Horse-drawn Vehicles for Work and Play: The Collection at Wagon Land Adventure by Eli H. Anderson

It all started about 1962. From an early age, Eli Anderson was fascinated with the history of the west. His interest was piqued with a visit to Pioneer Village in Salt Lake City, Utah, when he was in the second grade. Eli's mother was a room mother and went on the field trip with the class. As they toured the village, she told him of all the historical items she had grown up with. He was interested to learn what had happened to the artifacts of the past that all seemed to be disappearing. He felt a great need to preserve what he could of the relics of the West when he could find them. As a young boy he would bring home pieces of purple glass and pottery. His big dream was to have a pioneer museum where children could learn of the past as he had. He always wanted a buggy. He acquired one when he was in high school. The wheels had collapsed, and the wood was in need of repair. He found a wheelwright that would restore the wheels for $500. That was a lot of money to Eli, but he decided to use his meager boyhood savings. As he restored the buggy, he realized that not all buggies are the same. He also realized horse-drawn transportation was not being preserved and would soon be lost if something was not done. If children couldn't see how people lived and traveled in a bygone era, they couldn't appreciate the advances in transportation they currently enjoy. Over the course of his life, Eli has continued to collect these relics of the west. The collection continues to grow, and horse-drawn vehicles are still being added. While the majority of these vehicles are owned by Eli Anderson, Wagon Land Adventure Foundation has acquired a few vehicles as well. This extensive collection contains many vehicles in original condition, as well as vehicles restored to as close to original condition as possible. No two vehicles in the collection are the same. This is arguably the largest and most diverse collection of horse-drawn vehicles in North America.

Eli Anderson, Author

Softcover, color photos and descriptions of the many vehicles in the collection, 306 pages