Visit the Remington Carriage Museum
The Remington Carriage Museum is located in the city of Cardston, in the south of the Canadian province of Alberta. With more than 250 carriages, it is the largest collection of its kind in the world.
Don Remington
The collection was started by Don Remington in 1954. His first horseless carriage was a sleigh to bring Santa to town in the Santa Claus parade. Don spent the next 33 years collecting horseless carriages from all over the world.
Buggies
A buggy is a predecessor to the automobile.
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Coaches
A coach is a larger version of the buggy. They carry six to twelve passengers and usually have a hired driver. If the buggy was equivalent to the family car, the coach would be equal to an eight or twelve-passenger van. Wealthy people could own their coach, whereas people with fewer resources could hire one for the day. Some drove around town, picking up and dropping off passengers like a city bus.
Sleighs
During winter, sleighs replaced vehicles with wheels in places that get a lot of snow. Some were dedicated sleighs, but others could have the wheels removed and converted to sleighs for the winter.
Stagecoaches
Stagecoaches were used for intercity travel. They carried passengers as well as cargo. This one travelled between Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. Most were enclosed, but some for short trips were open-sided, like the yellow one below. Most were like the ones in western movies, but a few were reserved for first-class passengers, like the black one below.
The Remington Museum has the stagecoach used in Disney’s movie “Shanghai Noon” and Turner’s “Crossfire Trail.”
Special Purpose Wagons
Bread Wagon. Bread was delivered door to door in horse-drawn wagons like this for about 100 years, from 1850 to 1950. About 1950, they switched to motorized vehicles until about 1970.
The Studebaker company built This particular bread wagon, founded by the five Studebaker brothers in 1852. They started making automobiles in 1902. They produced both wagons and automobiles until 1919. The Studebaker company went out of business in 1967.
Milk Wagon. The milk wagon had a similar history to the bread wagon. They delivered milk, eggs, and other dairy products door-to-door. The milkman survived longer than the breadman, lasting until about 1975. This one belonged to a company called Northern Alberta Dairy Products.
School Buses
Before the invention of automobiles, children went to school in horse-drawn wagons and sometimes in sleighs during winter.
Fire Engines
Fire Engines were also horse-drawn until suitable motorized vehicles became available. Here are some photos of horse-drawn fire engines from the 1800s. These at least had a small motor to pump the water. Earlier fire wagons were hand-pumped, as shown in one of the photos below. There were also separate wagons for the ladders and hoses.
hand pump fire wagon
Gasoline Wagon
The invention of the automobile was followed very shortly by the necessity of setting up fuel stations. (fuel is called gasoline in North America and petrol in Europe). But how did the fuel get to the new fuel stations? Ironically, fuel was hauled to the fuel stations in horse-drawn wagons. A truck or lorry strong enough to pull the heavy wagons had yet to be invented.
Hearses
In the 1800s, a horse-drawn hearse served the same purpose as modern ones: to transport deceased people to the graveyard. Today’s hearses are plain compared to this ostentatious vehicle. Hearses in the 1800s had large windows so the public could see the person inside. Not all hearses were so elaborate. Simple ones were available if one could not afford this stylish vehicle, as shown in the photos below. There were even sleigh horses for winter conditions.
Ice Wagons
Before the invention of the refrigerator, people had an ice box in their home to keep their food cool. An icebox looked like a wooden refrigerator with no electricity attached. Like modern refrigerators, they had two compartments: one for the food and one for the ice and frozen food. The ice man travelled around town delivering large blocks of ice that people used to keep their icebox cold. The electric refrigerator was invented in the 1930s, but some people still used ice boxes in the early 1950s.
Water Wagons
Before most people had indoor plumbing, they could purchase water and have it delivered in one of these water wagons. Indoor plumbing was installed in houses in the 1830s, but only rich people could afford it. A hotel in Boston was the first hotel to feature plumbing in 1833. Also, in 1833, plumbing was installed in the White House in Washington. The average house began to install indoor plumbing in the early to mid-1900s. Farms and small rural towns were the last to get indoor plumbing, some as late as 1960. The Studebaker company made this yellow water wagon. Most were just made of unpainted wood.
The Horses
What is a horseless carriage without horses? The museum has a herd of Percherons and Quarter Horses. You can visit the stables behind the museum, but do not touch or feed the horses. You can also arrange to go for a ride in a coach.
Factory and Repair Shop
In addition to all the magnificent carriages, the museum also has a replica factory where you can see how horseless carriages were produced. You can also see a carriage dealership selling all types of carriages.
In addition, there is a real-life repair shop. This is not for display but is an actual repair shop where horseless carriages are repaired. If you own an old beat-up carriage, you could bring it here to be restored. Here, there are craftsmen who are skilled in the trade of wagon making. You can watch them at work, and they are happy to answer your questions. The museum also has a farrier to look after the horse’s hooves.
Cafe. Theatre and Gift Shop
There is a theatre where you can watch a fascinating short movie about the production of horseless carriages. After your tour, there is a nice café and gift shop where you can relax, eat or drink and purchase a souvenir before going on your way.
Summary
If you are in Alberta or planning to visit, be sure to include this world-class museum in the trip. For Americans, Cardston is located just a short drive north of the Montana border.
Check out the museums website here: https://remingtoncarriagemuseum.ca/
