Carriage is a horse-drawn vehicle used for the transportation of people. It developed in the early 1700’s from the slow, heavy wagons and coaches used for passenger travel. Better roads permitted the use of carriages, which are more graceful and speedy.
The carriage featured light weight, flexibility, and elegant design. The wheels and axles were usually made of strong, springy wood, such as ash or hickory, with oak reinforcements. Wrought iron brackets and fittings braced the slender wooden parts of the carriage. Most early wheels were made of hickory and fitted with iron tires, but solid rubber tires came into use after 1875.
The first carriages were imported into America from England and France. Carriages were not manufactured in America until about 1740, but by 1880 the United States produced more horse-drawn vehicles than any other country in the world. Popular carriages built in America included the buckboard, the buggy, the chaise, and the rockaway. People of wealth and social standing used fashionable carriages called landaus and victorias.
Use of the carriage peaked in 1905 when about 8,000 builders produced more than 930,000 vehicles. The introduction of the automobile at this time brought the end of the carriage. By 1920, few carriages were built.
