Although horse-drawn carriages are a charming addition to city streets and special occasions today, the “Going Places” exhibit, which runs through March 16 at the Harbor History Museum, brings the reality of a time when horses were essential for overland travel.

Museum Curator Victoria Blackwell said it is the only Washington state museum to show the exhibit. Visitors can view a full-sized carriage, children’s carriages and assorted harnesses and tack. A carriage owned by Gig Harbor’s Sehmel family is on view to reflect the history of the area.

In addition to the displays, living-history interpreter Karen Haas will present a program called “Wagons West,” a recounting of the journey across the Oregon Trail. Bringing the time to life, Haas dresses in the garb of the day and brings a sample of one of the food staples of the time — hard tack, a morsel made from flour and water that was common because it didn’t mold and wouldn’t crumble.

“The Oregon Trail was 2,000 miles long, and took six months to travel in an average wagon size of 4 by 6 feet,” Haas said. “Then, the infant mortality was higher, childbirth was tougher, and a simple infection could kill you.”

Not only did families have to provide food for themselves, they also had to provide for the horses their lives depended on.

“They had to take care of their animals at the end of the day, unharness them, maintain the tack, tend to the horseshoes, and make sure they had plenty of water,” Haas said. “Horses can drink up to three gallons of water.”

Haas said it was a tough journey for women, particularly because one in five was pregnant. She tells a story about one woman who had quite enough and woke up one day, refusing to go any farther.

“She was done, and to underscore her position, the wagon caught on fire,” Haas said.

Another perspective on mobility in the 1800s will be presented by William Woodward, professor of history at Seattle Pacific University, on March 11.

“I will be largely focusing on the history of the Seattle founding family, the Dennys, who emigrated to the states and finally settled in the Pacific Northwest, and what prompted people to move on and the factors that shape mass migration, whether it be intolerance, restlessness, or a refugee situation,” he said.

Woodward said every mode of transportation carries its own pollution issues.

“We heralded the introduction of the automobile as the answer to sanitation problems in the cities due to excess manure in the streets,” he said. “Now the problem is the exhaust pollution from the automobile.”

“Going Places” explores the culture, evolution and eventual demise of horse-drawn transportation from the early 19th century. It answers how carriages were made and repaired, and who could afford them. They came in an assortment of shapes, sizes and prices, paralleling the current car culture.

Harbor History Museum display

“Going Places” will be on display until March 16 at the Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call 253-858-6722.

Susan Rath is a freelance reporter for The Peninsula Gateway.