Concord Coaches
From the mid- through the late-19th century, stage vehicle manufacturing centers included Albany and Troy, New York, several towns in New England, and cities on the West Coast, like Stockton., Concord, New Hampshire, however, served as the center for coach production. It began when wheelwright Lewis Downing (whose shop opened in 1813) joined his skills with expert coachbuilder J. Stephens Abbot from Maine. Together they took stagecoach construction to a new level. In 1826, the two began turning out their first coaches. The partnership lasted over 20 years, turning into a thriving, world-renowned business.
What separated Abbot and Downing from other coachbuilders of their day were the vehicles’ handsome appearance, durability, and overall quality. These masterpieces of construction had no equal. Concord stage were first in America to offer shock-absorbing thorough braces—an important feature not for passengers, but for the animals pulling them. These braces allowed the coach to rock back and forth and swing sideways, providing forward momentum for the teams.
If you want more info goto these links: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25449 http://theconcordcoach.tripod.com/abbotdowning/ http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2006/03/abbotdownings_c.html The reason there was a need for these vehicles was that the railroad ended in St.Lewis Because they could not get across the Mississippi River. There was no bridge to span the river let alone carry the weight of a train. So, St.Lewis To California was serviced by the Pony Express and the Stagcoach Lines, another story in it self.
