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Archaeologists are not unlike truckers. Exploring Minnesota and Wisconsin's oddities, scenery, culture, back roads, and eateries helps keep me sane.

16 September 2010

Carriages, Sleighs, and Wagons, Hell Yeah!

Crafting carriages, sleighs, wagons, carts, etc. is a long lost trade.  Good thing Wesley Jung had the foresight to know the craft was dying and started his collection.  The colors, details, upholstery, woodwork, function... all so interesting to see in person.  This museum is just one of many gems at the Wade House in Greenbush, WI, between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan.  My personal favorites:  the sleighs and the historical photographs.  Especially the turkey-drawn children's cart.  Ch-ch-check this place out!

A more in-depth description from PortalWisconsin.org:
  • The Wesley Jung Carriage Museum recognizes the contribution of a German immigrant to Wisconsin. In 1855, carriage maker Jacob Jung left his native country to settle in Sheboygan. The family carriage and wagon business he began in his adopted home operated until 1917, when the automobile's rise spelled the end of a traditional way of transportation. Jung's grandson, Wesley Jung, wanted to preserve these horse- and hand-drawn vehicles that were once so common on American streets. In 1968, his collection of vintage vehicles opened as a museum on the grounds of Wade House.The wagons and carriages are splendid and almost startling in their variety: a circus calliope, sleighs, children's wagons, fire wagons, hearses and much more fill the large building. Their designs are as varied as the purposes they were made to serve.



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