Fresh out of the garden

[Papaw]

Can you decipher that name better? **kin. Might lead us to some answers.

[Nolatoolguy]

With those 3 blade things and a v shaped thing it looks more like some sort of horse drawn implament to me. I have the slightest clue what ime talking about thoe, thats just my thoughts.


Very cool, I wish my backyard was as cool as yours :(

[john k]

I am saying it was a medium farm wagon, the spindles are too heavy for a buggy or spring wagon.  The rings, went around the wooden wheel hubs. That plate I believe tied the tongue to its side braces.   The thimbles or bearing that went inside the hub, are in the last pic with the rings, look like sections of pipe  The shovel and hoe shaped irons are just that, from an early cultivator.  The long straps were bracing on the front axle and bolster, which the box sat on.  The little ladder looking affair was attached to the end of the bolster, the proper name for them is stake.  The ring on the top was for tying down heavy loads or canvas.  The big "V" shaped iron is the "hound" for the rear axle which tied the bracing to the center beam called a reach, which tied the front and rear axles together.   Most of that steel is actually iron, and even when buried in the ground doesnt rust very much, I have dug out spindles and still un screwed the axle nut with the first turn of the wrench.  Keep all those iron pieces together, as different companies used different size spindles and thimbles. 

[john k]

The name on the plate appears to be Bekin.  In Omaha is the Bekin Moving and Storage company.  In business since the 1890s, they utilized horse drawn wagons to move peoples goods.  I would say that this is possibly the remains of one of their  early horse drawn moving vans.   The Bekins building is still in Omaha, and the  company is still going, still in the family. 

[Nolatoolguy]

The shovel and hoe shaped irons are just that, from an early cultivator. 

I knew I was on to something.

[OilyRascal]

Can you decipher that name better? **kin. Might lead us to some answers.

The best I can figure, not having cleaned it, is B or R or P as the first letter then and EKIN

I am saying it was a medium farm wagon, the spindles are too heavy for a buggy or spring wagon.  The rings, went around the wooden wheel hubs. That plate I believe tied the tongue to its side braces.   The thimbles or bearing that went inside the hub, are in the last pic with the rings, look like sections of pipe  The shovel and hoe shaped irons are just that, from an early cultivator.  The long straps were bracing on the front axle and bolster, which the box sat on.  The little ladder looking affair was attached to the end of the bolster, the proper name for them is stake.  The ring on the top was for tying down heavy loads or canvas.  The big "V" shaped iron is the "hound" for the rear axle which tied the bracing to the center beam called a reach, which tied the front and rear axles together.   Most of that steel is actually iron, and even when buried in the ground doesnt rust very much, I have dug out spindles and still un screwed the axle nut with the first turn of the wrench.  Keep all those iron pieces together, as different companies used different size spindles and thimbles. 

Thanks so much!  You explained several things for me.  I had thimbles figured for some sort of oil field equipment - looked liked swelled pipe to me.  There have been several wells drilled on the property over the years; with one remaining.  The hound had me researching old plows :)

It amazes me that you know all that - and sounds like you took more time typing than thinking about it.  Must be nice :)

I will keep them together, although I'm not sure what it is that I'll do with them.  Doesn't seem right to make a redneck firewood trailer out of them...if you know what I mean. 

I hope to spend time soon with a metal detector in that area.  So far the things found have come to the surface or were found with the squeal of the belt on the rear tine.  Will not do it here, but I can't say enough for a belt drive tool.

[Branson]

Yep, two axle spindles, and in the last picture, two boxes to accept the spindles from the wheels and hub bands. 

[OilyRascal]

With all the discoveries recently I decided to take a slow stroll this morning in the wood line around the area where I cleared to have my garden.  The next couple of post are pictures of my findings.  You have no idea the restraint required on my part to go get a shovel and axe instead of checking fluids and starting an engine.

[OilyRascal]

After tree cutting, digging, and root cutting; we have this.

[OilyRascal]

AND I believe either more parts to the same wagon or parts to another wagon.

[rusty]

Hmm, a seeder?

[john k]

You got a planter for sure, if it ever had a box on top it may have been for corn, but that square hole looks big enough to plant potatos,  was steered by hand, and probably had a single horse pulling it, heckuva neat find, would have had big wooden handles like a walking plow.  The other two spindles are the rear axle to that wagon, most likely.  I got a theory here, when I was a kid, wagons like those early moving vans were often used for storage sheds out the back door of the repair shops/blacksmith shops.  Later on there would be old panel vans on blocks doing the same thing.    I am thinking they found this old wood wheeled moving van, parked it behind the shop or barn, and nature and gravity took its toll, or there could have been a fire.  The hammer heads could possibly tossed into the van due to broken handles, to be fixed later, later never came.  Are there any old photographs from the 30's or earlier  taken there on the place?   

[john k]

Somewhat similar planter, dozens of different companies probably made them, these were garden size, not for field work,  one step beyond planting a garden with just a hoe.  Be a good candidate for using the Old Tools. 

[OilyRascal]

Somewhat similar planter, dozens of different companies probably made them, these were garden size, not for field work,  one step beyond planting a garden with just a hoe.  Be a good candidate for using the Old Tools.

Very nice, John.  I'd like to put that guy to work tomorrow :)

I got a theory here, when I was a kid, wagons like those early moving vans were often used for storage sheds out the back door of the repair shops/blacksmith shops.  Later on there would be old panel vans on blocks doing the same thing.    I am thinking they found this old wood wheeled moving van, parked it behind the shop or barn, and nature and gravity took its toll, or there could have been a fire.  The hammer heads could possibly tossed into the van due to broken handles, to be fixed later, later never came.  Are there any old photographs from the 30's or earlier  taken there on the place?   

Very few photographs exist that we can find, and those that exist are from the front elevation of the two houses, and wouldn't expose any area even close to where I"m finding things.  My 88 year old gma has stated there was a barn "back behind the smokehouse and outhouse".  She also has told me stories in the past of riding to school on a wagon - she says she would sit on top of the cotton on the way to the cotton gin - hitchhiking of sorts with her daddy to get to school.  The school was just next door to the cotton gin.  I've been unable to speak to her as of yet regarding this find.  She can't at this point be clear about exactly where the barn was, only that it was "torn down" at some point by some contractor because Wisteria vines had taken it nearly to the ground.

My guess, without speaking with her, is that the wagon I've found was the same wagon she's told me stories of riding to school on, but I hope to learn more over the next few days.  I'm assuming the seeder/planter was a worker here on the farm (it was a cotton farm), and I'm hoping her looking at it might resurrect some memories.

[OilyRascal]

I had a weekend devoted to gardening and the yard.  I was lucky enough to find an old cotton scale weight that will pair up well with the scale found at the shop.  I also found (with the jar of my teeth) a fairly large post vice that appears to have good days remaining.  It looks like it may survive it's subsoil days carrying away only a bent handle.