PoriPurno News Desk | August 10, 2025
The rickshaw, now a common mode of transport in many Asian countries, has a fascinating origin story tied to compassion and ingenuity. Although first developed in Japan, its design traces back to an American Christian missionary named Jonathan Scobie (also spelled Goble).
According to Parker F. Calvin’s book Jonathan Goble in Japan, Scobie was stationed in Yokohama during the mid-19th century for missionary work. His wife, Eliza Goble, was physically disabled and unable to move about easily. Motivated by a desire to show her the sights of Yokohama, Jonathan Scobie designed a two-wheeled vehicle with a handle at the front in 1869. Crafted out of wood, this vehicle was called the “Jinrikisha,” meaning “human-powered vehicle.”
Over time, this hand-pulled two-wheeled carriage became popularly known as the “rickshaw.” The design was patented in the United States as the earliest form of the rickshaw. Production soon started in Japan based on Scobie’s original design, initially used primarily for transporting goods rather than passengers.
However, other accounts suggest alternative origins for the rickshaw. For instance, William E. Lewis’s book Through the Heartland of the U.S. claims the rickshaw was invented in 1848 in Worcester, Massachusetts, by a blacksmith named Albert Tolman to assist a South American missionary with mobility.
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Additionally, research by the Burlington County Historical Society reveals that a model of a rickshaw dating back to around 1867 was displayed at the museum of American carriage maker James Birch, who claimed credit for the design.
Regardless of the exact origin, the rickshaw remains a symbol of human ingenuity and the desire to overcome physical limitations through thoughtful invention. From its beginnings as a personal transport for a disabled spouse, the rickshaw evolved into an indispensable mode of urban transport across Asia, blending simplicity with utility.
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