Buckboard

The buckboard is a simple horse drawn wagon developed in nineteenth century North America, built around a long flexible wooden plank that runs from the front axle to the rear axle in place of a rigid frame and springs. The flex in the plank itself absorbed much of the shock of rough roads, allowing a buckboard to be built lightly and cheaply while still giving a tolerable ride, which made it a common everyday vehicle for rural households and small farms across the American West.