What is Wagon Train?

Information about Wagon Train

For the TV show, see Wagon Train.
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Pioneers Crossing the Plains of Nebraska
A wagon train consists of a long chain of wagons moving together and forming a line. Whereas wagon trains were common in the Old West, in other places of the world different forms of caravans and convoys were often used, such as camel trains in Australia. A wagon train allowed pioneers to travel together for safety and supply sharing.

When wagon trains travel, a chuckwagon is included for meals and carrying supplies from one destination to another. At night time, wagon trains were often formed into a circle, for defensive purposes (like a laager), for shelter from wind/weather and to put the animals that pulled the wagons in the center to prevent them from running away. Today, covered wagon trains are used to give an authentic experience for those desiring to explore the West as it was in the days of the pioneers and other groups traveling before modern vehicles were invented.

See also

Books such as 'Children on the Oregon Trail' (by A.Rutgers Van Der Loeff)have detailed descriptions of journeys & events such as above.

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Wagon Train

Wagon Train cast (1964)
StarringWard Bond
Country of origin United States
Production
Running time60 or 90 mins.
Broadcast
Original run1957 – 1965
External links
IMDb profile


Wagon Train was a television series on NBC from 1957 to 1962 and on ABC from 1962 to 1965. It ranked #1 in the Nielsen Ratings in the 1961-1962 television season.

The show was based on the 1950 film Wagon Master directed by John Ford, and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and Ward Bond.

The show chronicles the adventures of a wagon train as it makes its way from Missouri to California. There were 284 episodes with the first episode appearing 18 September 1957 and the last episode 2 May 1965. Some of the actors appearing on Wagon Train included Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams (Wagon master seasons 1-4), Robert Horton as Flint McCullough (seasons 1-5), Denny Miller as Duke Shannon (seasons 5-7), Michael Burns as Barnaby West (seasons 4-8), Robert Fuller as Cooper Smith (seasons 7-8), John McIntire as Christopher Hale (Wagon master, seasons 4-8) and Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster (cook, seasons 1-8), Terry Wilson as Bill Hawks. The eight-season one-hour show was filmed in black and white except for its seventh season which was 90 minutes and in color.

When the Ward Bond episodes were broadcast weekday afternoons on ABC in 1963, a new series name and theme would have to be used to separate the two airings and avoid viewer confusion. This was because Wagon Train was still on the ABC evening schedule. Trailmaster was the name given and a new theme song the "Trailmaster Theme" was written and conducted by Stanley Wilson.

When pitching Star Trek to network TV executives in the mid-60s, Gene Roddenberry referred to his outer-space series as "a Wagon Train to the stars."[1]

Theme music

The first season theme "Wagon Train" was written by Henri Rene and Bob Russell and lyrics were not used. The theme was conducted by Revue musical director Stanley Wilson. In the second season, a new more modern sounding theme was introduced. "(Roll Along) Wagon Train" was written by Sammy Fain and Jack Brooks and sung by Johnny O'Neill. About midway through the second season this was replaced with an instrumental version by Stanley Wilson. In the third season a more traditional sounding score was introduced. "Wagons Ho!" was written and conducted by Jerome Moross. This theme would last through the series run and is the most remembered Wagon Train theme. Stanley Wilson re-recorded "Wagons Ho!" for the last two seasons.

Trivia

  • Ward Bond made a cameo appearance as Major Seth Adams in the film Alias Jesse James (1959).
  • Ward Bond died of a heart attack on 5 November 1960, in the middle of the fourth season and was replaced by John McIntire as wagon master. No explanation was ever given on the show.
  • John Ford directed an episode with John Wayne in the cast.
  • The episode, "The Elizabeth McQueeny Story," broadcast October 28, 1959, starred Bettie Davis as Elizabeth McQueeny, and served as a pilot for a series of McQueeney adventures in California.
  • Ernest Borgnine played Willy Moran in the pilot episode, broadcast September 18, 1957.
  • Episodes of this series is credited among a list of television series for being included in past public film showings at the annual Mid atlantic nostalgia convention in Aberdeen, Maryland. Cast members such as Denny Miller have made guest appearances at the festival.
  • Denny Miller played the recurring role of Duke Shannon in a total of 29 episodes.
  • During a protest scene in The Simpsons, the character of Moe is seen holding up a sign stating: BRING BACK WAGON TRAIN.

Footnotes

1. ^ "Roddenberry, Gene". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.

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A wagon (in British English, sometimes waggon) or dray is a wooden cart usually pulled by an animal, or animals, such as horses, mules or oxen and used for transportation of people or goods. Wagons usually have four wheels.
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American Old West comprises the history, myths, legends, stories, beliefs and cultural meanings that collected around the Western United States in the 19th century. Most often the term refers to the late 19th century, between the American Civil War and the 1890 closing of the
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convoy is a group of vehicles (of any type, but usually motor vehicles or ships) traveling together for mutual support. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.
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camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points.

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chuckwagon was originally a wagon that carried food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. They would form a part of a wagon train of settlers or feed nomadic workers like cowboys or loggers.
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A laager, lager, leaguer or laer (Afrikaans, from Dutch leger (camp); pronounced /ˈlaː.gər/ or /ˈli.
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weather is the set of all extant phenomena in a given atmosphere at a given time. The term usually refers to the activity of these phenomena over short periods (hours or days), as opposed to the term climate, which refers to the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of
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Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered freight carrier used extensively during the United States Westward Expansion in the late 1700s and 1800s. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 short tons (7 metric tons), and was drawn by 4 to 8 mules or 4 to 6 oxen.
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camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points.

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1954 1955 1956 - 1957 - 1958 1959 1960

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Wagon Master is a 1950 Western film directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond.
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John Ford

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Birth name John Martin Feeney
Born January 1 1894(1894--)
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Ben Johnson or Benjamin Johnson may be:
  • Ben Johnson (sprinter) (born 1961), Canadian sprinter
  • Ben Johnson (politician) (1858–1950), American
  • Ben Johnson (actor) (1918–1996), Canadian
  • Ben Johnson (artist) (1902-1967), American

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Harry Carey, Jr. (born Henry G. Carey, nicknamed "Dobe") (born May 16, 1921 in Saugus, California) is an American film actor. Harry Carey Jr. appeared in over 90 films. He is mostly remembered for appearing in Western films and television programs.
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Wardell E. Bond (April 9 1903 – November 5 1960) was an American film actor whose qualities of both rugged appearance and easygoing charm led to featured roles in numerous classic films.
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