Page:Final Report of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission.pdf/27

 Valley and old parts of wagons with entirely authentic ironing were secured.

The next problem was to secure an old time wagon builder to re-build the wood parts. An octogenarian, James Williamson, rebuilt the wagons by hand so that they are today as they would have been when built new fifteen decades ago. One exception must be made, in that modern canvas was used for covers rather than the hand woven materials of colonial days.

One wagon stood the entire trip.

Originally, the wagon was equipped with tar bucket, jack, old time pitchforks, axes, etc., but there was no use in attempting keeping this equipment up because it was stolen as fast as it could be replaced.

As to uniforms, the men were equipped with two outfits; the usual travelling clothes, and the costumes for use in their pageant drama, later described.

One of the great helps in this entire project was the modern Covered Wagon Trailer loaned to the Commission by the manufacturers. This was equipped as a costume department and dressing room, and proved perfect for the purpose. Rather than being packed in trunks and so requiring daily pressing and maintenance, the outfits were hung on racks, easy of access and in good order.

Another feature of paraphernalia was the portable stage loaned by the Federal Theatre Project. This contained stage lighting and sound equipment as well as being a self-contained stage in itself. It was ponderous and awkward to handle, and required a larger truck than would have been otherwise required; but in no other way could the pageantry have been handled so satisfactorily.

Guns and side arms presented another problem. Authentic arms of the period were prohibitive in price and dummy guns were finally made from original models.

The Collins Company of Connecticut made a generous gift of sidearms, also of axes, adzes, and such tools to the caravan.

The saws and other tools necessary to whipsawing and hewing timber for the boats used by the caravan where all replicas of colonial tools. For instance, the cross cut saws had no "drag teeth", and it is interesting to note that this was why trees were chopped—rather than sawed—down in the early days. The cutting teeth would not clear the sawdust on a horizontal cut.

It was not feasible to start this party out with only its men, ox team, wagon and horses as the original pioneers travelled. This was because this group were to not only recreate the trek of the Ohio Company pioneers of 1787-88 but were also to enact a pageant at each over-night stop. Also, from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to Marietta, Ohio, they published a daily diary and mailed it to subscribers.

Two light trucks were used, with the costume trailer before referred to, and another trailer to contain the machinery and supplies for the daily diary.

After leaving Marietta in April 1938, the diary trailer was omitted, but the portable stage was carried, and this required