1891 Abbot Downing Concord Coach

Coaches like this are symbols of the American West but they were actually built in New England. Abbot-Downing, of Concord, New Hampshire was the major maker of such coaches. First built in the late 1820s, the Concord coaches featured an innovative suspension system that supported the coach body on thick leather straps called thoroughbraces. This produced a rocking motion over rough roads that was easier on passengers and horses alike. Abbot-Downing not only shipped its coaches west, but exported them to Australia, South America, and South Africa. This one stayed closer to home, carrying passengers and mail in New Hampshire and Maine until the coming of the automobile made it obsolete.