Stagecoach Travel by Darleen Ramos H O UG H T O N MIF F L IN Stagecoach Travel by Darleen Ramos PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover © Bill Brooks/Alamy; © CORBIS Photographer: John C.H Grabill; © Masterfile; © American School, (19th century) Medium: colour lithograph Bridgeman Art Library; © CORBIS Photographer: John C.H Grabill; © Victor Adam/Getty Images; 7, © CORBIS; 10 © Photo Collection Alexander Alland, Sr./CORBIS; 11 © imagebroker/Alamy; 12, 13 © CORBIS; 14 © Bill Brooks/Alamy Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company All rights reserved No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers, Attn: Permissions, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887-6777 Printed in China ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02322-9 ISBN-10: 0-547-02322-7 0940 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers retains title to the materials and they may not be resold Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format It is easy to travel today People jump in their cars or take trips on trains or airplanes The ride is fast and comfortable Travelers can turn on heat or air conditioning as needed They can listen to music or even watch a movie But travel in the Old West was different Trips were tough, uncomfortable, and long Travel today is a very different experience from travel in the Old West The Concord coach was made from wood, iron, brass, and leather During the 1800s, Americans headed west looking for land and opportunity It was a chance for many to start a new life in a new place In the 1840s, another rush started People went west looking for gold At that time, there were only a few ways to travel west People could ride horses, take a covered wagon, or travel in a stagecoach The Legend Movies paint a romantic picture of stagecoach travel The coaches look big and roomy The driver sits high on his seat with polished boots He looks worthy of his important job The horses are beautiful and gallop most of the trip Smiling travelers are well-dressed, and the trip is always exciting This common image cannot be defended Stagecoaches were often crowded with passengers Wagons had to be sturdy to withstand the bumpy trip west The Coaches Actually, stagecoaches were small, and the passengers were crammed inside The two types of passenger coaches were the Celerity Wagon and the Concord Coach The Celerity had a canvas top and canvas sides that made it light in weight These light wagons could travel fast over rough roads The seats were cushioned, and the middle seat could fold down into a bed The original Concord coaches were designed for use in the East where roads were smoother A more sturdy coach had to be built for the journey west There, roads were more like trails The bumpy ride west would break glass windows, so the new Concords had heavy leather flaps instead that could be rolled up Coaches were built to seat from four to sixteen passengers inside More passengers could sit on top Some travelers sat on top of a stagecoach It was rough to ride in a stagecoach Travelers were cramped and uncomfortable During the summer, it was hot and dusty In the winter, it was freezing cold There wasn’t much to but look out the window or talk to fellow travelers The journey was often long The Drivers The stage drivers were strong They had to handle a team of four to six horses It was not easy driving a stagecoach through hot deserts and along dangerous mountain trails Stage drivers had a reputation for being fast drivers But, most knew better than to run the horses the entire trip Often, the horses were allowed to trot The drivers just put on a good show when arriving at or leaving a town The driver’s seat was seven feet above the ground The Journey West Most stage lines, or routes, were long The famous Butterfield Overland line was 2,795 miles! It started in St Louis, Missouri, and ended in San Francisco, California The trip cost $200 and took up to 25 days Traveling over mountains in a stagecoach took a long time Stage stations were set up every 15 to 20 miles to change horses Fresh horses replaced tired horses The change only took a few minutes Some stations served quick meals and travelers could spend the night The comforts of a town provided a welcome rest from the bumpy road! When the stagecoach rolled into a town, the townspeople ran to meet it Children escorted the coach to its stop A stagecoach meant mail and visitors For those who traveled, a town meant a place to clean up, eat a good meal, and sleep in a comfortable bed Who wouldn’t deserve a good rest after getting bumped up and down for miles and miles? 10 Dangers on the Road Stagecoach travel had many dangers A loud noise or a rattlesnake could make jumpy horses bolt If the lead horses ran off a cliff, the entire coach could follow Weather was a big concern, too Deep snow made the ride almost impossible In the spring, rivers swelled from heavy rain Crossing them was dangerous Churning currents could overturn the coach Flooded rivers were too dangerous to cross 11 Travelers feared attacks by thieves along the trails Sadly, stagecoaches were often robbed Thieves stole goods, cash, and watches from passengers Robbers held up stagecoaches on roads where the driver could not escape Some drivers were armed But in a hold-up situation, drivers used their weapons only to protect passengers The passengers relied on the driver for their safety 12 End of the Line From about 1840 to 1890, riding in a stagecoach was the most popular way to journey west As roads improved, riding coaches became a little more pleasant Not everyone was satisfied to cross the western states at ten miles an hour Slowly, travelers chose a new way to travel They rode the train Train tracks followed many of the old stagecoach lines 13 The legend still lives on By the early 1900s, stagecoaches had stopped running in most places After their days of driving a coach ended, many drivers opened hotels Some worked on ranches and stayed close to their horses Stage travel is gone, but the image of the Old West, stagecoaches, tough drivers, and galloping horses still remains 14 Responding Word Builder What other words have the -ed ending like satisfied? Copy and complete the chart below TARGET VOCABULARY defended satisfied Words with -ed endings ? ? Write About It Text to Text What other ways of travel have you read about? Write a paragraph describing another way to travel Include at least two words from the Word Builder 15 TARGET VOCABULARY churning defended deserve escorted relied reputation satisfied situation swelled worthy Monitor/Clarify Notice what is confusing as you read Find ways to understand it TARGET STRATEGY Use a vocabulary word that rhymes with the word reserve to complete the sentence below I can’t reserve a seat on the coach, but I sure to sit by the driver 16 Level: Q DRA: 40 Social Studies Strategy: Monitor/Clarify Word Count: 916 4.4.16 Build Vocabulary HOUGHTON MIFFLIN Online Leveled Books ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02322-9 ISBN-10: 0-547-02322-7 1032220 ... were only a few ways to travel west People could ride horses, take a covered wagon, or travel in a stagecoach The Legend Movies paint a romantic picture of stagecoach travel The coaches look... sixteen passengers inside More passengers could sit on top Some travelers sat on top of a stagecoach It was rough to ride in a stagecoach Travelers were cramped and uncomfortable During the summer,... an hour Slowly, travelers chose a new way to travel They rode the train Train tracks followed many of the old stagecoach lines 13 The legend still lives on By the early 1900s, stagecoaches had