Fort Steele, British Columbia, flourished in the 1890s, and then began to decline when the railroad by-passed the town in 1898. Today Fort Steele is a Heritage Village in which visitors can experience what life was like in the 1890s. The Heritage Village includes restored buildings, replica buildings, and buildings which are allowed to decay naturally. Wagons and carriages were an important part of the community when it was flourishing and today, in addition to wagons which are displayed in various parts of the village, wagons drawn by Clydesdale horses transport visitors around the village.
Shown above are a set of logging wheels (also called high wheels, big wheels, lumbering wheels, bummer carts) which enabled a team of horses to carry logs up to 100 feet long over difficult terrain.
While not labelled, the cart shown above appears to be a Red River cart developed by the Métis.
Museums 101
Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of museums and their displays. More from this series:
Museums 101: The Historic Dumas Brothel Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Steele Blacksmith Shop (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Transportation (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: A Collection of Farm Equipment (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Secret Life of an Artifact (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Homestead Cabin and Barn (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Manifest Destiny in the High Desert (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: California Transportation (Photo Diary)