In this photograph, a man stands in front of a wind wagon with living quarters. This innovation of the Kansas territorial period capitalized on an abundant natural resource, wind. In 1860 wind wagons, sometimes called sailing wagons, received considerable attention in the press. Similar to an ordinary light wagon, they weighed about 350 pounds and had a bed about three feet wide, eight feet long, and six inches deep. A sail or sails raised over the center of the front axle propelled the wagons. When the wind blew in the right direction the wagons were reported to skim over the prairies at about 15 miles per hour, with speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

Date: Between 1870 and 1900