Win a chance to ride in historic Milford stagecoach
An authentic 1850s stagecoach, once used to carry passengers and mail in Wayne and Pike Counties, soon will ride again, pulled by horses, for the first time in years. The Pike County Historical Society (PCHS), owner and custodian of the beloved artifact, has announced a contest to ride in the coach on the streets of Milford in October.
A raffle is underway to decide the winner who will ride the historic Hiawatha Stagecoach, followed by a three-course dinner presented by costumed servers in the Columns Museum's Lincoln Room, Lori Strelecki, Executive Director, said. The winner may invite up to five guests along for the ride and dinner.
A Concord coach model, the Hiawatha was considered the "Cadillac of coaches" in its time, Strelecki said. It bears the "105", which indicates it was built in 1857.Approximately 3,000 Concords were built and very few survive, even fewer in its original splendor.
In the spring of 2019, the Pike County Historical Society started a campaign to have the Hiawatha restored to its original colors and the running gear repaired. It was brought back to its original cherry red with yellow running gear, and has new seats and straps. The coach was returned to "road worthy" condition. The coach was restored by Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop in Letcher, South Dakota and was delivered back to the PCHS in February 2021.
Owned by the Historical Society since 1953, at times it would be taken out for parades and other events, but has not been pulled by horses in years. Normally it is on view under the portico of the Columns Museum at 608 Broad Street.
PCHS obtained permission to use a reproduction of an original Frank E. Schoonover painting for the emblem on the coach doors. The painting depicts an Ojibwa Indian, his paddle silently cuts the water. Strelecki said that this is perhaps the inspiration for the name "Hiawatha," directly related to the 1855 publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha. The stage was built just about the time this epic poem was published.
The coach was built in Honesdale and was used to carry passengers in Wayne County and as far as Susquehanna. It was later based in Milford operated by John Findlay on a regular route to Dingmans Ferry and to meet the train station at Port Jervis, serving area hotels. The stage was also used to deliver the U.S. Mail and in conjunction with a local Wells Fargo Express Agency.
Concord Coaches were a great technological improvement over crude wagons of the day ― but still a bone jarring experience when traversing over the rough terrain which coaches often travelled, Strelecki said.
Strelecki noted that the Hiawatha was a familiar site in Milford for many years and ran well into the 20th century. It could accommodate up to 22 passengers; 12 people inside, eight on the top, and a driver and a brakeman.
Raffle tickets are $50 each and only 100 will be sold. The proceeds will offset the costs of appropriate care and maintenance of the newly restored Hiawatha Stagecoach.
The excursion is planned for Wednesday, October 19 with the Hiawatha departing the Columns Museum at 5 p.m. The horses and driver will be provided by Brookvalley Farm, a family owned and operated farmstead in the Fall Brook valley just west of Carbondale.
They have been providing horse drawn carriage and wagon services, pony rides since 2009.The drawing will be held at 2 p.m., September 28 at the Columns Museum.
To buy a raffle ticket, stop by the museum during open hours (Wednesday and Saturday 1 - 4 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) or email pikemuse@ptd.net to arrange a time to purchase your ticket.
To read more about the Hiawatha stagecoach and its restoration, see: bit.ly/3dbtSJn
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Win a chance to ride historic Hiawatha stagecoach in Poconos
