Horses
Now just a hobby, the horse was the sole means of transportation a hundred years ago. A post card from around 1907 shows Main St. in Salisburyprior to 1903 devoid of any automobiles. As evidenced by the two poles on the left, Salisbury had telephone service (the first pole) and electric service (the second pole). The electric light hanging from the pole in the middle of the picture could be raised or lowered at will. But even with these two new modern conveniences, they had no cars of any great number. In 1908, there were only twenty-odd automobiles in the city. Even with this miniscule number of automobiles, the comments of one of the local newspapers declared that the streets were congested with traffic.
Since the majority of the population lived on farms out of town, they had no problem keeping a horse. For the people in town, it was another problem. For those who kept their horse, and possibly a buggy, at their home, they had to have a stable for the horse and a building for their buggy. The jeweler, Amos Woodcock, had a stable behind his building on Main St. He had his business on the first floor and his family lived on the second and third floor.
Hitching posts lined Main St. for the convenience of people tying up their wagons. Judging by the number of wagons in the picture, many were needed to accommodate the many wagons that came to town. Since the street was dirt, I can imagine the smell and inconvenience of the times. I do not know whether the city made any provisions for animal waste clean-up, but it must have been done somehow.
Only in second half of the 20th Century did Salisbury outlaw the keeping of farm animals within the city limits. When I was growing up on Church St. in Salisbury, our next door neighbor kept chickens in the back yard. They had a chopping block and used it when they wanted a chicken for dinner. The old phrase, “running around like a chicken with its head cut off” was demonstrated to me at an early age.
On the next street over, Clay St., they had a horse that they kept out back in a stable. This was in the 1950’s.
Farther west, on Davis St., just off Church St., there was a blacksmith shop. It was owned by a Mr. Pollitt and was the last blacksmith shop in Salisbury. The era of the blacksmith had ended and the new occupation of farrier had come into being. A farrier only shoes horses and travels around from stable to stable on the local farms.
6 comments:
I once saw a photo of an undetermined # of sailing ships taken from the center of the street by someone standing between 300 W Main and Erics Barber Shop (I think).I stood in that spot and tried to figure out how that was possible given the buildings that are currently blocking the view.In the photo the streets were dirt like they appear in George's photo.
I will make one interesting observation. Salisbury looks to be more prosperous in 1903 - than compared to today.
To 10:24 Poster - I know the photo that you are speaking of and I often thought that the Salisbury Harbor sported more prosperity back then. When one takes into account this 1903 photo of Main Street, and, the Harbor photo - I would like to know what happened. Only a true man of vision can restore Salisbury to her former glory. IMHO - the one SBY leader presently in office lacks the main ingredient - A VISION!
Please reopen Main Street fully, like it used to be. Move the plaza trees and planters to the closed city street in the city park.
2:51-I sometimes think it may be too late for that.The shame is that it was altered to begin with.I almost wish I couldn't remember the way it was.
Salisbury made some real big blunders after the turn of the century. No.1 - they should have never damned-up Johnsons Lake which made Salisbury(Main Street) a dryed up lake.
No. 2 - The stationary bridges constructed at Camden & in front of the Library should not have been constructed.
No. 3 - Main Street renovations that closed up Main Street and put those monuments down the middle - ruined the downtown area.
No. 4 - Electing Ireton - was Salisbury's biggest mistake.
Most people STILL think they live in horse and buggy times.
Post a Comment