New Hampshire is home to many first inventions. The snowmobile was invented in Ossipee. Household items such as the alarm clock and drip coffeepot were created here. Even the modern kitchen stove got its start in New Hampshire. One invention, however, revolutionized transportation and it was built in Concord.
The Abbot-Downing Company was established in 1813 in Concord, New Hampshire, by J. Stephen Abbot and Lewis Downing, whose business partnership lasted from 1828 to 1847. Abbot and his son took care of creating the coach bodies, while Downing and his sons handled the engineering to make them move.
An early schematic drawing of a coach depicts the engineering that went into creating them. These were high-end and comfortable luxury vehicles. The high price was justified by the promise of a long life due it's rugged and sophisticated construction. They had to be durable because of the rough roads that were traveled.
Before the rise of the railroads in the latter part of the 19th-century, coaches were the way to travel. The going was slow and rugged at times. Stagecoaches made long trips to stations where the coache's team of horses would be swapped out with a fresh team.
While the team of horses did the brunt of the work, a skilled coachman was also required to control both the pack and the vehicle. The coaches continuously shifted due to both the road conditions and the movement of the horses, and it precise control was needed to stay on course.
Concord Coach vehicles were in an integral part of the early postal system, moving not only people but packages. The coaches even made it to Holly wood as key players in many early western films.
Although the factory is no more, the site has been memorialized by the State of New Hampshire. A historical marker now stands at the location along South Main Street, near its junction with Storrs Street.
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