Jim Butcher (American, B. 1944) "Boy and Father Fixing Wagon Wheel" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media Painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the block of four U.S. 15c Toleware stamps issued April 19, 1979.

Few Americans are aware that the famed Conestoga Wagon, the great Prairie Schooner that opened up the American West, is an invention of the Pennsylvania Dutch. In fact, to this day, Pennsylvania Dutch craftsmen build Conestoga Wagons to the very same specifications as when their great-grandparents outfitted them for the long journey west. The first Conestoga Wagons were used to haul freight. The larger versions were pulled by a team of six horses and could carry up to six tons of produce to market and six tons of supplies back to the farm. These wagons had no provision for passengers, and the driver would either walk alongside or ride upon the left wheel horse. A walking driver would sometimes pick tobacco from the side of the road, roll it into a crude cigar, and throw it into the wagon to cure. The resulting cigar was called a "stogie." The design of the Pennsylvania Dutch Conestoga Wagon was carefully thought out. The curved bottom prevented heavy loads from shifting, and the curved fabric top protected the cargo from wind, rain, sun, and dust. The design was so successful, in fact, that until trains were available for long distance shipping, this graceful and carefully crafted conveyance was a common sight on the roadways of America. In the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, farmers still use it to haul produce to market. No longer the Prairie Schooner of the American West, the Conestoga Wagon lives on, fulfilling its original purpose, in the hands of its builders, the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Image Size: 19.75 x 19.25 in.
Overall Size: 26.5 x 24 in.
Unframed.
(B05867)

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26.5 x 24 in