On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:50:12 -0600, Richard Casady
wrote:

On Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:07:12 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Mostly for trim coloring, ala the Nelson Checker (black and white) with the
occasional blue or yellow. Red wasn't really available.

Red was the most available color of them all because it is the
cheapest. Barn paint has iron oxide for a pigment and is cheaper than
white or anything else. That is why they use it.

Casady

In the days of wooden ships, the most common color was black, because
that is the color of the tar they slathered on the hull.

Red tar was pretty hard to find.