Modern Day
The true name of this piece is the Lancaster Gray carriage. These carriages have been used throughout the 20th century by the modern day Quakers known as the Amish. They can come in a cascade of many different colors and are generally of the same layout. The color gray is used by only about 15% of the Amish community, the most conservativ of the sect.
The oldest type of wagon used by the Amish was the Dearborn wagon which was also used extensively on the Santa Fe Trail. Others include a heavier station wagon type, the market wagon, which is slightly larger, and most recently, two-wheeled varieties.
This wagon was acquired on August 22, 1986 at the Martin Sale Auction in Intercourse, Pennsylvania. For its restoration U.C. Sterquell had to put in a new floor, paint, a top, and canvas covering.