Sleigh Ride

November 29, 2020

By Seth McFarland

 

“Over the River and Through the Wood” was originally a Thanksgiving poem written by Lydia Maria Child in 1844.  Lydia Maria Child was a novelist, journalist, teacher, and poet who wrote extensively about the need to eliminate slavery.  The original poem continued “to Grandfather’s house we go;  the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow.”   

Last week teased us of winter weather.   Before snow tires, heated cars, snow plows, and four-wheel drives,  sleighs were a necessity for traveling in snow covered landscapes. Sleighs were manufactured by the same companies that built buggies, coaches, and carriages.   Runners replaced wheels to help glide the sleigh over the frozen landscape.  Most sleighs were usually pulled by a single horse or a team of horses. 

Sleighs have become a common theme this time of year, as has the sound of the brass sleigh bells. Originally, bells were charms used to ward off evil.  They became more practical with time as a way to warn other travelers on the trails, and for commercial purposes of vendors who used sleighs for business purposes. 

It is hard to identify sleighs if they do not have a maker’s tag.  According to the Carriage Association of America “American sleighs fit into two broad categories – Albany and Portland.”  The Albany Cutter was developed by James Gould of Albany, New York in 1836. It was the second most popular sleigh type in North America.   The most popular type of sleigh was the Portland, reportedly built by Peter Kimball of Bryant’s Pond, Maine shortly after the introduction of the Albany.   The Portland design used straight lines, and its simplicity appealed the masses.   In the October 1878 edition of a publication called The Hub mentioned that “it was formerly the custom of sleigh-builders to employ a variety of fancy colors, stripes, ornaments, etc. but of late years plainness and simplicity have been preferred by city customers.” 

Over the years, the Santa Fe Trail Center has received two sleighs as part of the growing collection of horse-drawn vehicles.  One of the sleighs was donated from Dodge City.  The sleigh is of a similar design to the Portland style which was copied by many sleigh makers.   Although it has been repainted,  it has a dark red plush upholstery.  The dash was made of steamed wood, with a golden fence on the top edge.   The fence has a metal eagle head on each side. The date and manufacture are unknown.   In the 1911 Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalogue, a style similar to the Portland  sleigh was sold for $20.30. 

The other sleigh in the collection is slightly smaller.   It has a rather shapely rounded front with a decorative, steamed wood body, and painted roses on both the front dash, and on the back of the seat.    This sleigh was donated from Great Bend.  It appears to possibly be more from the Albany Cutter style.   

By 1876, Pawnee County had its first carriage factory.  It is not known whether or not they manufactured sleighs.    We are always looking for new information to add to our files at the Santa Fe Trail Center.  If you have more information on these, or any of our other vehicles, please contact us.