The Wagon Shed |
Transportation: By our standards, transportation in the 19th Century was often extremely slow, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. In some areas there were no hotels, so travelers had to camp out or hope to find a hospitable family. The traveler faced danger from weather, wild animals, and (in some areas) hostile Native Americans. Water Transportation The earliest settlers often chose to travel by water, either in a canoe or raft. Either of these could be made using natural materials. In the South, a dugout canoe might be made by burning out a portion of a large log. Other men made simple rafts by lashing logs together. With more tools, the man might build a flatboat or "ark" that he might use to float downriver to his new home. Steamboats became common in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century and made river travel much quicker and easier. They allowed more goods to be brought into some isolated areas, thus lowering prices on consumer goods. Steamboats could be extremely dangerous, however. Their boilers frequently exploded and their decks, sometimes loaded with cotton and decorated with ornamental woodwork, made them susceptible to fire. Ground Transportation The simplest way to travel by land was on foot, and for some settlers this was the only means of land transportation that they had. A person on foot was limited, however, by how much he could carry either in personal possessions or in inventory to sale. If the homesteader wanted to travel any other way than on foot, he needed certain equipment. If he traveled by horse or mule, he needed a bridle and probably a saddle of some type. Even a pack-horse needed a halter and a pack-saddle, but a horse enabled a person to travel more quickly and carry more merchandise or goods. A slightly more affluent homesteader might want a wagon, which required harness, for his horse or mule. (The harness for pulling a wagon is usually somewhat different from the simple harness used for plowing.) An even more affluent farmer might keep a light buggy for trips to town. Wheeled vehicles allowed the farmer to easily carry large loads of goods to market, and to bring supplies home, but they could not run over the rough terrain in some areas. Some farmers used oxen both to pull plows and to pull carts. Oxen required a wooden yoke, which could be made by a skilled woodworker, but the iron ring was usually made by a blacksmith. Oxen were extremely strong, and less likely to spook than a horse, but they were tediously slow and had to rest from time to time. Trains, of course, provided and even faster way to travel and move large quantities of goods. Riding on a train cost money, however, trains were not convenient in some areas. The bicycle, that ubiquitous human-powered machine, was not popular until the 1880s. |
Transportation and Price Transportation directly affects the price of goods. If transportation is efficient and quick, then goods cost less. |
There were many types of carts, from the chaise. This word is pronounced "shay" and immortalized in the poem "The Incredible One-Horse Shay." Below is a hansom cab, in which the driver sat behind the cab. |
BUGGIES In general, we might say that a buggy was a four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle in which the person drove himself. |
Above: People drove for health and recreation as well as for transportation. A well-to-do family goes out for a drive, with the daughter driving her pony and the father riding his saddlehorse. From Moseman's Illustrated Guide |
CARRIAGES Carriages were four-wheeled vehicles in which a driver usually drove the passengers. Below are a vis-a-vis in which the passengers faced each other, the very popular Victoria Phaeton, named for the Queen of England, and another carriage. |
The Check Rein If you have read Black Beauty, then you know how the check rein was abused in the 19th Century. This rein was often used in connection with a very strong bit to force a horse to keep its head extremely high. At its best, the check rein can prevent a horse grazing along the way or getting its head down to buck. Some casual drivers today do not use it at all, but it is required in some shows. |
COACH AND CARRIAGE Coaches are usually defined as public transportation vehicles (i.e. a "stage coach") or a carriage for a wealthy or noble person. |
SADDLES came in many different types. Today, most saddles in the U.S. are either English-style or Western style, but in the 19th century there were other types of saddles as well. |
This is an English-Type Saddle, small and light and suited for pleasure riding, hunting, and jumping. Basic Parts of the Saddle Front = Pommel Back = Cantle You sit on the seat. Your foot goes in the stirrup. The girth or cinch holds the saddle on the horse. |
This is a Western-type saddle, descended from the saddles of the Spanish Conquistadors. These heavy saddles were designed for hard riding, long days of work, and catching cattle. |
This a McClellan-type saddle, named after a Union General in the Civil War. McClellan-type saddles were used by the army, and some civilians rode them as well. |
Riding Habits Godey's Feb. 1865. The long skirt was later replaced by a safer "apron" skirt less likely to be caught on the saddle-horns. |