The one-horse open sleigh is something of a holiday tradition thanks to the lyrics of “Jingle Bells.”

Well, the city of Warsaw just received a donation of a vintage one-horse open sleigh, originally manufactured in Warsaw, to be displayed every holiday season at city hall.

Lee and Mary Hartle of Warsaw purchased the sleigh in Portland, Ind., about 10 years ago. Mary said she and Lee were shopping for a two-person, horse-drawn sleigh to ride around on their property.

Pictured from left: Mary and Lee Hartle, Mayor Joe Thallmer. The Hartles donated their sleigh to Warsaw.

They found an advertisement in a farming magazine for a sleigh that fit the bill. While they were in Portland picking it up, the seller told them he had another sleigh they might be interested in.

That sleigh was the one pictured here. It was manufactured at Oram’s Carriage and Wagon Works in Warsaw. Harry Oram, a native of London, England, founded the shop in 1880 in a small building on the corner of Center Street and Lake Street downtown. A portion of the Kosciusko County Justice Building now stands on the site.

Oram’s Carriage and Wagon Works (Photo Provided)

Oram’s shop, under the direction of Harry’s son, George, switched the company’s focus to automobiles sometime in the early 1900s. The sleigh, which was unveiled this morning at a small ceremony at Warsaw City Hall, was presumably manufactured prior to the change-over, and could be well over 100 years old. It was restored before the Hartle’s purchased it and hasn’t been ridden since they took ownership.

“This is something the community can enjoy,” said Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer.