Existing comment:
Concord Coach No 251:
On Wednesday, April 17, 1868, Concord, New Hampshire, was treated to a grand sight: a steam engine pulling fifteen flatcars bearing Abbot-Downing Co.'s largest stagecoach order ever -- a proud fleet of 30 elegant coaches -- bound for Wells Fargo and Co's Great Overland Mail stagecoach empire. One of the 30 is this stagecoach, #251.
Wells Fargo's order specified coaches suitable for the rugged roads of the West: Iron work to be extra stout; Thoroughbraces 3-1/4 wide & 1-3/8 thick stout stitched; Bodies made roomy inside & 3 inches more room between back and middle seats; candle lamps extra large size.
A finished coach weighed over 2,000 pounds and cost $1,250. It seated eighteen people: nine inside, with a hanging strap as a back-rest for the center seats, and nine more on top, including the driver and shotgun messenger. Upholstered in leather and damask cloth, painted red and yellow and finished with a landscape on each door, the Concord Coach was one of the marvels of American craftsmanship. |