Temple Photojournalism
PEOPLE OF THE STREETS/
CARRIAGE DRIVER / GIL
Text and Photos by Eddie Durkin
Giddy Up Gil
For almost the past four years, Gil Williams has been driving horse-drawn wagons through Old City, Philadelphia. He works with the 76 Carriage Company, which runs tours of Philadelphia out of a stable at 2nd and Cecil B. Moore Streets every day of the week, weather permitting.
“The horse is pretty much the best coworker you can have,” says Gil. “You really don’t have to argue with her too much, and she actually does like working.”
All day long, Gil drives tour-goers around the oldest parts of the city and explains the history of each location. Due to the equine laws of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, Gil is really only allowed to operate within the confines of Old City. However, Old City’s rich history and archaic architecture make the area a perfect fit for horse-drawn tours.
“I’m usually right by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell,” Gil explains. “The biggest part of the job is talking to people and trying to get them interested in the history of Philadelphia.”
The tours are designed to give a rider a sense of what it was like to travel through Philadelphia a hundred years ago. While one might find that a bit difficult when moving at about five miles an hour through a city bustling with the hectic maneuvering of motorists, pedestrians, and SEPTA drivers, Gil maintains that it’s a peaceful job.
“You wind up telling [the horse] ‘you’re fine,’ a lot,” he laughs, “but it’s really nice.”
Gil winds up spending the majority of his time working on the streets of Philadelphia. The job has made him very knowledgeable about the city and its history, not to mention the people he sees on the streets as his carriage lumbers by. For him, however, the biggest takeaway has little to do with Philadelphia.
“I’ve actually learned a lot about myself through this job. It’s kind of unexpected but it’s really cool when you sit back and think about it.”
