Do you think Park City would be as popular as it is today if it still took four hours to get here?
This is Bill Redeker with your weekly Park City History Bit.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, horse-drawn stagecoaches were frequently running up and down the canyon between Salt Lake City and Park City. “Stagecoaches” got their name from the different stages the drivers stopped at to change out tired horses. The four-hour trip through the canyon required four stops.
The driver and a second person sat in the front of the stagecoach. The second person carried a shotgun and was responsible for defending the coach from snakes, wild animals and robbers. Next time you call “shotgun!” when getting into a car, you’ll know where the term came from!
One of Park City’s stagecoaches is on display in the Park City Museum. Retired in 1935, it sat in the garage of what is now the Kimball Art Center, until the Kimball family donated it in 1989. It took two years and more than $18,000 to clean and restore.
This Park City History Bit is brought to you by the Park City Museum, where you can explore Park City history every day on Main Street, and sponsored by Julie Hopkins of Keller Williams Real Estate.
