We asked... (student transportation before school buses)

 Prior to the school bus era was group transportation available for Eastern Shore students?

Yes, prior to the motorized school bus era, "kid hacks" were used for student transportation throughout the United States, including on the Eastern Shore

. In rural areas especially, these were often horse-drawn wagons or adapted farm vehicles used to transport children to one-room schoolhouses. 

What was a "kid hack"?

• The term "hack" refers to a horse-drawn cab or carriage, so a "kid hack" was a vehicle for transporting children.
• These vehicles varied widely in design and protection from the elements.
  • Some were essentially farm wagons with benches for the children to sit on.
  • Others, like those produced by the manufacturer Wayne Works in the late 19th century, were purpose-built carriages with wooden bench seats around the perimeter and a roof, but often still had open sides.
• A key feature of these horse-drawn kid hacks was a rear entrance. This design was used to prevent startling the horses while students were boarding or exiting. This practice evolved into the rear emergency exit seen on modern school buses. 

The transition to the modern school bus

The use of kid hacks and other forms of informal transportation began to change with the advent of the automobile. 

• Early 20th century: Automakers began mounting wooden kid hack bodies onto truck or automobile chassis, transitioning the vehicles from horse-drawn to motorized. However, the design often remained similar, with passengers still exposed to the weather.
• 1930s: All-steel buses with front-entry doors were introduced, marking a major safety upgrade.
• 1939: A national conference on school bus standards was held, establishing consistent regulations for construction and safety features, including the familiar yellow color. This marked the beginning of the modern school bus era.