For thousands of years humans have used wheeled vehicles as a form of transportation. For most of this time these vehicles have been pulled by animals—horses, oxen, dogs, etc.—and sometimes by humans. Some of the museum displays of carriages and wagons are shown below.
This chart, on display in the Nevada City Living History Museum, shows the many different kinds of horse-drawn carriages.
Port of Kalama Interpretive Center, Kalama, Washington
Covered wagons brought many of the non-Indian settlers into Kalama. The journey was about 2,000 miles and a family needed a wagon that could carry more than a 1,000 pounds of food packed into a 4 foot by 10 foot area. It had a top speed of about 2 miles per hour.
Carillon Historical Park, Dayton, Ohio
Shown above is a C.R. Patterson Buggy. C.R. Patterson & Sons began making buggies in 1893 and had a catalog of 28 carriage models. By 1915, they were producing automobiles. This was the only manufacturer in the United States owned and operated by African Americans.
Ohio Village, Ohio History Center, Columbus, Ohio
Baldwin Coach Barn, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
Displayed in the barn is a Park Drag Four-in-Hand. According to the sign:
“A gentleman’s private coach, modified from an English public passenger coach to accommodate the needs of a private owner. Included in the modifications is the red rectangular box at the center of the roof which has mahogany fittings to hold wine bottles.
There are cloth shades for the windows of the doors and tufted cushions on the floor of the cab. When the vehicle was parked a sun shade was placed over the entire roof. The carbide lamps at either side were designed on the best know principles for stead lighting when driving at night.
The wheels are made from British timber, the springs from Russian iron, the cushion leather from Morocco, the velvet for the upholstery from France, the mahogany from Honduras and the hickory from the United States. Notice the hand-forged iron steps and hand-holds that make the upper seats accessible.
This private edition was built by Hooper and Company (coachmakers of the British Royal Family) for the Philadelphia exposition in 1876.”
Nevada City Living History Museum, Nevada City, Montana
Fort Steele Heritage Village, British Columbia
Heritage Station Museum, Pendleton, Oregon
Franklin County Historical Society and Museum, Pasco, Washington
Shown above is a 1907 buggy similar to those used by doctors in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for making house calls.
Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum, Hood River, Oregon
Shown above is a 1901 Studebaker Top Wagon
Shown above is a 1900 Horse-Drawn Doctor’s Buggy
Shown above is a 1900 Excelsior Carriage Co. Doctor Buggy
San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum, San Bernardino, California
Shown above is a Studebaker carriage from the 1880s.
Washington State Historical Museum, Tacoma, Washington
According to the display:
“The wagons that crossed the country along the 2,000 mile Oregon Trail were typically so packed with things that little room remained for people. Many travelers walked beside their ‘prairie schooners,’ both for lack of space and to spare oxen from hauling their weight as well as everything else.”
Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center, The Dalles, Oregon
High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon
During the two decades following 1843, more than 50,000 emigrants would follow the 2,000 miles of the Oregon Trail from Missouri to Oregon. Publicists billed Oregon as a land of abundance, the Garden of the World. According to the Museum display:
“By the 1840s thousands of emigrants embarked on the trails west each year, inspired by the desire for land and a new start. After crossing the Rocky Mountains, they entered the High Desert. Their trails traversed an arid landscape. Whether they continued on the Oregon Trail, turned off on the California Trail, or chose a cutoff like the Applegate Trail, it was a tremendously difficult stage of their 2,000-mile journey.”
Shown above is a sheepherder’s “mobile home.”
San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, California
With the discovery of gold in 1849, emigrants began arriving in California in wagons such as the one shown above.
According to the Museum display:
“Covered wagons were not meant for passengers. They were usually filled with supplies for the journey and a few treasured items of furniture and clothing. Pioneer families walked beside their wagons for hundreds of miles across the plains, over mountains and through deserts, in extreme heat and bitter cold.”
Shown above is a stagecoach. The Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Line, established by John Butterfield in 1858, carried passengers and mail on a 2,500-mile route from St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco. A trip would take 25 days and cost $200 per passenger.
According to the Museum display:
“Wells, Fargo & Co. took over the line in the 1860s with a new route that took less than half the time. They used the finest Concord stagecoaches to ensure the most comfortable journey possible for their passengers—nine could ride inside and six outside. Wells Fargo continued to operate their stagecoach line for passengers, mail, and freight, even after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in the late 1860s.”
Shown above is a horse-drawn buggy which provided a smooth ride because of its light frame and springs. A buggy was used for day trips, outings around town, and sightseeing.
According to the Museum display:
“If you lived in town, owning or keeping a horse at your house wasn’t always practical. Livery stables were businesses conveniently located near residential areas or commercial districts. They provided a place to stable your own horse or to rent one for occasional use. Livery stables also rented carriages, sold feed and grain, shipped freight, baggage, and household goods, and moved heavy furniture.”
Fire Museum, The Dalles, Oregon
The Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine weighs 6,700 pounds and was pulled to the fire by horses. “Quick hitch” horse collars expedited the time it took to hook up the engine to the team.
Shown above is a hand-pumper.
Riverside Heritage House, Riverside, Oregon
Shown above is a Studebaker Carriage.
Paugh Regional History Hall in the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, Montana
Shown above is a cutter from about 1900.
Museum of the Yellowstone, West Yellowstone, Montana
Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon
Frontier Montana Museum, Deer Lodge, Montana
Shown above is a chuck wagon.
Powell County Museum, Deer Lodge, Montana
Museum and Art Center, Sequim, Washington
Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, Tillamook, Oregon
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Fort Benton, Montana
Shown above is the display showing a Murphy wagon and what it could carry. These wagons were loaded with 2.5 to 3 tons of freight and were coupled in tandems of three.
Sherman County Historical Museum, Moro, Oregon
Wasco County Historical Museum, The Dalles, Oregon
World Museum of Mining, Butte, Montana
Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center, The Dalles, Oregon
Historic St. Mary’s Mission, Stevensville, Montana
The Jesuit missionaries used two-wheeled carts, similar to the one shown below, to carry their belongings.
More museum exhibit photo tours
Museums 301: Sewing machines (photo diary)
Museums 301: Wood-fired kitchen ranges (photo diary)
Museums 301: Dinnerware (photo diary)
Museums 301: Gas stations and garages (photo diary)
Museums 301: Kitchens (photo diary)
Museums 301: Schools (photo diary)
Museums 301: Typewriters (photo diary)