In the late 1800s, New York City streets belonged to horses and wooden wheels. Thousands of horses pulled wagons through the narrow lanes of Manhattan. These animals moved everything that the city needed to function. Delivery wagons carried heavy loads of coal to heat apartment buildings during the winter. Large ice wagons traveled the streets in the summer to keep food from spoiling. Drivers used metal tongs to carry frozen blocks wrapped in burlap into kitchens and shops.
Pushcarts were the heart of the retail economy in neighborhoods like the Lower East Side. Immigrant peddlers rented these small wooden carts for a few cents a day. On Hester Street and Orchard Street, rows of carts stretched for several blocks. Sellers shouted their prices for fresh apples, salted pickles, and used clothing. These carts were often piled high with merchandise that blocked the sidewalks. The city required peddlers to buy a license, but many worked without one to save money. Fishmongers used carts lined with tin to keep their products on ice.
Commercial traffic was loud and chaotic. Iron-rimmed wooden wheels banged against the uneven cobblestone and Belgian block streets. This created a constant rumbling sound that filled the air from sunrise to sunset. Heavy dray wagons moved goods from the ships at the East River docks to warehouses across the city. These vehicles were built with strong frames to hold thousands of pounds of sugar, tea, and machinery. Drivers sat on high wooden benches and used leather reins to guide their teams through the crowds.
Read more..
The presence of so many animals created a massive cleaning problem. Each horse produced about twenty pounds of manure every day. This waste covered the streets and attracted swarms of flies in the heat. A group of street cleaners known as the “White Wings” worked constantly to remove the mess. They wore white uniforms and used brooms and shovels to keep the thoroughfares passable. Traffic jams happened often at busy intersections. Without traffic lights, wagons frequently became locked together when drivers refused to move.
By 1900, the city had over 100,000 horses working on its streets. Water troughs sat on every few corners so the animals could drink during their long shifts. Blacksmith shops were common in every neighborhood to replace worn iron shoes. These horses lived in multi-story brick stables that were located close to the delivery routes. Special barrel wagons hauled beer from breweries to local saloons. The entire system relied on the physical strength of these animals to move the city’s commerce.
