This first successful cross-country road trip sealed the American love affair with the ultimate symbol of freedom the automobile. They would finally begin to make up much needed time after so many days spent waiting for parts, repairs and money back in the Rocky Mountain high country. In 1901, a much-publicized attempt by car manufacturer Alexander Winton to go from San Francisco to New York came to an unceremonious halt in a sand drift in Nevada. California to New York. 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We leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. Driving Directions to Prescott, AZ including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. Wilson Bentley was an amazingly passionate man who dedicated his life to photographing microscopic snowflakes. Please give my best love to your mother & tell [my] father & mother that I love them as much as ever. "; (bottom center) They left San Francisco on May 23, 1903, loaded with gear and enthusiasm. A relay of young horseback riders rode non-stop at top, Read More The Mail Must Go Through!Continue, Quick question is the voice of the announcements in the airport a person or a computer? It will be undertaken by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Vermont and S.K. Heeding the failed attempt by automobile pioneer Alexander Winton (founder of the Winton Motor Carriage Company, which manufactured Jackson's car) to cross the deserts of Nevada and Utah, Jackson decided to take a more northerly route through the Sacramento Valley and along the Oregon Trail. What roads did exist, were holdovers from the wagon train trading routes of the 1850s, 60s, and 70s the Old West of cowboy and Indian lore. I asked her. Last summer I received a letter that had been carried by the Pony Express. THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL AUTOMOBILE ROAD TRIP In 1903, a man named Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to drive across the country, from coast to coast. They include: Archival footage of Horatio Nelson Jackson is included. At the time there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, all of them within city limits. Its not until they reach Iowa that they finally begin to travel at a decent unimpeded speed, averaging nearly 150 miles per day. In Oregon, their path would often require them to ford streams some of which were quick and easy while others would require them to get out, affix the block and tackle and man-haul their trusty steed across the raging torrents. Here we were advised to changed our course a little and take the left hand road of the R. R. One old fellow said keep to the left road. And no, it hadnt been lost for 158 years. "That's why I'm optimistic. A series of American university professors of history provided background information. The running time to Alturas was five and a half days; about 125 miles per day, without accident or incident worthy of mention. He also served as a senior officer in the Officer Reserve Corps. Yesterday the framer drove in for miles to see my machine and there has been a hundred people around the livery stable since our arrival. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Together, both events would dramatically alter the course of exploration and adventure for the next century. 1899 -Louise and John Davis made the first known attempt to drive a car from coast to coast. He also had the sense to hire a good bicycle-turned-car mechanic in Crocker. Ill admit, I hadnt given it much thought myself despite my own epic road trip history. Jackson (at the wheel) enlisted Sewall Crocker as his mechanic and co-driver, and bought a used Winton touring car. Jackson and Crocker set off from San Francisco at 1 p.m. on May 23, 1903. They offered locals rides in the car in exchange for a "wild west show". ", "Col. Nelson Jackson: The Man Who Spent $8,000 to Win a $50 Bet" Martin Sheridan. 2023 Behind Every Day - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP. Lets follow along on his journey, shall we? [6] When their tires blew out they were required to wind rope around the wheels. We had no trouble in crossing railroad bridges With practice, bumping over bridge ties is no great task. In the spring and summer of 1903, Jackson and his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, drove this 1903 Winton touring car from San Francisco to New York City. Crocker of Seattle, both of whom are at the Palace ready for the journey. [6] They arrived in New York City on July 26, 1903, 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes after commencing their journey in San Francisco, in the first automobile to successfully transit the North American continent. Pin it so that others can experience the first American cross-country road trip and compare it to some of their own adventures! In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) . The finishing dash over the plains to the East Coast was as much a struggle with the "buffalo wallows" as it was with the car, but in the end Jackson was not to be denied. coats and sweaters and two small suitcases for their clothes A stop of two days was made here to await their arrival, and on Tuesday morning the adventurous travelers resumed their journey.". Hi! In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. The two-cylinder, 20-horsepower Winton that Kesling will be driving has only two speeds -- slow and slower. Jackson and Crocker replaced it with the only spare they had, which by the way, happened to be the only right-sized spare tire they could find before they left. We buried our car completely in one and after working a half-day to get it out again, three Italians came along, each packing a heavy bag. Fortunately, Jackson was an optimist. [10] Their trip expended over 800 US gallons (3,000L) of gasoline. Jackson had spent Somewhere near Caldwell, Idaho, Jackson and Crocker obtained a dog, a bulldog named Bud. Americans have driven millions of miles back and forth across the country over the years but someone had to be first. Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. Press Clipping from Horatio Nelson Jacksons road trip across America. While in San Francisco's University Club as a guest on May 18, 1903, he agreed to a $50 wager (equivalent to $1,508 in 2021[3]) to prove that a four-wheeled machine could be driven across the country. He is also very handy at repairing, a faculty that may prove of value. The duo was assisted in Sacramento by bicyclists who offered them road maps. Horatio Nelson Jackson was a physician from Vermont who married Bertha Wells, the daughter of the richest man in Vermont. But when he, his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, and American bulldog Bud arrived in New York, a new era in American transportation had begun. Driving an automobile from coast to coast in 1903 was a difficult and daring achievement. All attempts heretofore to go overland in an automobile have come to grief either through the machines breaking down or because long stretches of sand were encountered through which the horseless carriages could make no headway. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) Early life and medical career [ edit] Long distance travel was done by train. Bud became an efficient watchman and was left in front seat at all stops to guard the car and equipment. His wife, though supportive of the trip, opted for a much easier train ride home to Vermont. On July 26, 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, a 31-year-old Vermont doctor, and his 22-year-old mechanic, Sewall Crocker, became the first to cross the United States in an automobile. "Horacio was the big guy on the road with a brand new car. DriveBestWay.com is a route planner for car travelers, providing a lot of travel-related calculations like road distance, driving time, fuel cost Online route planner for car travelers - United States and worldwide - DriveBestWay.com This added several hundred miles to their route but they hoped to avoid the problems that Alexander Winton had faced in the desert sands of Nevada. Browse letters written by Horatio Nelson Jackson to his wife while on the road, and newspaper articles written about Jackson's epic trip. I go from here to Buffalo.I am tired & got to get up early in the morning & [I am] damn anxious to get you in my arms. Source: 'The Mad Doctor's Drive,' by Ralph Nading Hill; 'Winton 1903,' by Peter C. Kesling. The documentary has a companion book and audiobook, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, authored by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, published by Knopf in 2003. Dr. Nelson has provided the very latest kind of gasoline machine, large and commodious and 20-horsepower. The possibilities of the open road What natural wonder will we see today? Explore the Winton touring car, which Jackson took on his historic trip. When we get there the worst will be over.I can run the car as well as Crocker & have rather surprised him We take 2 hours on and 2 off at the wheel. Crocker suggested that Jackson buy a Winton car. After suffering a flat tire on the bicycle, he returned with 4 US gallons (15L) of fuel (which Jackson complained cost him "nearly twenty dollars"), and they returned to Burns to fill up.[6]. When I telegraph you to come down leave on the first train, telephone the agency you are at the Holland & I will telegraph you both then come. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). Somewhere along this route, Jackson lost a pair of his glasses. An article in the. My darling Swipes. This historical marker was erected by America's Byways. His beat includes earthquake research, marine biology, wildfire science, nuclear testing, archaeology, wildlife and scientific exploration of land and sea. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) "They've never seen an automobile. Sometimes, though, we had to hunt for five miles to find a place where we could get our machine on the track. Interested in having your company's ad featured on Basin & Range Magazine? Want to know what other interesting things there are to see out on the road? We took that road for miles and then it came to a dead end at an isolated farmhouse. Watch me now come to you.Nel. This spur-of-the-moment trip, partially based on a bet, unknowingly turned into a race. "[Horatio Nelson Jackson], My darling Girl: We have crossed the mountains & dont expect to come to anymore until we get into Idaho. On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. Despite mud, washouts, breakdowns, and a lack of roads and bridges in the West, they finished their trip in 63 days. Have you ever wondered about the first cross-country road trip? I am tired & got to get up early in the morning & damn anxious to get you in my arms. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- On May 23, 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson was just two days into his grand adventure of becoming the first person . It started with an animated chat and a $50 bet over drinks at the University Club in San Francisco 100 years ago and culminated in a bumpy cross- country car trip on rudimentary roads with a bicycle mechanic and a dog wearing goggles riding shotgun. He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). It was one of the few original parts never replaced during the entire journey. He'd Have to Get Under Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile), "The First Cross-Country Road Trip Took 2 Men and a Pitbull 63 Days", "Three Transports in with Men and Supplies", "Col. Jackson, Legion's Father in Vt., Is Dead", "Persons from Many Parts of Vt. to Attend Col. Jackson's Funeral", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horatio_Nelson_Jackson&oldid=1135349527, Bertha Richardson Wells (m. 1899 d. 1954), first U.S. cross country trip by automobile, This page was last edited on 24 January 2023, at 03:30. [Horatio Nelson Jackson] Interactive Map Home . In 1903, H. Nelson Jackson, Sewall Crocker, His enthusiasm was matched only by his underestimate of the effort needed to accomplish the journey. On June 6th however, the car finally suffered a severe mechanical issue forcing them to stop all forward progress near Burns, Oregon for several days. I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. Jackson had now been given two challenges - the time limit he was given and the two other drivers who believed they could beat him. We are spending most of the time trying to get out of water and mud holes. Just 4 days after declaring his intentions, he had found a car and a chauffeur. The jaunt will not only be a trip back in history, but a clash of early 20th and 21st century technologies. . Steve Perkins, Executive Director of the Vermont Historical Society, gives us a little background, before launching into the fascinating story of Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson. Keep reading The Pony Express is a well-known American mail delivery service of the early 1860s. On a visionary whim and a $50 bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to drive an automobile across the continent. Very few of our citizens had ever seen this, one of the wonders of the century, and large crowds gazed with curious interest at the horseless wagon. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This article related to a made-for-TV documentary film is a stub. In 1903 there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire nation and most people had never seen a "horseless buggy" - but that did not stop Horatio Nelson Jackson, a 31-year-old Vermont doctor, who impulsively bet $50 that he could drive his 20-horsepower automobile from San Francisco to New York City. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), A Sky Full of Adventure at the Balloon Museum, The Right Word Peter Roget and His Thesaurus, Mosquitos - What are they good for? Roads are better here and they continue to make good time, often driving into the night just to log more miles and get themselves that much closer to home. There are no maps, no roads, no repair shops. Both the Packard and Oldsmobile companies sent their respective automobiles from California with hope of passing Jackson and claiming the title for first automobile to travel across the U.S. , It took 63 days to complete the journey, during which the trek merged with present-day Highway 30 near Pocatello, Idaho, and followed it into Soda Springs, Idaho, and finally into Granger, Wyoming. Hi, Im Sheila laid-back, sometimes creative, a little curious, and always ready for a last-minute adventure. Data by OpenStreetMap, under CC BY SA. "We're standing in . While it was neither, the people's curiosity had been aroused from a report that an automobile was coming this way, and that if they wished to see it pass it was necessary to have a seat in the front row, otherwise it might go through at the rate of 90 miles an hour, and would be out of sight before they could run a block.It drove in sight at just 4 o'clock and the crowds surged forward to get a first look at a real live auto, a machine that nine-tenths of the people of Lake county had never seen. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Learn about the driver, the mechanic and the sidekick who took the epic journey. , The route of US 30 traces its origin to the early 1900s. Making matters worse, these trails were generally considered informaland werent typically mapped with any senseof care or accuracy. Jackson described the mostly unmarked paths he was forced to bounce over as "a compound of ruts, bumps and thank-you-marms.". In everyday life, the 31 year old Horatio was a successful Burlington, Vermont physician. "Why did you send us way down there?" Horatioeventually settled inBurlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and faithful co-pilot Bud. With 146 illustrations and 1 map Read more Print length 192 pages Language English Horatio Nelson Jackson departed San Francisco onMay 23rd, 1903 for what was to become Americas first ever road trip and all because of a 50 dollar bet made just 5 days prior. Be inspired! 5 at three this afternoon, but a message this noon from the train agent says that he has nothing, so it is another day. Jackson and Crocker opted to start out following the railroad north into Oregon. After delivering their luggage to the section boss we started on for Bitter Creek, crossing two rivers over the railroad bridge. His two brothers, each driving his own automobile, came to help him get going again. used a block and tackle to pull the car out of mudholes. Upon reaching the threshold of Jackson's garage, the Vermont's drive chain snapped. A broken mud guard and a sprung front axle alone attested the hard knocks it had had on its long journey. Jackson was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 25, 1872, a son of Samuel Nelson Jackson (1838-1913) and Mary Anne (Parkyn) Jackson (1843-1916). It was also the same year that the "Frontier" in America was considered closed. All Rights Reserved. Thanks for stopping by my campfire to share a story. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, the trio took a short break as they waited for more money to come through the wire, and repaired yet another mechanical failure, this time to the wheel bearings. They often From there on, they were able to use a few paved roads, and their trip was much easier. The way the streets of Lakeview were lined with people Tuesday afternoon, one would think a circus was coming to town, or a 4th of July procession was about to pass. My darling Swipes,Just a line to say that I am still alive Our things arrived this morning & we held divine services in the Blacksmith shop. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. The trek will begin at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco with a gala sendoff, including the attendance of filmmaker Ken Burns, who recently completed a documentary about the first cross-country drive. Darling Swipes,The car is at the shop & they are to work all night so that I can get away in the morning. a tow. There are a few windmill museums in the world and Ive been lucky enough to visit one. "Fifty dollars says I can drive a car to New York." This was quite a boast for a man without a car or mechanical knowledge. for many, many years. The experiences and adventures of the trip have been of an exciting nature, which may be better understood when it is known that he traveled 3,000 miles through a country never before touched by an automobile. But relief would not comfort them since they soon heard that competing corporate sponsored teams from both Packard and Oldsmobile were chasing them down hoping to steal the crown of first across the US in a motor car. Packard had secretly been planning their journey for months before Horatios fateful 50 dollar bet, and Oldsmobile had hoped to show the world what assembly line manufactured cars were capable of. Jackson and Crocker face obstacle after obstacle on their trip. Mr. Crocker is a devotee of the new machines and expert as a chauffeur. Proper roads were so few and far between at this point, that there were no maps. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. As I had been trying to steal one we were glad to get him so accepted the present (consideration $15.00). Once underway again, it was only 3 days later that they ran out of oil. On July 21, they set out from Cleveland, Ohio, to finish the last leg of the journey. Enough gasoline can be carried to run the machine 250 miles. Jacob Murdock and his family drove from Pasadena to New York City in just 32 days. [6] Newspapers at the time gave a variety of stories of how Bud was acquired, including that he was stolen; in a letter to his wife, Nelson said a man sold him the dog for $15[9] (equivalent to $452 in 2021[3]). Packard and Oldsmobile had for several months been meticulously planning similar trips with expert drivers and mechanics, support crews and modified cars when Jackson simply loaded up the Winton and split. Basin & Range is the premier resource for living the Active Outdoor Western Lifestyle. 1903 was a big year for the United States- President Teddy Roosevelt sent a wireless radio message across the Atlantic to the King of England, a cable was laid across the Pacific Ocean, completing the circuit and allowing Roosevelt to send the first telegraph around the world, and the Wright brothers made the worlds first airplane flight. The trip had to be called off after a one-armed bicyclist made up a 10- day head start from New York and passed the hapless car before it reached Syracuse. Horatio Nelson Jackson, a physician and automobile pioneer, and Sewall Crocker arrive in New York on July 26, 1903, completing the first continental crossing by car, a journey prompted by a. My answer would probably be computer. Who knew there were, Are there any other thesaurus lovers out there? Heeding the omens of a previously failed attempt to cross the continent just a couple years earlier by automobile pioneerAlexander Winton(original builder of Horatios Winton) by way of the deserts of Nevada and Utah, the two explorerstook a more northerly route through theSacramento Valley along the remnants of the originalOregon Trail. In 1916, a car covered its entire length in just 5 days so much faster than that first trip across the country! The fateful bet was made during a club room discussion on May 19, 1903, when Jackson and his wife were on a stopover in San Francisco after they had traveled to Mexico and Alaska looking at potential mining investments. No sooner than Jackson had finished the repair however, that they then suffered a gasoline leak which wasted all their available fuel. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental motor route, created in 1913. My sense of humor gets me through life. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Film-maker Ken Burns presents the hilarious 1903 saga of the first transcontinental automobile trip. So Bud is now with us.We stopped at Nampa and had lunch at the Dewey Hotel. In Caldwell, Idaho, they met a man who offered them a dog as a mascot. Horatio Jackson, Sewall Crocker, Bud and the "Vermont", Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, October 19, 2018, 4. The worst of it is over & everyone is congratulating us.There are [others] on the way trying to beat us across. [but] I feel confident they will give it up. But only 15 miles (24km) into the journey, the car blew a tire. The press came out at every stop to take their picture and conduct interviews. Incidentally, half a ton of Nebraska clay, which it has gathered during the past few days, will be removed Monday Eve.Darling Swipes:While I think of it I want you to order two full sets more of the kodak pictures & have one set sent to Mrs. B. D. Crocker Tacoma, Wash. Keep the other set for me & bring all pictures & photos to N.Y. when you come to meet me there that is if you care to come.Well old girl I have brought the car to its birthplace & a great reception it got. The only mishap happened just east of Buffalo, New York, when the Vermont ran into a hidden obstacle in the road and Jackson, Crocker, and Bud were thrown from the car.