Through December 22, Wells Fargo is running a contest  where you can submit your own music video of the song, "The Wells Fargo Wagon" from The Music Man  and you can win excellent prizes. To help our Guided By History community understand the background of this contest from a historical perspective — and to encourage the submission of excellent videos! — Steve Greenwood in Portland continues the history of the Wells Fargo Wagon. (CR)

Commerce and Industries of the Pacific Coast of North America (1882) is a revealing book that describes the state of carriage and wagon   manufacturing at the end of the 19th century. The author, John S. Hittell , notes that residents of the Pacific Coast "...use an exceptionally large number of wagons and buggies. It is doubtful whether so many are to be found in proportion to the people in any other part of the world."

According to Hittell, the actual number of vehicles produced was few because oak and hickory for light wagons was not available, and so the wood had to be shipped from the East. He also claims that "A great part of the value of a wagon is in the wheels, most of which are made for us beyond the Rocky Mountains." Hittell estimates that the Pacific Coast purchased 7,000 farm wagons annually worth $100 each, but there was not one shop that specialized solely in their production. However, in the production of "spring wagons," which delivery businesses used — including Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express — San Francisco manufacturers produced about 500 spring wagons  annually. They were worth about $200 each.

The author lists eleven wagon companies in San Francisco, including C. A. Hawley & Co., Marcus C. Hawley & Co. and David N. Hawley, whose business inter-relationships are not detailed. Studebaker Brothers  at 31 California Street were a pioneer "Forty-Niner" business along with Levi Strauss and Co.  and Wells Fargo.

The arrival of the railroads sped communication and transportation, and gave Eastern businesses a competitive edge in supplying horse-drawn vehicles in the West. As cities grew , problems related to horse-drawn vehicles such as accidents, traffic jams, and pollution also grew. Businesses delivered more goods more rapidly, and the need arose to ensure that accidents did not result from speeders. In an effort to reduce accidents, cities regulated the speed of horse-drawn vehicles—Chicago 6 mph, Boston 7 mph, and Detroit 6 mph. San Francisco applied a broader regulation that horses had to maintain a speed that was not faster than a person crossing the street.

Excess emissions  could also be a problem, but it was not the carbon monoxide of today — it was manure, a by-product that is put to good use   for the environment, then and now!