Carriages
The carriage is a Cabriolet,
made by Henney’s Buggy Company. Mr. Henney was the Head
Superintendent for Willy’s Carriage Company in Kansas City, Missouri
in 1868. Then in 1874, he started the John W. Henney Company
in Freeport, Illinois. In 1893, this carriage design won Grand
Championship at the World’s Fair. The company stayed in
operation until 1916 when he sold the plant so his craftsmen could
make gunstocks for World War I. The plant was bought back in
1927 making motorized hearses until 1954. It’s easier to find
information by looking for “Henney’s Motor Co.” and work backwards
from there. The carriage was less than one mile from the Longview Horse Park. While trying to find out who had this carriage, I was driving back-and-forth in front of his house at least two times a day for the last week before I figured out where the vehicle was. A BIG thanks to Wanda and Bob Johnson for holding this carriage for me. They had no more than my word and what the carriage would be used for. Until that day, I had never met Mr. Johnson. I do know his brother, Bud Johnson, and his son is a good friend of mine. Mrs. Combs’ vehicle can now be displayed and it will not be tied up in the archives. In some respects, this vehicle may be of more importance besides the connection with the Long family. Its builder was one of the main carriage builders here in Kansas City at that time. By being able to bring this vehicle out for people to see, we can give everyone only a small taste of what was given to us by Mrs. Combs.
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Long Lost Horse Cart Found |
You may have read in the Lee’s Summit Journal that I recently found a fine harness cart tucked away in the hayloft of the Longview Horse Arena. Fortunately, it was preserved in layers of dirt and grime and its restoration is well under way. There are four clues which lead us to believe that this cart belonged to Loula: |
David Gale, the Longview developer, agreed to lease for three years for $1 under the condition that the cart is used for fundraising activities to support the restoration of the carriages and Carriage House. The big news came from the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, for their Hackney Horse/Pony Society show for which we ran an ad for the Loula Long class. I received inquiries from Kentucky, and Tim Sullivan (RALHS President 2006 to 2014) had also been talking with the Kentucky Horse Park. They were interested in knowing more about the carriages. That organization can be a big help when restoration on the carriage house begins.
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Here are some pictures of
another carriage. The carriage is a Meadowbrook Cart, on loan from Craig and Robyn Walker of Walkabout Farms in Peculiar, Missouri. It is a modern version of a Meadowbrook in the collection of Loula Long Combs’ carriages. The Meadowbrook is primarily a pleasure vehicle, hence the picnic basket posed on the seat. This one is hand-built of solid oak and features brass appointments for shows. With the axle mounted directly to the shaft and the springs attached to the seat, it can slide quickly around tight turns in timed competitions. The wheel hubs are flush and nerf bars on the sides of the cart keep it from getting stuck on other carriages, horses or brush.
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The $5,000 event
on November 20, 2004 |
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Enlarged Versions |
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