Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
December 25, 1983
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society
Special sleds
Early 20th century boys, and more rarely, girls always asked Santa for a sled. To late 19th century boys and girls a sled was a commonplace item. Nowadays it can be as simple as a plastic disk to slide down hills or, at best, a stripped down wooden frame on runners.
The reason that a sled assumed a more important place on the earlier list is apparent from the gooseneck sled on display at the museum.
Earlier sleds were obviously considered crafted objects as well as useful toys. The sled displayed in the museum possesses iron runners above which is a wooden platform, 12 inches side and 30 inches long.
The wooden section is decorated with an elaborately detailed, stenciled floral design in an old red color. Of course, both color and stencil have faded now, but even a perfunctory glance shows the craftsmanship and artistry in the sled. Appearance certainly made the sled more than just a sliding item.
The iron runners, which were carefully dried and oiled after each use, end in the front with a handwrought goose’s head. The oiling was necessary not only for speed on the slopes but for preventing rust. Boys were proud of their rust-free sleds.
This popular sled design was called the bent-knee goose-neck sleigh in the 1900 Sears catalog. Its overall dimensions were 15 inches by 40 inches.
Six tinned braces and three bentwood knees guaranteed that the sled could take the hard usage on Strawberry Hill or Butternut Hill.
The same 1900 Sears catalog offered this well-constructed artistically designed sled for 73 cents. This was the retail price. An earlier 1894-95 fall and winter catalog from Montgomery Ward offered a similar sled to wholesale buyers for 75 cents or $8.10 per dozen! Here it was described as a dragon’s head sleigh. Both sleds had artistic designs centered on the seat and classic Ionic borders around the edges.
No wonder the sled was a high prized item on Christmas lists early in the century. It was a carefully made, sturdily designed and artistically decorated toy. Sleds were preserved with love and care. Iron runners were dried, oiled and waxed and wooden platforms were often repainted. Such sleds became family treasures and were passed from older to younger brothers and sisters.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.