My little red wagon must have been broken down often because my parents always said they were going to fix it for me.Little red wagons have been a cultural touchstone for the past one hundred years. I think every family I knew growing up had one and we bought one for our kids too. Since I wrote this story I seem to be in tune with little red wagons as I now notice old metal wagons in yards all the time. I see them abandoned in the middle of yards or tipped up against the backs of houses or on fences.
When I ask people if they had a wagon when they were young their eyes light up, they look off into the distance and are transported back to their childhood. The sound the wagon made as it rumbled over the gravel and the feel of the cold metal beneath their hands are forever locked into their memories.
A gentleman in Chicago named Antonio Pasin started making little wagons in 1917. He eventually started the Radio Flyer Company which has sold over one hundred million wagons. He named his first wagon Radio Flyer in homage to the newly invented radio and the dawning of air travel. They were originally made of wood, then as demand grew, he went into production of metal and eventually plastic wagons. In 1923 a little red wagon sold for three dollars.
The design intention was for the wagon to be pulled by hand, but what fun was that? One kid sitting in the wagon holding the handle trying to steer and another pushing from behind was where the fun was. What could possibly go wrong? Those good times often ended with the wagon jackknifed and the driver, the pusher or both lying in the gravel crying. It was fun while it lasted; a true badge of childhood bravado. Come on, you know you tried this.
After a crash, a debate inevitably ensued regarding what caused it; the driver’s inept ability to steer or the pusher’s overzealousness. The incidents were sometimes blamed on a faulty wagon issue such as a broken axle, the outlook for the wagon wasn't good when that happened.
If you were lucky enough to find someone to pull you in your little red wagon they often would take off before you were ready sending your head whipping back, your feet in the air and your hands frantically grabbing for the sides of the wagon. When a puller wasn’t available, another kid could be enlisted to tie the wagon behind their bike with some bailer twine and a treacherous ride ensued.
The handles came in T, D or O shapes. Our wagon had a D shaped handle which I hung on to for dear life when I was at the helm. Wagon tires could be filled with air or made of hard rubber or plastic. It was very disheartening if you went outside with an important mission in mind and saw you had a flat tire on your wagon.
A little red wagon had many uses on the farm such as hauling pails of water to pour down gopher holes or to give the cats a lift. Kids in towns and cities used their wagons for newspaper delivery routes.
I think they are a symbol of the power of imagination. For over one hundred years, generations of children in Saskatchewan and around the world have been linked by the rediscovery of the joy of creative play with a little red wagon.
Why did they paint little red wagons red? I imagine the paint itself was to keep the wagon from rusting and for buyer appeal, but why the colour red? Wagons did at first come in other colors, but red eventually became their best seller. I personally think it was to make them more visible for safety purposes or maybe Antonio just got a lot of red paint on the cheap. Another one of life’s great mysteries.
Do you know why wagons painted red were the most popular?
A gentleman in Chicago named Antonio Pasin started making little wagons in 1917. He eventually started the Radio Flyer Company which has sold over one hundred million wagons. He named his first wagon Radio Flyer in homage to the newly invented radio and the dawning of air travel. They were originally made of wood, then as demand grew, he went into production of metal and eventually plastic wagons. In 1923 a little red wagon sold for three dollars.
The design intention was for the wagon to be pulled by hand, but what fun was that? One kid sitting in the wagon holding the handle trying to steer and another pushing from behind was where the fun was. What could possibly go wrong? Those good times often ended with the wagon jackknifed and the driver, the pusher or both lying in the gravel crying. It was fun while it lasted; a true badge of childhood bravado. Come on, you know you tried this.
My sister and brother 1951
After a crash, a debate inevitably ensued regarding what caused it; the driver’s inept ability to steer or the pusher’s overzealousness. The incidents were sometimes blamed on a faulty wagon issue such as a broken axle, the outlook for the wagon wasn't good when that happened.
If you were lucky enough to find someone to pull you in your little red wagon they often would take off before you were ready sending your head whipping back, your feet in the air and your hands frantically grabbing for the sides of the wagon. When a puller wasn’t available, another kid could be enlisted to tie the wagon behind their bike with some bailer twine and a treacherous ride ensued.
The handles came in T, D or O shapes. Our wagon had a D shaped handle which I hung on to for dear life when I was at the helm. Wagon tires could be filled with air or made of hard rubber or plastic. It was very disheartening if you went outside with an important mission in mind and saw you had a flat tire on your wagon.
A little red wagon had many uses on the farm such as hauling pails of water to pour down gopher holes or to give the cats a lift. Kids in towns and cities used their wagons for newspaper delivery routes.
I think they are a symbol of the power of imagination. For over one hundred years, generations of children in Saskatchewan and around the world have been linked by the rediscovery of the joy of creative play with a little red wagon.
Why did they paint little red wagons red? I imagine the paint itself was to keep the wagon from rusting and for buyer appeal, but why the colour red? Wagons did at first come in other colors, but red eventually became their best seller. I personally think it was to make them more visible for safety purposes or maybe Antonio just got a lot of red paint on the cheap. Another one of life’s great mysteries.
Do you know why wagons painted red were the most popular?
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©️Copyright 2020 Norma Galambos
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