Northwest Carriage Museum: Sleighs (photo diary)

by Ojibwa for Museums

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Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025 Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025 at 7:15:02am PDT

A sleigh is simply an open, horse-drawn (or reindeer-drawn) carriage that has runners instead of wheels which allows it to be pulled over ice or snow. The Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond, Washington has several sleighs.

Coachman’s Sleigh

The Coachman’s Sleigh is a Cutter and borrows its design from the Cabriolet carriage.

This sleigh is driven by a coachman and was used for drives in the park on sunny winter afternoons to show off the horses and/or the passengers.

P1500454 — Shown above is a Carriage Blanket made and sold by the Strook Co. of New York. Strook Carriage Robes are considered the best.

According to the Museum:

“Carriage blankets and robes created with horsehair were weatherproof, keeping the rider warm and dry during the entire sleigh or carriage ride.”

Town Sleigh

This sleigh was manufactured by Deere and Webber Company (later a part of the John Deere Company) in Moline, Illinois. This was a high-quality vehicle with side springs for a smooth ride through snow. It was used by a family as winter transportation from their farm into Columbia Falls, Montana.

Albany Cutter Vis a Vis

This sleigh was made in the 1880s by the Godddard Carriage Company in Boston, Massachusetts. James Gould of Albany, New York originally designed the Albany Cutter in the 1830s. According to the Museum:

“The Albany body and runners were carefully steamed and bent by master craftsmen of the day. The Albany style was considered the second most poplar sleigh in American during the 19^th century. The Portland Cutter was the most popular.”