If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the conversation right now! If you’ve watched a lot of Westerns with scenes of covered wagons moving across the great prairies, this wagon probably appears quite familiar. Ideally suited for hauling freight over bad roads, the Conestoga wagon had a capacity of up to six tons, a … Conestoga wagon, horse-drawn freight wagon that originated during the 18th century in the Conestoga Creek region of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, U.S. We need you to answer this question! The Conestoga wagon is not what many people think it is. They had "ribs" which held canvas covers that could be left open to air them out and let the children have air, or closed to keep out the weather and keep the family warm and dry at night. Unlike the Conestoga, which had a body that angled up … Why is a Conestoga wagon important? Conestoga wagon wheels were painted red. On the back of the Conestoga covered wagon, a feed box was mounted for the animals. Actually, the Conestoga wagon is the forerunner of those 19th century prairie schooners, which were smaller, lighter, and usually drawn by oxen. On the side of the Conestoga covered wagon a tool chest was mounted. The entire wagon stood up to 11 feet high, and was up to 24 feet long, from the front and rear canvas tips. The Conestoga wagons were also called the "Prairie Schooners"....they were huge, really, in comparison to wagons used in everyday situations. The prairie schooner was smaller and lighter than the Conestoga wagon—which at the time was popular in the eastern United States for hauling freight—and therefore was more suitable for long-distance travel.