I posted a few weeks ago about the cars, Studebakers, in my life...a car that was actually originally built by former-wagon makers, the family of Studebakers, who immigrated to the US from the Netherlands.
Here's that post, in case you wanted to see how this family was able to adapt their skills to the new motorized transportation of the twentieth century. I find it interesting that these Dutch men started with wagons, then electric cars, then gasoline cars.
My mind goes to other trades that changed as civilization moved away from horse drawn chariots, carriages and wagons.
How about care for the many horses that had been the main means of transport? That meant private and town stables, which provided bedding and food for the horses. How about the many farriers, who provided those many horse-shoes?
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| from Wikipedia |
And the wheelwrights for those many wood wheels? And maybe there weren't specific large animal vets, but I dare say those who knew about horses were well paid for their care.
Yes there are a few of each of these industries still in existence, either for leisure riders or those who race horses, or provide other recreation or competitions.
And yet the one trade that definitely took a hit as automobiles took over transportation is that of buggy whip making.
Wikepedia says:
A buggy whip is a horsewhip with a long stiff shaft and a relatively short lash used for driving a horse harnessed to a buggy or other small open carriage. A coachwhip, usually provided with a long lash, is used in driving a coach with horses in front of other horses. Though similar whips are still manufactured for limited purposes, the buggy whip industry as a major economic entity ceased to exist with the introduction of the automobile, and is cited in economics and marketing as an example of an industry ceasing to exist because its market niche, and the need for its product, disappears.
I also considered the wagons, which are famously attributed to American's moving their entire families west. Check out this post here.
See you next week, fellow Sepians!
