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Concord Light Stagecoach V
The earliest and most common form of travel Down East was by water – either rivers and lakes or the sea. Overland travel was by foot or bridle paths. Roads between towns generally followed these paths and did not commonly come into existence until the beginning of the 19th century. Exactly when local stagecoach travel began is not presently clear. However, the first known reference tells us the Reverend Mr. Blood in 1818 took the stagecoach from Dennysville to Buckstown (now Bucksport). In the earliest days of the U. S. postal service, the mail was carried every two weeks on foot or by rider. With the advent of the stagecoach, the mail was carried on board. The first stage service in these parts, went as far east as Robbinston – Calais not yet being a significant population center. The road ended at Liberty Point, Robbinston, the center of town. By the 1840's a new stagecoach design became popular. It was called the concord Light Coach. It had a very broad wheelbase for stability and a more sleek appearance. The fifth one of these coaches to be made by L. Downing & Sons of Concord, N.H. became the Downeast Stagecoach. By that time the service was extended to Calais and the coach bore the words Bangor- Machias & Calais and was operated by Robinson & Hale. It was made of finest oak and painted cheerfully with bright colors. Amazingly this coach is still in existence and in excellent condition. With the arrival of the railroad in 1899, travel by stagecoach had become history. But the history of Coach V continues today under the loving guidance of David Woods of Wyoming. Because it is the earliest extant Concord Light Stage Coach in near perfect condition, antiquarians regard it as almost priceless. |
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