Anna Mae York, age 13, of Burlington, Vt., for her question:

WHY IS THE COVERED WAGON CALLED A CONESTOGA WAGON?

Conestoga wagon is the correct name for the large, heavy, broad wheeled covered wagon that was used in North America during the early days of westward migration. The name came from, Conestoga, Pa., the town where the wagons were first built during the middle 1700s.

Conestoga wagons were also sometimes called the camels of the prairies by the American pioneers who used them. They were pulled by teams of from four to six horses.

Conestogas carried most of the freight and people that moved west over the Alleghenies from the time of the Revolutionary War until about 1850.

Both ends of the wagon were built higher than the middle. The white canvas roof was high and rounded.

Wheels of Conestoga wagons had broad rims which prevented them from bogging down in the mud. These could be removed and the wagons could be used as boats to cross rivers.