Children's wagon pattern

[unionkitten]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone know where I could get/find a pattern for a Civil War era child's wagon. It would be used for our 2 yr old daughter to ride in. I've looked on the internet with no luck. Thank you for you help.


Trisha Lowther

[ElizabethClark]

It would likely help if we could clarify the intended use a bit... is this an alternative to a stroller, or a functional plaything?

The situation many event set up for citizens seems to force some odd rationalizations on us (like, alternatives for a stroller, as we're not in period houses, and need to haul babies around, and aren't used to carrying our kids anymore.)

(A bit off topic... I've been doing some hardcore ranting down in Florida on separate, accurate civilian events, so I'm still a bit "stumpy" over it.) :)

[unionkitten]

Yes, This wagon would only be used at Reenactments, instead of having her walk or carrying her all the time. Thank you for your reply.

Trisha Lowther

[Drygoods]

Mod Note:

Please post resources that can be documented as accurate; things that "look like" something historic, without references to document them as such, do not meet the research standards of the Authentic Campaigner forums.

Regards,
Elizabeth Clark
Moderator

[ElizabethClark]

Trish, here are some ideas:

The first, of course, is to select events to attend with an eye toward appropriate terrain and activities for a toddler. I know when our two were little, we had to select events that had a more-or-less stable location, with planned, appropriate activities for the citizenry that kept us "at home." We also made heavy use of leading strings (which are stitched to the shoulders of the pinafores, and used as a leash), to give the children the illusion of freedom without the dangers thereof.

One possibility for childhood wagon diagrams is The Workwoman's Guide... there are pram-like arrangements in one plate. (This is republished by Old Sturbridge Village, at http://www.osv.org in the bookstore... and most libraries can bring it in through inter-library loan without a fuss, too.)

Sometimes we're working against history with toddlers: historically, it seems to be the most common in working class families for them to be allowed to walk, and carried when weary (by a parent, friend, or older sibling), rather than drawn in a cart or pushed in a pram. In the modern world, we hold our babies a lot less than "normal" for history.