Conestoga Wagon The Conestoga wagon was a mainstay of travel over the Appalachian Mountains and into the West until the development of the railroad in the mid-nineteenth century. It is thought to have been developed by Mennonite settlers in the Cumberland Valley region near Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the 1740s. The Conestoga was a purpose-built vehicle designed to safely carry heavy loads. Drawn by six horses, the Conestoga had a pay load of up to six tons. The driver would ride the left-rear horse or walk along side. The Conestoga could typically travel at a speed of fifteen miles per day.