Conestoga wagons were the way to the West

In 1914, The Vandalia Union, as it celebrated its 50th anniversary, invited readers to write reminiscences for publication in an anniversary issue. Many people took the editor up on his invitation, including one citizen who wished to remain anonymous.
This writer gives a colorful, first-person account of the covered wagon days. It is from stories such as these that we learn more about life in Fayette County during the 1800s.
“During the early years of settlement of this state and county, particularly the immigrants came in covered wagons, then called ‘prairie schooners’ from the east and south, some drawn by oxen, others by horses and mules, but the majority were ox teams from two yoke up to five or six.
“The Conestoga wagon (was) drawn by five horses, with bells attached to manes on each horse, making music and cheering up the occupants of the wagons, women and children, men and larger boys walking and driving the loose stock which was to start them in the new homes out west which they had selected.
“The Conestoga wagon was a long one,  with the beds turned up at each end resembling a boat. The beds were usually paneled and had large bows over (the top) covered with canvas, which served to protect the goods and families from the inclemency of the weather. They were originally built for the purpose of hauling large loads of freight across the mountains to the new settlements that were being rapidly made before the advent of railroads.
“It was only the better class that traveled in this splendor, others not so well off traveled with ox teams, horses and mules.
“It was no unusual sight to see 10, 20 or even 30 per day of such teams wending their way westward, northward and southwestward over the Old National Road, the national overland route to the far distant west.
“Now we have no West, it has been obliterated by the building of railroads and the settlement of the country.
“I can well remember when a few miles west of the city of St. Louis was the far and boundless West.
“We received our mails here via the Overland Stage Company’s six-horse concord coaches, which carried mail and passengers, with Old Jake Burner, Og Carey, Bill Graham and Lucien Fuller, and many other old-time drivers on the box with their long whip lashes, long enough to reach the leaders.
“The drivers used to vie with each other as to who should have the finest lash and whip stock.
“The stocks of many of them were handsomely carved and decorated with silver, brass and pearl settings. Old Fuller was one of the premier whip-lash makers, and to own one of his make was something devoutly to be wished for.
“At the time I speak of, the roads were not such as we have today. The grade across the Kaskaskia bottom in the spring of the year was simply impassable.
“The stages, at times, from the east would stop at the bluff east of town, the fore wheels would be detached from the same and dry goods boxes put on them to hold the mail and baggage of the passengers who would have to walk for two miles into town and help to pry the cart out of the mud when it got stuck, which was a frequent occurrence.”
Lemuel Lee built some levees mentioned two paragraphs above as a "grade"  in the 1830s, and collected tolls for use of his grade from travelers.
Over the years, the levee system was enlarged, and the grade built up on U.S.  Route 40 from Bluff City to Vandalia. The covered bridges and toll houses were removed.
A 1920 survey of the National Road east of Vandalia shows the westbound lane to be three feet taller than the eastbound lane, referred to as the “high” road and the “low” road by locals. Later, this was all leveled, and now we can cross the river bottoms with ease.