Transportation  People traveling west had to use several different forms of transportation. When the Morton family migrated to Nebraska they traveled by train, steamboat, stagecoach, ferry, and finally a carriage. Although during the 1850's boats were the best way to travel, this site uncovers several means of transportation that people used to go west. The links will lead you to some awesome stuff such as math and geography challenges, carriages at Arbor Lodge, a map of the Morton's family migration to the west, and parts of a carriage. On this page you will also find information about the train, steamboat, stagecoach, ferry, freighters, and the carriage.

Train A train is a vehicle that rides on wheels and travels along a track. Early trains were moved by man power, but they soon were pulled by a steam locomotive. The discovery of the steam engine was a breakthrough for the railroads. The advancement of railroads was being pushed because of the need for goods and raw materials. This made transportation safer, quicker and more convenient for materials and passengers. The first railroad in the United States was 3 miles in length; it went from Quincy, MA to the Neponset River. By 1896, the railroad connected Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California. J. Sterling Morton was confident that the railroad would open the west for settlements and increase trade. Later in his life, J. Sterling worked for the Burlington Railroad.

Steamboat The New Lucy steamboat brought the Mortons up the Missouri River. This boat was called a side-wheeler, and she was known as a "floating palace", a fine boat and fast. A boat like the New Lucy had a main deck, a second deck and a Texas deck with the pilot house atop that. Unfortunately, the New Lucy was destroyed in 1857 by fire while laid up for ice. The history of the steamboat in the United States started around the 1780's. Robert Fulton had the first successful trip with the steamboat up the Hudson River in 1807. The first steamboat on the Missouri was in 1819. The steamboat was looked at as helping to open up the west. This increased trade and people migrating west. This is an example of a steamboat.

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Stagecoach The stagecoach is a heavy and enclosed vehicle. It was drawn by four horses or more. It was among the first vehicles used as public transportation in the west. This coach would carry people and goods overland. Like all the other carriages, stagecoaches had many different designs. The stagecoach can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

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Carriage Carriages were a huge business and were being used until the turn of the 1900's. The carriage was drawn by one, two, or four horses.

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Ferry Ferries are a type of boat that cross over a narrow body of water. They were used to carry people, vehicles and freight. The first ferries were just small boats or rafts. Most ferries had openings on both ends of the vehicle. This made it convenient to load and unload without turning the boat around. Some ferries were pulled by cables. The Missouri River didn't have any bridges so many travelers had to use the ferry to cross the river. Peter Sarpy had the first steam ferry on the upper Missouri.

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Interview with Tom Berger By Capri Another form of transportation was the bicycle. This vehicle is featured in this section because of the time period. To find more information about the bicycle in the 1870's, go to the Invention page. Mr. Tom Berger is a man that lives in Nebraska City, NE. He collects and rides old bicycles. He works in a furniture shop in town. I interviewed him because we wanted to find out more about old bikes and he knows a lot about "OLD" bikes. I found that bikes in that time were not used by kids but adult men. Bike clubs and bike races were common practices. I was totally disappointed in that they only came in one color - black. Visit the Invention page to find out more about this vehicle. Capri: Is this type of bike harder to ride than bikes today? Tom Berger: Yes Capri: Did kids ride the bikes for fun or was it just for transpiration? Tom Berger: No, it was not ridden by children for fun; it was considered sporting equipment for men only. Women wore dresses so it was difficult for them to ride and too dangerous for children to ride. Capri: Which type of bike do you feel can go faster? Today's bike or this type of bike? Tom Berger: Today's bikes by far. The old ones are not geared. They are direct drive, like a tricycle. With one complete rotation of the feet, the front wheel does one complete rotation also. The wheel measurement is 13 feet and therefore covers 13 feet with each rotation. Today's bikes have 10 plus speeds and may go 25 feet with one complete foot rotation. Capri: How do you stop the bike? Does it have a brake? Tom Berger: They have a spoon brake near the handlebars, which drags on the front rubber tire. You could also back pedal to slow yourself down. Capri: Is it difficult to get on this bike? Tom Berger: There is a peg just above the small rear wheel called a mounting peg, which makes it easier to get on. Capri: Did riders wear helmets? Tom Berger: No, helmets were not heard of in those days. They wore uniforms with caps. There were a lot of bike clubs that met to practice riding and riding information. There would be a bugler to lead the bike group. In those days there wasn't the nice roads we have today, so riding was difficult. In 1884, Thomas Stevens rode across the United States and at times he would have to carry his bike above his head to cross creeks and bad areas. Capri: Where were bikes sold? Tom Berger: These bikes were sold in bike shops. The Wright Brothers sold them in small towns and large towns. They held many races in the communities. The next day you would read about the number of people who were injured in the race; it was a dangerous sport. The Wright Brothers used old bike parts when they began to make airplanes. Columbia Bicycle Company was the biggest producer of these bikes and they quit making them in 1902 with the advent of today's safety bicycles. They had solid rubber tires; air tires were not used until 1892. Capri: How much did a bike cost? Tom Berger: The cost of the bikes back then was approximately $135.00. To put that in perspective, the average income was about $400.00 a year; that was back in the late 1800's. Capri: Were these bikes hard to steer? Tom Berger: They were much harder to steer and control than the bikes today. Capri: How much do they weigh and how big are they? Tom Berger: They weigh 33 pounds and measure between 52 and 54 inches in diameter in the front wheel. The largest one I know about measured 64 inches in diameter. Capri: What color were they made in? Tom Berger: Only black.

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