Figure 1.--Here we see an early fullsized school bus. It looks to be yellow, but is nor otherwise unidstified. We would say that it was taken in the mid-1930s, possibly the early-40s. The photograph was probably taken in a rural area of California

None other than Henry Ford would change this. He put America on wheels with the Model-T Tin Lizzie (1909). And very quickly Ford was also producing trucks based on the Model-T. The United States did not have much in the way of weapons to offer the Allies. It did have trucks. The automotive business was booming. None other than Wayne Works back in Indiana saw an opportunity to motorize the carriages it had been making for three decades. Thus the motorized school bus was born. As far as we know, this was an American incention. The interior of the carriage was basically unchanged. The children sat along the sides of the bus and faced inward. There was also at first little protection from the weather, no glass windows at first. Still children mostly walked to school. Here there were mo major changes until after World War I in the 1920s. And the motivating force was economics. Rural counties began to reconsider the economics of small one-room school. School authorities began to realize that it was cost effective to close one-room schools and but a few school busses. By the 1930s this began to change the face of rural education. And as children attended secondary schools, busses were needed. Secondary schools had to be larger than primary schoools becuse of the many different subjects that had to be offered. The move to the suburbs which became increasingly pronounced after Wotld War II, school busses became more and more common. Children both walked and took the bus. The basic rule became kids living within 1 mile of school had to walk. The school bus became a major aspect of school life.

The 1900s

None other than Henry Ford would change this. He put America on wheels with the Model-T Tin Lizzie (1909). And very quickly Ford was also producing trucks based on the Model-T.

The 1910s

The United States did not have much in the way of weapons to offer the Allies during World War I. It did have trucks. The automotive business was booming. None other than Wayne Works back in Indiana saw an opportunity to motorize the carriages it had been making for three decades. Thus the motorized school bus was born. As far as we know, this was an American incention. The interior of the carriage was basically unchanged. The children sat along the sides of the bus and faced inward. There was also at first little protection from the weather, no glass windows at first. Still children mostly walked to school. >br>

The 1920s

Here there were mo major changes until after World War I in the 1920s. And the motivating force was economics. Rural counties began to reconsider the economics of small one-room school. School authorities began to realize that it was cost effective to close one-room schools and but a few school busses. And there were imprived safert inobations. A Ford dealership, A.L. Luce, built the first bus that primarily used steel panels (1927).

The 1930s

Wibdows were becoming standard. Wayne Works introduced the first all-steel school bus body with safety glass windows. School busses were beginning to change the face of rural education. And as children attended secondary schools, busses were needed. The bis lppks here looks like it wa taken in the 1930s (figure 1). Secondary schools had to be larger than primary schoools becuse of the many different subjects that had to be offered. School busses were becoming so important that by the end of the decade. Dr. Frank Cyr organized a conference at the University of Manhattan in order to develop school bus standards (1939). Forty-four new national standards were created, determining everything from interior dimensions to seating configuration to the famous yellow color all school buses sport today. The color was chosen because studies had shown yellow was the most eye-catching to human beings and because it was especially visible in the early morning and evening light, when school buses usually operate.

The 1940s

Many small rural schools were closed as large nimbers of rural children began riding busses to school. We can see this visually in the photographic record. We still see many rural children wearing overalls to school in the early 1949s. By the end of the decase, overalls were not vert common in the school photograohic record. The reason of course is rural kids were goung to school with city kids and wanted to wear the sane trendy clothes.

The 1950s

The move to the suburbs which became increasingly pronounced after World War II, school busses became more and more common. Children both walked and took the bus. The basic rule became kids living within 1 mile of school had to walk. The school bus became a major aspect of school life. A reader writes, "In 1957 my family moved to a relatively new neighborhood in Philadelphia. That fall I entered first grade and was half a block short of being able to ride the school bus. In the morning a neighbor lady would pack 4 or 5 of us kids into her car and drive us to school. In the afternoon we would ride a trackless trolley home . Thus at the age of 6 I was a veteran of public transit. School tokens sold for 10 for 85 cents. Because I rode transit during the week I was allowed to ride on the weekends with a neighbor boy and attend movies and go to the bowling alley. Imagine kids that age doing that in today's world.Little did I know back then that 15 years later I would be working for the transit agency operating those same trackless trolleys on the same route that I rode as a child. "

The 1960s

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Created: 5:20 AM 7/6/2020
Last updated: 7:31 AM 7/7/2020