The hit song of the musical comedy Oklahoma was the “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” and this vehicle, a particularly elegant and sophisticated version of the surrey, answers that description.
EXTENSION-TOP SURREY
Body painted dark olive green, striped with red. Trimmed in black.
The extension top used on this surrey was later incorporated into the early auto designs.
This surrey was built in Burlington, Vermont by J. R. and J. H. Lockwood and was used in and around this community for many years by the Wells family, who were connected with the manufacture of dyes and patent medicine. The Wells and Richardson Company commenced business in 1872 and seven years later began an intensive advertising program for their then little-known remedy, “Kidney-Wort.” In 1881 they invested $150,000 in direct advertising—a phenomenal sum at that time, but the sales justified the expenditure, as they mounted to over half-a-million dollars that year. Wells and Richardson also manufactured Diamond Dyes and “Improved Butter Color” and these products earned a world-wide reputation for this Burlington, Vermont business concern.
