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Our current project is the restoration of a buggy. In pursuit of the Nevada City Ladies Aide and Friend's Association's (LAFA) mission of historic education and interpretation, High Country Horsedrawn has donated a single-seat end buggy – often referred to as a piano box style buggy. Harlan and Joal Olson, owners of this well-known buggy restoration business are part of the Nevada City Living History program and will bring this buggy back to life through a grant from the LAFA organization and donations of monies, goods and volunteer time. Restoration of a buggy takes many hours of work to remove old paint, sand weather beaten wood and restore wheels and running gear. Harlan and Joal are generously donating their buggy, use of their restoration shop and major equipment to make repairs that cannot be done on site.  Once restored, the buggy will be sold with the proceeds going to LAFA, supporting the Nevada City Living History program.

 

The LAFA buggy has a plate showing it was built by the Racine-Sattley Company and is circa late Nineteenth to early Twentieth Century.

 

A little history about Sattely-Marshall and Archibald Sattely opened a blacksmith shop in 1851 in Rochester, Illinois. The brothers formally established Sattley Manufacturing in Taylorville, Illinois in 1858. As with many business endeavors, their grown was impacted during the Civil War. By 1869 the Sattley Bro. Manufacturing company was producing 500 sulky plows a year. Marshall invented a three-wheeled plow he called the Hummer. Expanding into other agricultural implements and wagons, Sattley became a large company headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. In 1903 the Sattley Manufacturing Company merged with the Racine Wagon and Carriage Company of Racine, Wisconsin. The merger lead to the introduction of a new line of farm wagons.

 

Come see or perhaps even have a hands-on experience in the restoration activities! There will be lots of sanding and painting needed, as Harlan and Joal restore this beautiful little buggy. They can usually be found in the Wagon Barn in the Nevada City Museum, Virginia City, Montana and are always eager to share their expertise and restoration knowledge.

 

By the way, the Montana Heritage Commission has one of the best wagon and buggy collections in the country!  Come to Virginia City, Montana to see this great collection.

 

Stay tuned for updates on the buggy restoration and its future! 

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