Solid Wooden Wheeled Carretas

Solid Wooden Wagon Wheel on Carreta, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, New Mexico

– Click on the image to enlarge or purchase –

Solid Wooden Wheeled Carretas

In the last post began our look at New Mexico’s first living museum, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, the Ranch of the Swallows.  The self-guided tour begins at the large wooden doors to the placita, where we find the three farm wagons, or carretas, seen in the last post.  This type of carreta with the solid wooden wheels was in common use in New Mexico in the 17th through 19th centuries.

Earthenware Clay Pitcher, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, New Mexico

– Click on the image to enlarge or purchase –

As with any farm wagon, no matter where in the world you are, it is used for many purposes.  In these shots we see some of the cargo that would have been transported by the carretas.

Wooden Barrel and Sheepskin Hide, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, New Mexico

– Click on the image to enlarge or purchase –

In the image above, we see not only the cargo but part of the framing which created a basic cage on the wagon that would have helped in keeping any livestock or cargo contained during transportation.

Solid Wooden Wagon Wheel on Carreta with Sheepskin Hide, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, New Mexico

– Click on the image to enlarge or purchase –

Lastly, we return to the characteristic solid wooden wheel.  As these wheels did not have any form of metal rim more commonly associated with a spoked wheel, they suffered quite a bit from the rocks that would have been on the roads at the time.  The great advantage of these solid wheels, though, was that this damage to the rim was really only cosmetic and did not affect the integrity of the wheel.