Kid hack
Encyclopedia
A kid hack was a horse
-drawn vehicle used for transporting children to school in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States
. The word hack, meaning a horse-drawn cab, is short for hackney carriage
. The vehicle was actually powered by both horse
s and mule
s, and usually loaded at the rear to avoid frightening the animals. In those days, most elementary children in rural
areas attended one-room school
s. A typical kid hack would serve all the farm
s in the area of the school, and usually transport under 20 children.
The horse-drawn kid hack is considered to be the precursor to the modern yellow school bus
. As early as 1914, versions of kid hacks were attached to early motor vehicles by the Wayne Works
in Richmond, Indiana
. As motorized truck
s became more commonplace in rural locations, detachable wooden kid hack bodies were made which could be removed when the truck was in other use. Around 1927, much heavier all-steel bodies were introduced for this purpose by Wayne Works and other companies. Permanently mounted on the truck chassis, the combined vehicle became known as a school bus.
The Wayne County
Historical Museum in Richmond, Indiana
has a restored horse-drawn "kid hack" on display.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
-drawn vehicle used for transporting children to school in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The word hack, meaning a horse-drawn cab, is short for hackney carriage
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
. The vehicle was actually powered by both horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s, and usually loaded at the rear to avoid frightening the animals. In those days, most elementary children in rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas attended one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
s. A typical kid hack would serve all the farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s in the area of the school, and usually transport under 20 children.
The horse-drawn kid hack is considered to be the precursor to the modern yellow school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
. As early as 1914, versions of kid hacks were attached to early motor vehicles by the Wayne Works
Wayne Corporation
Wayne Corporation was a large manufacturer of buses and other vehicles branded with the trade name "Wayne." The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana, in the United States...
in Richmond, Indiana
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
. As motorized truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s became more commonplace in rural locations, detachable wooden kid hack bodies were made which could be removed when the truck was in other use. Around 1927, much heavier all-steel bodies were introduced for this purpose by Wayne Works and other companies. Permanently mounted on the truck chassis, the combined vehicle became known as a school bus.
The Wayne County
Wayne County, Indiana
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,917. The county seat is Richmond.-History:...
Historical Museum in Richmond, Indiana
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
has a restored horse-drawn "kid hack" on display.