Images(2)

Stagecoach

Object number2004.172.47

Manufacturer Abbott-Downing Company

Made by J. G. Chesley

Restored by Mountain's Refinishing

Datec. 1852

OriginConcord, New Hampshire

MediumIron; Wood; Paint; Glass; Leather; Rubber (?)

Credit LineMeadowcroft Collection

DescriptionRed, yellow, and black painted stage coach.DimensionsHeight x Length x Depth: 101 × 145.5 × 89.75 in. (256.5 × 369.6 × 228 cm)
InscriptionsAcross top: "CONCORD COACH". Alongside driver's seat on both sides: "U.S. MAIL".
Museum signed applied to front of coach: "BUILT IN 1852 BY ABBOT DOWNING CO. / CONCORD, N.H. RESTORED AND REPAINTED FOR MEADOWCROFT VILLAGE BY MOUNTAIN'S REFINISHING IN 1969-70 / USING DESIGNS & COLORS IN VOGUE WHEN BUILT.".

"J.G. CHESLEY" (?) engraved on metal piece on suspension/near hitch.
Label TextConcord Coach, made by Abbott-Downing Co. This 19th century vehible is a legend in American transportation history. The durable design of the Concord Coach provided reliable transportation and mail service over rugged and mountainous terrain while being driven at the fastest possible speed. The Abbott-Downing Company of Concord, New Hampshire created the Concord Coach and sold this important vehicle all over the U.S. and as far away as Australia, South America, and South Africa. Drawn by teams of four or six horses that were usually swtiched everything ten to 15 miles, the coach had seating for nine passengers inside and those who could cling to the top outside. With the body of the coach slun on twin leather thorough braces, the suspension system of the coach provided a much smoother ride on the primitive roads and rough terrain that the Concord Coach traveled. Stagecoach During the 19th century stagecoach lines ran throughout Western Pennsylvania, providing transportation and mail service. James Kinkead, Jacob Sides, and Abraham Russell established the first stage line in the region on the National Road in 1818. A year later Kinkead and D.H. Blaine started a Washington to Pittsburgh route. The National road Stage Company operated by Lucius Stockton and Richard STokes became the largest line in this area. Begun in 1821 it offered four day travel from Wheeling to Philadelphia for $12, promising a safe and speedy trip. Stage Coach trivers and teams of horses were switched at designated taverns along the way. The era of stage travel began to wane in the 1860s, as the growth of railroads enabled trains to provide faster service over a wider area. "

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