Conestoga Wagon Bell

[lenmac65]

I dug this open mouth bell in the woods today in an area that used to be farmland. It rang up like a can on first pass, but I was nonetheless hopeful, as it made no noise when I lifted my coil 6 to 12 inches up. I have seen these called Conestoga wagon bells. I included an antique picture circa 1910 that shows the bells as attached. I am not sure of the age of mine, though I am guessing late 1800s or early 1900s. (I have seen similar ones posted claiming to be late 1700s or early 1800s, so who knows.) It has no markings and the clapper is gone. I also found a 1907 Indian Head penny near this same area last week. It cleaned up nice with peroxide, but I think I left it in too long, as it is now pitted 😞. Happy hunting!

 

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[lenmac65]

Congrats on the beauty

Dug a lot of Crotal bells but only a few complete carriage types as yours. Lots of broken pieces over the years
How big is this bell?

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Thanks for the comments and the links. This is my fourth bell of this type, and probably my best. It is 3” diameter at the base, and about 2 1/2 inches high. I like crotal bells, but have only found one really good one. Thanks again!

 

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[pepperj]

Thanks for the comments and the links. This is my fourth bell of this type, and probably my best. It is 3” diameter at the base, and about 2 1/2 inches high. I like crotal bells, but have only found one really good one. Thanks again!

4 is pretty good considering you only have 1 crotal.
I must be in 50-60 range now for crotal/rumble bells.
Strange how the numbers are so split up here in comparison.

 

[sprailroad]

Question as to the alloy. I steel wooled mine with a double or triple 0 wool. It is brass. The bottom edge had been hit, a small cut, and it's all brass.

 

[devldog]

Great Save of the old bell. A Real beaut. Well Done.

 

[Silvermonkey]

That's a very nice bell! Looks to be in great shape too. I fitting way to ring in 2023!

 

[CRUSADER]

4 is pretty good considering you only have 1 crotal.
I must be in 50-60 range now for crotal/rumble bells.
Strange how the numbers are so split up here in comparison.

That made me think about our collection.
We have about 80 complete Crotal Bells (plus gave away maybe 25+ others to landowners)
Only 4 smaller Carriage Bells (complete)
But ploughed land is bound to break the bigger ones.

 

[lenmac65]

4 is pretty good considering you only have 1 crotal.
I must be in 50-60 range now for crotal/rumble bells.
Strange how the numbers are so split up here in comparison.

50 or 60 crotal/rumble bells? Wow! I am jealous, as I really like bells. I have found maybe 5 crotal, but mostly broken or newer (early 1900s?). I only have one really nice one, which I am guessing is 1700s or early 1800s.

 

[lenmac65]

Question as to the alloy. I steel wooled mine with a double or triple 0 wool. It is brass. The bottom edge had been hit, a small cut, and it's all brass.

I am not sure of alloy. Some commenters have suggested tombac. The bell is mostly shiny, with some bluish tint.

 

[lenmac65]

That made me think about our collection.
We have about 80 complete Crotal Bells (plus gave away maybe 25+ others to landowners)
Only 4 smaller Carriage Bells (complete)
But plough land is bound to break the bigger ones.

That’s a lot of bells! I have seen a number of your posts with crotal bells, some Roman era if I remember correctly. Bells are very interesting finds to me.

 

[sprailroad]

I am not sure of alloy. Some commenters have suggested tombac. The bell is mostly shiny, with some bluish tint.

I only meant that the one I found is brass, did not mean to say that yours is also, it could very well be something else. I was not disputing what you said at all. Again, nice find there lenmac65.

 

[Fredneck]

very nice finds

Cool find ! A bit crude, looks colonial.

 

[CRUSADER]

That’s a lot of bells! I have seen a number of your posts with crotal bells, some Roman era if I remember correctly. Bells are very interesting finds to me.

Yeap we have had a couple of Roman Bells.

 

[lenmac65]

I only meant that the one I found is brass, did not mean to say that yours is also, it could very well be something else. I was not disputing what you said at all. Again, nice find there lenmac65.

Thanks! Hope we are both lucky enough to find another one.

 

[lenmac65]

Cool find ! A bit crude, looks colonial.

Thanks! I wish there was a way to know its age for sure, as I would love to say this was colonial. I only gave this area a quick search so far. Perhaps I will find other coins or relics to help date this bell.

 

[Bob207]

http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=1-4-77

Conestoga Horses and the Bells

The Conestoga wagons were pulled by a special breed of draft horses called Conestogas. These large horses measured sixteen to seventeen hands at the withers. (One hand equals four inches.) Each horse weighs 1,800 pounds or more (the weight of about 29 fourth graders). Since the wagons often traveled over muddy roads, this special breed had no long hair beneath the fetlocks, the lowest joints on a horse's legs, and no long tails that could become matted. They were treated well by their owners since up to $1200 was spent to purchase a team.



It took six horses to pull a Conestoga wagon. The left-hand horse nearest the wagon was called the "wheel horse" or "saddle horse." The teamster drove the team by working a single rein called the "jerk line". To turn the team to the right the teamster would yell "GEE!" and give several short jerks on the line. To go left, he would yell ‘HAW!" and pull steady on the line.



Each horse wore a set of bells hanging from an arch that was attached to its collar. At first horses in the front had five bells, the middle horses wore four, and those next to the wagon wore three bells. These bells announced that the team was coming and that people and cattle should get out of the way. What the horn is to the car today, the bells were to the wagon. It was an unwritten law of the road that if a wagon came along the road and helped a disabled team so that it could resume the journey, the wagoner of the disabled team had to give up his bells to the team helping him. If a team arrived at its destination with its bells on, it was assumed that everything had gone well with the team on the trip. Today we have an expression that evolved from this custom–"I'll be there with bells on." No one really knows how the bells came to be used. It is known that pack horses wore them around their neck so they wouldn't get lost. The frontier farmer had cow bells, sheep bells, and even turkey bells.

 

[lenmac65]

http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=1-4-77

Conestoga Horses and the Bells

The Conestoga wagons were pulled by a special breed of draft horses called Conestogas. These large horses measured sixteen to seventeen hands at the withers. (One hand equals four inches.) Each horse weighs 1,800 pounds or more (the weight of about 29 fourth graders). Since the wagons often traveled over muddy roads, this special breed had no long hair beneath the fetlocks, the lowest joints on a horse's legs, and no long tails that could become matted. They were treated well by their owners since up to $1200 was spent to purchase a team.



It took six horses to pull a Conestoga wagon. The left-hand horse nearest the wagon was called the "wheel horse" or "saddle horse." The teamster drove the team by working a single rein called the "jerk line". To turn the team to the right the teamster would yell "GEE!" and give several short jerks on the line. To go left, he would yell ‘HAW!" and pull steady on the line.



Each horse wore a set of bells hanging from an arch that was attached to its collar. At first horses in the front had five bells, the middle horses wore four, and those next to the wagon wore three bells. These bells announced that the team was coming and that people and cattle should get out of the way. What the horn is to the car today, the bells were to the wagon. It was an unwritten law of the road that if a wagon came along the road and helped a disabled team so that it could resume the journey, the wagoner of the disabled team had to give up his bells to the team helping him. If a team arrived at its destination with its bells on, it was assumed that everything had gone well with the team on the trip. Today we have an expression that evolved from this custom–"I'll be there with bells on." No one really knows how the bells came to be used. It is known that pack horses wore them around their neck so they wouldn't get lost. The frontier farmer had cow bells, sheep bells, and even turkey bells.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for taking the time to share this info.

 

[pepperj]

Thanks. I am not sure of the metal for this bell, which has sort of a bluish tint to it. If it is tombac, perhaps the bell is a little older than I thought.

This is what happens with many in the fields.
They get smashed as this 4" tall one.
I've been digging pieces of this one for going on 3 years now.
Yesterday using the relic program @12" I managed 2 more pieces of the puzzle, as the one on the toe of my sticky boot.