Thread: Old History Stuff

The Deadwood stagecoach in this 1889 photo (Deadwood, South Dakota) is packed with passengers. Someone recently asked whether stagecoaches were truly loaded as heavily as they appear in some photos, and I replied that such scenes were likely staged. However, while reading a detailed account of the stage routes to Nevada’s White Pine district, I learned more about how these coaches were actually loaded. Although wealthier travelers sometimes limited a coach to six riders, a typical six-horse Concord usually carried nine passengers and often hauled a substantial load of baggage on the roof. At times thirteen or more people would be squeezed aboard, but this top-heavy arrangement increased the risk of overturning on rough ground.