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ROUGH ROAD THROUGH HISTORY

Valerie Evans Goddard


One of a few of a dying breed that still drives on American Roads
Photo by Kathleen Walls

There's road rage, construction, racers, weavers, detours, slow pokes, potholes, road hogs and wash board roads, boy the list could go on for days. Even with that said, imagine how great our transportation is today. Great I say, well in the 1800s there was only one major route traveling throughout the south from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans called the Post Road. The Post Road was a stage coach route, which was not exactly a pleasant experience. All other pathways were only worn hunting trails used by Native Americans and animals.

While we travel down the highways and interstates so many of us experience the frequent irritation of today's transportation. Myself, I frequently lambaste my husband if we could just go five miles, just five miles, without his flaring annoyance I'd send up a prayer of thanksgiving. It will never happen I can assure you, but I think it's a common occurrence for others as well. Public conveyance consisted of the stagecoach travel and we think transportation today is bad, let me tell you about the treacherous ride.

Stagecoaches were little more than covered wagons until 1830, when they began to appear as we see them in the old western movies. Usually, twelve people crowded into the wagon were jolted over rough roads and with their luggage was stuffed on the floor of the coach allowing for no legroom. The only protection from the heat, cold, dust or rain was leather shades buttoned to the roof and sides of the coach. Stagecoach travel was slow. The journey across Georgia, for instance, took three days and nights but the north to south route stretched into four days and nights. The stage, having no lighting, did not travel at night therefore inns developed along the route. Accommodations were sparse and did not have the best of reputations. Rooms with private beds were uncommon and passengers often had to bunk together. You either became friends or slept with one eye open. The food was plentiful enough, the menu consisted of fat salt pork, vegetables and cornbread.

Though stagecoach travel was uncomfortable, the accommodations barely adequate and accidents occurred quite frequently. Contrary to popular old west movie passengers was rarely in danger; stagecoach robberies were virtually unknown. One would survive the bruises from being bounced about on the rutted roads and lice were probably the worst of the amenities at the boarding rooms.

Though the stage travel was quite primitive, there were rules of the road and certain points of etiquette that were mandatory for patrons. The following are examples of stagecoach etiquette:

  • If a team runs away, sit still and take your chances; if you jump; nine times out of ten you will be hurt.

  • In very cold weather abstain entirely from liquor while on the road; a man will freeze to death twice as quick while under the influence. But if you have anything to take in a bottle, you are obliged to share....

  • Spit only on the leeward side of the coach, otherwise the spittle will return to you.

  • Don't swear, nor lop over on your neighbor when sleeping...This greatly offends the fairer sex.

  • Never attempt to fire a gun or pistol while on the road. Refrain from discussion of politics or religion and if you must, refer to the first sentence.

  • Do not point out places on the road where horrible murders have been committed, others won't appreciate the information no matter how graphic your story.

  • Don't grease your hair before beginning your journey. Dust will stick to your hair in sufficient quantities to make a respectable ‘tater' patch."

Stagecoaches soon disappeared with the advent of trains. They were much more comfortable and faster modes of transportation to one's destination. The Civil War brought much damage to the train tracks all over the nation but they were quickly repaired and within a few years travelers could move from one coast to the other in one week; shell and rock paved roads soon followed.

When you travel today's roads and experience the common irritations remember those poor patrons who traveled by stagecoach. Modern conveyances offer air conditioning/heating, plush seating, safety precautions as well as most having electric windows and cruise control making our rides pleasurable. The routes we take have lice-free hotel accommodations on virtually every corner, a bevy of restaurants to satisfy any palate as well as constant patrol of law enforcement to protect us or cite us when we break the rules (much to our dismay). Now if only I could get that peaceful five miles of quiet travel, oh well; at least I can always count on him to spit out the leeward side.

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