Outdoor Play and Games: Vehicles--Wagons


Figure 1.--This trick photo was taken of an Ameican boy and his wagon about 1905. I'm not sure if it was red or not. The company appears to be Marswells. Note the handle.

But who can forget the little red wagon which became an integal part of American childhood. I'm not sure when wagons became so popular for boys--and when red became the most popular color. Every child growing up in America wanted their own little red wagon. Most children got them. We are not sure how cmmon they were in other countries. Australian boys seem to have had little red wagons. American Scouts remember the little red wagon they had s a boy--and have a song for it. The most famous American wagons were made by the Radio Flyer company. A fim was even made enbtitled The Radio Flyer. The company still makes vehicles for children--now many plastic items of various descriptions.

Terminology

A waggon is a four wheel vehicle designed to carry a load and to be pulled, although some may have motors. Waggons range greatly in size and purpose. Some were child's toys. Many American children (espcially boys) remember their little red wagons. There are also large waggons used on farms or for a variety of commercial purposes. We note the term goat cart meaning a child;'s vehicle pulled by goats or other animal like a large dog. On examining these conveyances we note that more often than not they were four-wheel vehices which means that they should more correctly be called waggons.

Countries

We note wagons pulled by goats and other animals were popular throughout Europe and America. They were often called goat carts, but if they have four wheels they should be more accurately called waggons. I had thought that the child'd pull waggons were quintessentially American. We suspect that wagons were popular in other countries as well, but we have little information on this. Few Americans can forget the little red wagon which became an integral part of American childhood. I'm not sure when wagons became so popular for boys--and when red became the most popular color. Most children growing up in America wanted their own little red wagon. Herewe see American children with their wagon, probably about 1905. We note them in Little Rascals (Our Gang) movie shorts in the 1930s. We see them in Sears catalogs during the 1940s. A reader writes, "Wagons were very popular for boys in the 1940s." I had one in the early 1950s. Most children got them. We are not sure how cmmon they were in other countries. Australian boys also seem to have had little red wagons.

Chronology

Our chronological information on waggob is quite limited at this time. HBC is not yet sure when or where waggons first appeared. HBC first notices images of American boys with their wagons at the turn of the 20th century. Photographing them in the 19th century was more hit and miss because of the small number of amateur photographers. This is probabky in part because amateur snap shots begin to appear in large numbers in 1900. The wagon, hoever, appeared earlier, we just do not have details at this time. The early waggons were wood. Some look home made. I'm not entirely sure when they were first made commercially. Or wgen the first metal waggons appeared. Nor or we sure when the standard "little red waggon" appeared.

Design

The wagons by the 1930s had a handle. Earlier wagons may have had yokes. The arly wagons had wooden side slats to raise the level of the cargo. If I remember the Radio Flyer metal wagons had slots in which wooden slats could be inserted.

Materials

The original wagons were mostly made with wood. The famous Radio Flyer little red wagons weremetal, with "Radio Flyer" in white emblazones on the side.

Gender

Both boys and girls had waggons, bnut they were especially popular with boys.

Manufacturrs

A number of different companies mafe chilren's wagons. This is reasonably easy to track because the convention was to put the company name on the side of the wagon. This trick photo was taken of an Ameican boy and his wagon about 1905. I'm not sure if it was red or not. The company appears to be Marswells (figure 1). We note the Sherwood Spring Coaster in the 1920s. The most famous American wagons were made by the Radio Flyer company. I'm not sure when they first appeared, but believe they were standard by the 1930s. A film was even made enbtitled The Radio Flyer. The company still makes vehicles for children--now many plastic items of various descriptions.

Advertising

We note these waggons being used in advertising. A boy can be seen riding his wagon in a Sears 1940-41 catalog advertisement for long stockings.

Song

American Scouts who may remember the little red wagons they had as younger boy or cub, enjoy singing th "Little Red Wagon Song".

You can't ride in my little red wagon
Backseat's broken and the axles draggen
You can't ride in my little red wagon
Maybe tomorrow, but NOT TODAY!

Second verse, same as the first, a whole lot louder and a whole lot worse. etc.

Scouts sing the song, but after about four or five verses, no words can be made out in the din that results.







HBC







Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main outdoor activities vehicle page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Cloth and textiles] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Topics]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor hats] [Flat caps] [Sailor suits] [Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits] [Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Knickers] [Short pants] [Long stockingsd] [Sandals] [Pinafores]




Created: November 21, 2001
Last updated: 12:23 AM 3/28/2006