Cutters, Sleighs, and Carioles -By Jo-Ann Roberts

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Last November, my fellow Filly, Sarah Lamb, put out a call for authors to join a new series she was taking over for another author. The premise for the series, The Sleigh Ride, was straightforward…a sleigh would play a role in the romance.

In the fall of 2022, I was writing my first Christmas Quilt Brides book, Noelle. The hero discovers an old sleigh in Noelle’s barn. It had been a gift to her from her late husband. While it wasn’t the focus of the story, I still wanted the sleigh to be as authentic as possible.

So, on my first day of research, I discovered a sleigh and cutter were two different modes of winter transportation in the 18th and 19th century in America.
In the time before automobiles became popular, many people traveled by horse and buggy in the summer and by sleigh in the winter. Instead of having just one type of transportation in the winter months, people often had a couple of types for different purposes. 
 
Because cutters offered a cozier ride with the couple sitting close together, they were often used for courting. Just the right ingredient for snuggling up to a loved one on a snowy Christmas Eve! The cutter is built lower to the ground and requires more flexibility to ensure the jarring of the road does not break the structure.
The sleigh, though, is large enough to accommodate an entire family or a large group of friends. Sleighs were most often used to transport the family to church or another family member’s home. Some companies still use sleighs during the winter months to offer rides to visitors. The construction of the sleigh is sturdier and more rigid. Because the sleigh sits much higher than a cutter, the runners absorb more of the shock and protect the sleigh’s structure.
The Portland Cutter
The most popular sleigh in America was designed by Peter Kimball of Maine. With his sons, James and Charles, they championed the sleigh. The straight back offered more wind protection than the Albany sleigh, flat body panels and a goose-neck dash that protected passengers from snow kicked up by the horse. and was less expensive for carriage makers to create, and the simplicity appealed to the Puritan nature of the New England population.
 
The Portland was a lightweight sleigh made with speed in mind, and in fact these sleighs were often raced. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow even recorded going to watch sleigh races in Boston.
In 1876, Charles moved to New York to begin a partnership with Brewster & Company. The new Kimball-Brewster Sleigh was shown at the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia, the first official World’s Fair in the United States. 
 
Sleigh races were very popular in the U.S., and Portland Cutters were an early favorite. They gave way at the turn of the 20th century to specially made racing sleighs. BY 1910, a standard Portland Cutter could be purchased for $20. One ornate Portland Cutter built by Kimball and Clement was trimmed in “silk plush had silver mountings and cost $150.
The Albany Cutter (or Albany Sleigh)
 
In 1836, James Goold of Albany, New York developed a swell-sided cutter. The Albany body and runners were carefully steamed and bent into their unique shape. Known by a variety of names, the design was quickly copied by other sleigh makers. The Albany Cutter (or Albany Sleigh) is recognized as the second most popular sleigh type in America.
 
The curved body was a painter’s paradise. Rich colors were used to decorate the sleighs. Dark or light carmine (red), yellow, blue, even Scotch plaid and purple were used on the body. Trimming was often dark green or crimson. Yet, in 1878, it was reported that “it was formally the custom of sleigh-builders to employ a variety of fancy colors, stripes, and ornaments…but of late, plainness and simplicity have been preferred by city customers”.
       
Carioles

Although the Albany and Portland styles were manufactured in Canada during the same time as their American counterparts, a different type of sleigh, called a cariole, was often seen north of the friendly border. Gliding low to the ground instead of with 12-18″ high runners, the cariole looked similar to the old-world ones in countries like Russia where snowfall equaled that of Canada. You can see the style difference between the cariole and other sleighs of the time on this poster from the January 1899 issue of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine.

 

 

“It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.”

 

***Upcoming Release***

He was the most stubborn and prideful man she’d ever met!
She was a busybody who stuck her nose in his business at every turn!
With Christmas on the horizon, Claire McAllister has far too much to do to entertain dreams of a husband and family. Even if she feels inclined to help Lincoln Wyse outwit his three mischievous young daughters, it’s impossible to imagine the handsome widower seeing her as anything but a scolding schoolteacher.

Even though the pretty schoolteacher never turned a favorable eye to him, Linc Wyse’s heart skipped a beat whenever she pinned him with her mesmerizing green eyes. Beautiful or not, Claire McAllister was a meddling spinster who placed judgments on him and his family.

Yet, neither one can imagine how three little, mischievous matchmakers and a magical Christmas Eve sleigh ride will open their eyes to love…or how the Lord will awaken their faith and hope.

30 thoughts on “Cutters, Sleighs, and Carioles -By Jo-Ann Roberts”

  3. The book looks like a good one! I have never been sleigh riding, but that would be so fun!

    • Welcome, Rhonda. Thanks for the kind words. Thinking up the antics for the girls trying to get their father a wife and a mother for themselves, was fun. We went on an occasional sleigh ride when we lived in New England, but now in North Carolina, there isn’t enough snow to make a snowball. Thanks for stopping by.

    • Welcome, Ann! Until I did the research, I didn’t know the differences between them. Now, when I look at the carioles, the movie “Doctor Zhivago” comes to mind. Thanks for stopping by.

  5. Sounds like a good book. I don’t see how that there’s enough snow any more in be able to use a sleigh.

    • Welcome, Karijean! I agree about the snow! In the last years we lived in New England, we barely had a half-dozen snowfalls…even then none of them amounted to much. And now here in North Carolina, not a single flake fell. Thanks for stopping by.

    • Welcome, Bridgette! Thanks for your kind words. It was fun thinking up the antics the girls used to get their father and their teacher together was fun. Thanks for stopping by.

    • Welcome, Trudy! I’d go for the cariole…I think it’s more romantic…and closer to the ground! Although as you said, a sleigh ride with a group of friends, singing holiday songs would be fun. Thanks for stopping by.

  8. Sleigh rides are fun. I have been on a couple years ago. Thanks for sharing and for taking me back to some good memories of Christmas past.

  10. It is always so interesting to read the history of various items which were popular many decades ago. The sleigh was a very vital means of transport in the wintertime, especially for a family on their way to church or a get together. Thank you for all this data. Learning is fun.

    • Welcome, Judy! Besides reading about the history of various items used long ago, I enjoy incorporating them into my stories. I believe it adds a richness to a story. I’m glad you enjoyed the information. Thanks for stopping by.

    • Welcome, Naomi! Thanks for the kind words. It was fun thinking up the antics the girls used to get their father and their teacher together was fun. Thanks for stopping by.

  13. I have my Great Grandparents sleigh complete with shavs – yes it is a cutter and he bought it second hand and they courted in it! It goes back to the late 1800’s!

    • Welcome, Teresa! Oh, I just love that story. How romantic it must have been going for a sleigh ride with that special someone. Great story and great memories! Thanks for sharing with us.

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