The stagecoach was first developed in Great Britain during the 1500s and continued in use up to the early 1910s. Shakespeare’s first plays were staged at coaching inns such as The George Inn, London. In 1784, a Royal Mail stagecoach did the 120 mile journey from London to Bristol in 17 hours.

Beginning in the 18th century, crude wagons began to be used to carry passengers between cities and towns in the U.S.A., first within New England in 1744, then between New York and Philadelphia in 1756. Travel time was reduced on this later run from three days to two in 1766 with an improved coach called the “Flying Machine.” Coachmen carried letters, packages and money, often transacting business or delivering messages for their customers.

A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled closed coach for passengers and goods, drawn by four or six horses. It was supported on thoroughbraces, which were leather straps supporting the body of the carriage and serving as springs. In addition to the stage driver, a shotgun messenger, armed with coach gun, often rode as a guard. The term “stage” originally referred to the distance between stations on a route and through constant use it came to apply to the coach.

On February 21, 1882, the Abbot-Downing Concord Stagecoach was purchased by Tuttle & Perkins of Bryant Pond, Maine. This six horse- drawn stage ran from Bryant Pond to Andover, Rumford Center, Rumford, Mexico and Dixfield up to the early 1900s. This undated photograph shows a stage in front of the Elm House in Harrison, Maine. It had left Norway and was en route to Waterford.

Eventually, Sumner Davis of Harrison ran a very profitable stage from Waterford to Portland carrying mail as well as passengers. One estimable lady in Bridgton used to have a gallon of “tonic” delivered to her home each week for which she paid the usual charge. Probably due to the discreet manner in which Mr. Davis took care of her, she presented him with a Christmas present of $100 each year for several years.