Portland Cutter

portlandcutter
Maker not known
Circa 1895

Type:
Cutter is an American name for a light sleigh with a single seat board. It appears to have been first used about 1800. The Portland type was square bodied, with a curved dash attached to the upward sweep of the runners. The design is attributed to Peter Kimball, a wheelwright and carriage builder in Maine.
The Portland became one of the most popular types of American sleighs. Large numbers were made by specialist builders in New England and Michigan who sold them wholesale to carriage dealers in other parts of the country, and these dealers often attached their own name plates. This Portland cutter can be used with either a single or a pair.