One of the displays in the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California, traces some of the history of California transportation from the carts used by the Spanish in establishing their missions to the age of the automobile.
In 1769 Father Junípero Serra led a group of Franciscan friars from Baja California to establish a series of 21 missions, starting with San Diego de Alcalá in the south. The group was accompanied by a column of Spanish soldiers under the leadership of Captain Gaspar de Portolá.
The sites for the missions were selected on the basis of their suitability for agriculture and ranching as well as the availability of building materials. The Spanish brought with both riding horses and carts which were usually pulled by oxen. American Indians prior to the European invasion did not have horses or wheeled vehicles.
According to the Museum display:
“Pack trails became wagon roads, and covered wagons carried pioneer families and their belongings to create new lives for themselves in the Golden State.”
The Museum display also notes:
“Covered wagons were not meant for passengers. They were usually filled with supplies for the journey and a few treasured items of furniture and clothing. Pioneer families walked beside their wagons for hundreds of miles across the plains, over mountains and through deserts, in extreme heat and bitter cold.”
According to the Museum display:
“Wells, Fargo & Co. took over the line in the 1860s with a new route that took less than half the time. They used the finest Concord stagecoaches to ensure the most comfortable journey possible for their passengers—nine could ride inside and six outside. Wells Fargo continued to operate their stagecoach line for passengers, mail, and freight, even after the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in the late 1860s.”
A few of the tips for stagecoach travelers published in the 1877 Omaha Herald:
“If the team runs away—sit still and take your chances. If you jump, nine times out of ten you will get hurt.”
“Don’t smoke a strong pipe inside the coach. Spit on the leeward side. If you have anything to drink in a bottle pass it around.”
“Never shoot on the road as the noise might frighten the horses. Don’t discuss politics or religion.”
“Don’t point out where murders have been committed, especially if there are women passengers.”
“Don’t grease your hair because travel is dusty. Don’t imagine for a moment that you are going on a picnic. Expect annoyances, discomfort, and some hardships.”
According to the Museum display:
“If you lived in town, owning or keeping a horse at your house wasn’t always practical. Livery stables were businesses conveniently located near residential areas or commercial districts. They provided a place to stable your own horse or to rent one for occasional use. Livery stables also rented carriages, sold feed and grain, shipped freight, baggage, and household goods, and moved heavy furniture.”
Route 66 was established in 1926 as one of the original highways in the U.S. Highways system. Route 66 ran for over 2,400 miles through eight states from Chicago to Santa Monica. Thousands of mom-and-pop tourist services—gas stations, motels, gift shops, diners—blossomed along the route. After World War, Route 66 was a major tourist attraction and the ultimate family road trip. Route 66 was officially removed from the highway system in 1985.