#1890 April 9

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Methods of transportation are different today than they were in 1890. Those changes have impacted companies that were at the forefront of the industry at that time.

This week there was a lot of news coverage about Artemis II planning the first trip around the moon in 50 years. Yet back in 1890 there were some breakthroughs in transportation that were beginning to make the horse drawn carriage obsolete.

Horse Drawn Carriage Manufacturers

In 1890, some of the top carriage manufacturers in the United States included:

1. Brewster & Co. went defunct 1937
2. Columbus Buggy Company went defunct 1913
3. Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company went defunct in 1967
4. Abbott-Downing Company went defunct in 1930’s but sold name to Wells Fargo

Those four are no longer in existence because they failed to adapt to change.

Change

The demise of horse carriage manufacturers can be attributed to several factors:

1. The rise of the automobile: As automobiles became more popular and affordable, demand for horse carriages decreased significantly.
2. Changes in transportation infrastructure: With the expansion of railways and the development of better roads, horse-drawn transportation became less practical and less efficient.
3. Economic downturns: The carriage industry was particularly susceptible to economic downturns, and many manufacturers struggled to survive during periods of recession.