City of Ketchum Ore Wagon Museum
Ketchum, Blaine County
- Grant: 2008
Location: 500 North East Ave, Ketchum, Idaho 83340
When the first Wagon Days Parade was held in 1958, a few dozen wagons and teams rolled down Main Street. The “Big Hitch,” as the Lewis Ore Wagons are called, thundered down the road as they have in every Wagon Days Parade since. The Lewis Wagons are the only ones of their kind in existence. These massive wagons were larger than an average freight wagon and built to withstand the extreme stresses when loaded with ore to travel the road over Trail Creek Summit.
The rear wheels are seven feet high with four-inch steel treads, and the wagons stand a full fourteen feet with canvas. At a full 16-feet long, the wagons could accommodate up to 250 cubic feet of material. Even standing empty, these massive machines weigh in excess of 6,400 pounds. The break blocks are a full 3 feet, and the undercarriages are fully reinforced to protect the undercarriage gears from the tumultuous terrain. These behemoths are some of the largest vehicles to grace the American West during the time and are truly a sight to behold.
Seven wagons make up the Ore Wagon Museum Collection and can be seen out and about during Wagon Days in Ketchum every Labor Day Weekend.