, Carl Keller reminisced about the day he brought it home. The wagon had steel wheels four and a half inches wide. The wagon was made to haul stuff on the muddy roads so as not to sink into the mud of what they called dirt roads. In the video, Karl noted that the wagon was "made awfully strong," with its four inch wide and high wheels. Karl only used his wagon for hauling hay and grain. Karl summed up the wagon by sighing as he said, it "couldn't be beat."
According to Karl, the Appleman Wagon Works did not make buggies, just wagons, although we determined that they also made sleds for dragging behind horses. The company apparently did not employ many. Along with Sam Appleman, a brother, Will Appleman, was employed, but Kay recalled that William "got sick" and left the company. A young Burr Appleman and his brother, L. Ray Appleman, helped in the family business. Ray would head for the wagon works after his teaching day ended and he would paint the spokes leading from the wagon hub. For those who don't recognize the name, Ray Appleman was a former principal of the Benton Schools. L. Ray Appleman was the oldest child of the marriage of Sam Appleman to Nellie Hess.
Samuel and Nellie had seven children: Leslie Ray Appleman, Edith Florine Appleman, Reuben Glen Appleman, John Burr Appleman, Sarah Ellen Appleman, Ethel Vee Appleman and an unnamed child born in November, 1887, who only survived for twenty days. Karl noted that the wagon works was Sam's primary occupation. He did not have a farm on the side, although he at one time lived on what some call the Harry Troy farm. Sam and Luella Kline later bought that farm and after Luella's husband died she moved to Mill Street to live close to Lillian Kline.
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Like the Long Wagons, the Appleman Wagons were black with Chinese looking scroll. Each of the wagons was marked "Benton." | |
Picture courtesy of Robert Lewis |
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Karl called the company a "progressive business." Karl Fritz also owned the last Appleman Wagon manufactured. At one point, he took the steel wheels with the huge oak and hickory spokes off and put rubber-tired wheels on. John Englehart was the Appleman blacksmith. Karl reminisced that a "car wasn't thought of when I was a pup." As time went on and the first closed car appeared, Karl remembers telling someone that soon "we'll be so dang soft we won't be able to do anything." Karl actually got to see much more of the world than many his age got to see. Karl remembers that he worked in the state of Washington until he left there January 1, 1913, when he was 23.
Appleman wagons were produced nearly adjacent to the Long Wagon Works on what is now Fifth Street from somewhere around 1880. The street at one time was known as Railroad Street. The garage was in what some may know as the Paul Stevens garage, formerly owned by Fred Motchman. When Appleman Wagons left, Fred Motchman moved into the garage with his welding business. Later Motchman moved to the "bend" in Market Street and Paul Stevens later owned the former location of the Appleman wagon works.
Robert Lewis taking his Appleman Wagon for a ride
Contrast the Appleman wagon shown above with this picture of a Long Wagon. Both wagons were built in Benton. |
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Picture courtesy of Sheila Brandon, Lower Luzerne Web Site |
Millville Wagon Works
Some jobs are just too big to tackle. We often heard about John Eves and his wagon works known as John Eves and Company in connection with Millville, the companion town to Benton about 12 miles to our west. A good source for the history of the Eves family and the history of Millville is the 1972 book, Millville The First 200 Years, compiled by Dean Girton and Paul Trescott.
John Eves was born in Millville in 1843, a son of Charles and Sarah (Kester) Eves. As he was growing up, he worked for his brother, Ellis, later joined in the business, and eventually "took the entire interest in the wagon manufactory, which includes the saw, bending and planing-mill, turning-lathe and hub factory, blacksmith and paint shops, and, in fact, all the necessary appliances for the successful manufacture of the excellent wagons turned out of the place." The Wagon Works generally employed from twelve to fifteen workers, manufacturing a "first-class article, which meets the requirements of his patrons." His wife was Susan Masters, and their children were Charles, Louisa, Rebecca, Mildred and Helen.
John Eves, the wagon builder, traced back to one of the first white men to visit the Greenwood Valley and Little Fishing Creek area in 1770. His name was also John Eves, owner of a reported 1,203 acres, the largest holding of land at that time in what later became Columbia County. There are many interesting stories about John Eves and his 17 children and 104 grandchildren, especially during the 1778 Wyoming Massacre. Over the years, the Eves family was prominent in the ownership of Millville's grist mill and a store, and several served as postmaster. Thomas Eves built the first house in what is now Millville Borough. David and Andrew Eves opened the first store in the community in 1827. A school began in Millville in 1785. A two-room Meeting House was erected in 1795. Several brick plants sprung up. A woolen mill, started in 1813. The Millville newspaper, the Weekly Tablet, published its first edition in April, 1887. As the years rolled on, a water company, sewer lines, and a bank were established. The incorporation of the 640-acre Borough took place in 1892 and Joseph W. Eves became the community’s first burgess (equivalent to mayor)
Few industries in Millville gained the status of the Millville Wagon Works. The company began about 1837 when Charles Eves began assembling and selling wheels and other wagon parts. He had a water-powered saw mill where he manufactured hubs and bendings for blacksmiths and wheelrights. Slowly he moved into assembling wagons as he was joined in the business by his four sons. Fire ravaged the company in 1879, but brothers Ellis, John and Webster continued in the wagon business. In 1883, John Eves took over the wagon works and eventually the family store and the wagon works became consolidated as one company.
By 1915, the Millville Wagons Works, using an 18-horsepower turbine to operate the equipment with an additional steam plant for use during the dry summer, employed 12 people producing farm and lumber wagons.
The Millville wagon works was located in what many would consider an improbable location, heading toward Bloomsburg from the "square" in Millville.
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This is the present location of the former Millville Wagon Works. The original building was torn down by Earl Mordan, Jr. to build the home several years ago. He later sold the property to Marvin Fisk. It is located on South State street, adjacent to the Colonial Pharmacy. | |
Picture courtesy of Harry Watts |
Harry Watts purchased this wheel hub at a public auction in Millville. It came from the Millville wagon works, but was never used.
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Harry Watts purchased this wagon seat at a Millville public auction. |
The seat allegedly was never mounted on a wagon. Its condition would lead one to believe this is true. Harry obtained the seat is spirited bidding against an antique dealer. He told us, "I figured if I only paid one bid higher then what he was willing to pay I would get a pretty good buy." Harry's wife, Milly, likes to sit on it on her front porch and with only two more days until the official start of spring, she'll soon get her chance.
--The History of Columbia and Montour Counties Pennsylvania, Battle, 1887, was consulted in the preparation of this article. Quotes are from that source.
