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Factory-built buggies made the pleasures of carriage ownership affordable for a new group of people. Whether in town or on the farm, people loved these inexpensive, lightweight vehicles. The piano box buggy—named for its resemblance to 19th-century square pianos—was the most popular of all. Buggy owners quickly became accustomed to the freedom and control offered by personal vehicles.
Buggies in many styles poured out of factories by the thousands during the late 1800s. / THF124829
People could even buy buggies from mail-order catalogs. / THF119797
Farmers especially enjoyed owning buggies—designed to carry people—rather than having to go everywhere in a farm wagon made to haul goods. This typical buggy at a Michigan farm in 1894 is occupied by Milton Bryant and his sister Clara’s son, Edsel Ford. / THF204970
Owning a buggy meant feeding, watering, and cleaning up after a horse. These ongoing costs made early automobiles seem less expensive by comparison. / THF212464 (detail)
This post was adapted from an exhibit label in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
Additional Readings:
- 2016 General Motors First-Generation Self-Driving Test Vehicle
- 2002 Toyota Prius Sedan: An Old Idea Is New Again
- Fozzie Bear’s 1951 Studebaker Commander
- 1937 Cord 812 Convertible: Unusual Technology, Striking Style
20th century, 1910s, horse drawn transport, Henry Ford Museum, Driving America
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