Stagecoaches of the Wild West

I wonder if we fully appreciate the role stagecoaches played in the history of America. As beautiful as some of them are, settlers in the 19th century did not view them as we do. To us, they are a romantic, quaint, bygone mode of transportation. To them - they were a means of transportation, and often - survival.

Stagecoaches were built for utility and endurance; they had to carry passengers, mail, gold, silver, baggage, and arms. Companies that built them made them high enough to ford rivers, tough enought to traverse rocky terrain, climb narrow mountainous roads, and to withstand the blistering heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter. Some stagecoaches were constructed so sturdily, that many of them survive intact - today!

The years between roughly the 1750's and the 1920's are generally viewed as the "life of the stagecoach". They were in their "heydays" in the 1800's, being the standard "vehicles of choice" for transporting mail and passengers safely across long distances.

Indian attacks, dangerous wild animals, runaway horses, and armed robbery were a common fear among the passengers, but they weren't supposed to talk about it. It was almost "taboo". There is an excellent article on Wikipedia that even lists some of the rules for "etiquette while riding in the stagecoach". It is worth the reading!

Oh, by the way - the name "stagecoach" refers to it being the mode of travel between one stop, or station, and another; a "stage" of the journey. So, it was a coach that took you between your "stage" of departure, and your "stage" of arrival - hence, a stagecoach!

Photo credits: Top row - Both photos; Wells Fargo.
Bottom row - Left: Barre Historical Society. Right: Smithsonian.

History reveals that stagecoaches were attacked by several different Native American tribes, in the Wild West. Some of the tribes accused of the attacks, were the Apaches, Souix, Arapahos, Cheyennes, Pawnees, and Kiowas, but there were others. When ambushed by Indians, one of the greatest fears of the stagecoach passengers was being scalped, before they were killed. That alone, kept many travelers at home.

Although stagecoaches were subject to danger from marauding Indians, and robbers - a little bit of research will show that they were just one of the many things that terrified some of the passengers. Over the years, stagecoaches journeys were often delayed by breakdowns, just as we deal with dead batteries, flat tires, and mechanical malfunctions that happen to our automobiles, today. That wasted valuable time, and often left the passengers stranded until either help came along, or more usually, the stagecoach was repaired.

In addition, there were no "frequent rest stops" along the way, and passengers often had to fend for themselves until the journey was resumed. Sometimes, there were "engineered breakdowns", either from obstacles put along the route, or corrupt stagecoach drivers and occasionally - passengers.

Photo credits: Wikimedia: Public Domain License

All right --- they are not mine. That was merely wishful thinking, because I wish they were. The top one, is the Irish Royal State Coach, and the bottom one is the English Royal State Coach. I have a mirror in my jewelry store that is very ornate, and gilded, and huge, literally - but it cannot "hold a candle" to the opulence displayed here. Not from the Wild West, obviously - but thought they were worth a look, and they certainly have the right shape to be a "stagecoach"! I guess I misread the titles. I must have thought that they said "Irish Royal Stage Coach" and "English Royal Stage Coach". Have to check my eyesight...

Photo credits: Alexander Palace