We had no trouble in crossing railroad bridges With practice, bumping over bridge ties is no great task. Lets follow along on his journey, shall we? As an indication of how slow this trip would turn out to be, the first stop was a few blocks east of the Palace Hotel -- the San Francisco-Oakland ferry terminal. African American History Curatorial Collective. Jackson walked back to the last town to get oil, only to discover eventually that they had been stopped only a short distance outside of Vale. 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. Sidebar ads are available in 125 x 125 and 480 x 60 sizes, in bi-monthly or six month intervals. A stop of two days was made here to await their arrival, and on Tuesday morning the adventurous travelers resumed their journey.". Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, otherwise known as "The Mad Doctor," had no idea what he was getting into in 1903 when he strapped a spare tire onto his 20-horsepower Winton touring car and started out from San Francisco's Palace Hotel on the first automobile trip across America. My sense of humor gets me through life. [1] His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Jackson and Crocker were en route, but could not overtake them. Get set for an adventure that marked a new era in America! "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. Jackson had now been given two challenges - the time limit he was given and the two other drivers who believed they could beat him. Our car will now be as good as new.We have had hard luck, but I think it all came at once. "From Sea to Sea in a Horseless Carriage", Dr. H.N. He twice ran for Governor of Vermont. A broken mud guard and a sprung front axle alone attested the hard knocks it had had on its long journey. 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. "They've never seen an automobile. Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. Horatio Jackson, Sewall Crocker, Bud and the "Vermont", Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, October 19, 2018, 4. He also served as a senior officer in the Officer Reserve Corps. Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. [Horatio Nelson Jackson]. $8,000 on the trip, including hotel rooms, gasoline, tires, parts, supplies, food, and the cost of the Winton. We leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. Youre going to love it here. 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 . "Everyone pooh- poohed the idea of even attempting such a journey.". By CATHERINE SEIPP. "Why did you send us way down there?" Somewhere near Caldwell, Idaho, Jackson and Crocker obtained a dog, a bulldog named Bud. Whether or not a bet was really made, it did happen rather suddenly. Challenged by a sales manager for Maxwell automobiles, 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. "The majority opinion expressed was that, save for short distances, the automobile was an unreliable novelty," Jackson later wrote. Captions: (left) Horatio Nelson Jackson (driving), Sewall K. Crocker (right), and Bud in the "Vermont. [10] Their trip expended over 800 US gallons (3,000L) of gasoline. Here we slept under our carriage. It took five months, and covered more than 10,000 miles. After removing the backseat to make room for more gear, they packed the following items to begin the long journey: Unfortunately, a lot of their gear bounced out the back as they drove without them realizing it and several things were lost including two pairs of Jacksons eyeglasses. (Hollister Jackson was serving as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont when he died in the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. Horatio Jackson's Winton in the Smithsonian, 5. and their dog Bud made the first successful transcontinental automobile trip. Jackson died on January 14, 1955 in Burlington, Vermont and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery there. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Article from American Heritage . I had to know more! Darling Swipes,The car is at the shop & they are to work all night so that I can get away in the morning. Keep in mind that the cars of 1903 were little more than expensive playthings for hobbyists and hadnt really been proven to be worthy of such a bet. "That's why I'm optimistic. Even before we had cars, Americans have been drawn out to explore the unknown horizons. 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. It was for $50 and made on the spur of the moment, over drinks at the San. No sooner than Jackson had finished the repair however, that they then suffered a gasoline leak which wasted all their available fuel. Hi, Im Sheila laid-back, sometimes creative, a little curious, and always ready for a last-minute adventure. Tom Hanks provided the voice-over narration for Horatio Nelson Jackson. Until that time, the current route was but a well-traveled wagon road parallel with the Oregon Short Line railroad. The travelers eventually reached Omaha, Nebraska, on July 12. California to New York. Director Ken Burns Writer Dayton Duncan Stars Keith David (voice) Tom Hanks (voice) Adam Arkin (voice) 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. Ramseys sisters-in-law and a friend accompanied her on the trip from New York to San Francisco. Having no mechanical experience, Jackson convinced a young mechanic and chauffeur, Sewall K. Crocker, to serve as his travel companion, mechanic, and backup driver. Source: 'The Mad Doctor's Drive,' by Ralph Nading Hill; 'Winton 1903,' by Peter C. Kesling. [Horatio Nelson Jackson].[P.S.] Our experts bring you content that exemplifies life in the North American Western States and Provinces. Jacob Murdock and his family drove from Pasadena to New York City in just 32 days. The party went to the Hollenden Hotel for a clean-up and for supper while the faithful bull dog mascot remained in charge and fought flies and kept off inquisitive newsboys. Horatio Nelson Jackson departed San Francisco on May 23rd, 1903 for what was to become America's first ever road trip - and all because of a 50 dollar bet made just 5 days prior. One hundred years later, another doctor is following in Jackson's patched tire tracks. Im laid-back, sometimes scattered, a little curious, love to laugh, and always up for a fun road trip. Dr. Jackson left his practice after a diagnosis of tuberculosis. Mr. Crocker is a devotee of the new machines and expert as a chauffeur. It is generally believed that Kesling will make it farther than Jackson before the first breakdown, which happened barely 15 miles outside of San Francisco on the 1903 trip, when a tire blew. ), additional tanks to hold extra oil and gasoline for emergencies. 42 38.862 N, 111 42.124 W. Marker is near Soda Springs, Idaho, in Caribou County. "A few people saw it as the wave of the future," Duncan said. On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. It was also the same year that the "Frontier" in America was considered closed. At the time there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, all of them within city limits. Enter Horatios Drive: Americas First Road Trip, a documentary produced by Ken Burns. 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. After Cheyenne, Jackson and Horatio both knew that the hard part of the journey was now behind them. Peter Kesling, 71, an orthodontist and antique auto museum owner from La Porte, Ind., has a good idea of what might be in store Tuesday when he climbs aboard his own 1903 Winton and starts out to duplicate the historic feat. Mr. Murdock did all the driving and even drove for more than twelve hours on a few days, just to cover more distance (just like me on my road trips!). Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) . Crocker made repairs, but a fuel leak caused them to lose all of their available gasoline, and Jackson rented a bicycle for Crocker to travel 25 miles (40km) to Burns, Oregon, for fuel. There were also no signs because most people out driving were locals who knew all the turns already. Horatio's Drive Follow the route that Horatio Nelson Jackson and his passengers took across the country. ", "Col. Nelson Jackson: The Man Who Spent $8,000 to Win a $50 Bet" Martin Sheridan. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearSoda Springs in Caribou County, Idaho , Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 22, 2017. 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. As luck would have it, the movie was available on Amazon prime for just a few more days so I immediately added it to the top of my list. On the first night of the journey they discovered that the side lanterns were too dim. Early life and medical career [ edit] We only made 45 miles in our direct route. Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. Constantly working in the face of heavy machine-gun and shell fire, Major Jackson was most devoted in his attention to the wounded, always present in the line of advance, directing the administering of first aid, and guiding the work of litter bearers. We only made 45 miles in our direct route. A former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, he has traveled extensively and covered a wide variety of issues during his career, including the Beijing Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, illegal American tourism in Cuba and a 40-day cross country car trip commemorating the history of automobile travel in America. He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). On their arrival, the mud besmirched and travel stained vehicle which had borne them so faithfully and sturdily over fifty-six hundred miles of roads between the Pacific and the Atlantic was housed in a garage in West 58th Street. 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. Louise Davis wrote of their attempt, The automobile is a treacherous animal for a long trip.. We left Caldwell at eight oclock and after running a few miles out of town I found that I had forgotten my coat. Horatio Nelson Jacksons Road Trip Route Across America. A map of Horatio's route and his 63-day itinerary The Gear After removing the backseat to make room for more gear, they packed the following items to begin the long journey: sleeping bags cooking gear rubber mackintoshes for themselves and the car (remember - no roof, no windshield!) H. Nelson Jackson (Vermont physician) In the spring of 1903, at a time when many people thought that the automotive industry had no future and that cars were merely an invention aimed at fun, Jackson accepted a $50 bet to prove that it was possible to drive a car from San Francisco to New York City. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) Location. Ironically enough, I saw the headline for this story the night before I headed to the airport on, Read More The Voice of the AirportContinue, No trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, is complete without a visit to the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. 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]. All Rights Reserved. that the automobile could be more than an expensive toy. Horatio's Journey. 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. a tow. Most. In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson single handedly silenced a conversation taking place at the San Francisco University Club. Jackson estimated the cost of his 6,000 mile road trip as $8,000 which had been spent on the car, Crockers salary, food and lodging, never-ending new tires and repair parts, 800 gallons of gas, and the $15 spent to buy Bud. 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. After delivering their luggage to the section boss we started on for Bitter Creek, crossing two rivers over the railroad bridge. Jackson and S.K. It is displayed with reproductions of supplies and equipment that the men carried. 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. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 January 14, 1955) was an American automobile pioneer. My darling Swipes. Crocker Will Start this Morning on Automobile Trip They Hope Will End in New York. That someone was Horatio Jackson Nelson. He remained on duty until severely wounded by high-explosive shells, when he was obliged to evacuate.[16]. "I wanted paw and maw and my husband to see you," she said. The jaunt will not only be a trip back in history, but a clash of early 20th and 21st century technologies. At one point, Bud drank bad water and became ill, but survived. Jackson's bold adventure in a horseless carriage in many ways created the America we live in today, filled with a network of highways, thousands of motels, fast-food joints at every intersection and SUVs. Jackson's trip started in a hastily purchased Winton that he named the "Vermont" four days after he made the bet. My darling Swipes. In 1916, suffragists Nell Richardson and Alice Burke, with their cat Saxon, drove across and around the country to drum up support for voting rights for women. And having become the first to drive a car across the nation, within hours of their. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) [citation needed]. "[Horatio Nelson Jackson], My darling Girl: We have crossed the mountains & dont expect to come to anymore until we get into Idaho. [6] They were also forced to pay a $4 (equivalent to $121 in 2021[3]) toll by a land-owner in order to cross his property on a "bad, rocky, mountain road" as Jackson described it. I shall write you when I can & shall depend on you to keep them posted.Yours till New York, Nelson.[P.S.] Want to know what other interesting things there are to see out on the road? The first family road trip was in 1908. Items continued to be lost, including another pair of Jackson's glasses. Interested in having your company's ad featured on Basin & Range Magazine? 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. The list price 100 years ago for Jackson's 1903 Winton Touring Car was $2,500, about $50,000 in today's money. There are a few windmill museums in the world and Ive been lucky enough to visit one. His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. 2023 Behind Every Day - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP. He purchased a 1903 Winton I came pretty nearly having cold feet. Crocker of Seattle, both of whom are at the Palace ready for the journey. 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. On June 16, somewhere in Idaho, Jackson's coat, containing most of the travelers' money, fell off and was not found. 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. Before leaving, the machine will have a thorough overhauling and be put into condition for fast running. completed the first transcontinental automobile trip, from San Francisco to New York, in 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes. But if there was one thing Horatio had, it was a steadfast commitment to the dream. Jackson was unable to replenish the tire he blew but was however able to purchase some slightly used inner tubes. York City. You are the best little wife in the world and I am a mighty lucky fellow to have you.Yes, old girl, I appreciate it, if, sometimes I have a queer way of showing it.Four years tomorrow!!!! 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. You have done everything in the world to make me happy.I shall just tear up the ground until I can be with you. Sponsored by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the trip began and ended in New You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Want to know what happened? Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker, his chauffeur, finished the first transcontinental automobile trip at half-past four o'clock yesterday morning. In honor of its achievement it was decorated with tiny flags and draped with national standards. Besides his medical practice, Jackson was an auto enthusiast who differed with the then-prevailing wisdom that the automobile was a passing fad and a recreational plaything. Jackson, who was 31 in 1903, was undaunted by these conspicuous failures. 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. "; (bottom center) At Hailey, Idaho, Crocker wired the Winton Motor Carriage Company for more parts, which, combined with the increasing press coverage, spurred the Winton car company to step up their support efforts since to them it meant an increased positive image of the company. The soundtrack includes a variety of music, including some bluegrass instrumentals and a modern rendition by Bobby Horton of an old song called "He'd Have to Get Under Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile)". The Pres of the firm with his associates came out & we had quite a procession into the city. Jackson (at the wheel) enlisted Sewall Crocker as his mechanic and co-driver, and bought a used Winton touring car. Keep in mind that most of what we knew about getting around the countryside at this time was oriented around the range of travel comfortable for your horse which on average was onlyabout 10-20 miles. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. Take good care of yourself & dont worry. (2) A team of horses rescued the car from being swallowed by quicksand. The axle crank and two connecting rods broke and they had to send to the Cleveland factory to replace them. The trouble started with a flat tire near Hayward and, from then on, he and Crocker were alternately working on the car, pulling it out of mud holes, teetering on the edge of cliffs or simply getting lost. He is also very handy at repairing, a faculty that may prove of value. After driving the distance, they moved the path back in front of the car, repeating the process until they cleared the area. Horatio Jackson's Winton in the Smithsonian. "Which way to Marysville?" My darling Swipes,We expected our express on No. My answer would probably be computer. Horatio Nelson Jackson was a physician from Vermont who married Bertha Wells, the daughter of the richest man in Vermont. Marker is on Soda Point Power Plant Road near Reservoir Road, on the right when traveling south. He was in San Francisco on vacation with his wife when, while sharing a few beers with some friendly strangers at the local University Club, he insisted that he had what it took to drive a car across the US. Bud, a bulldog, accompanied the drivers, and was featured in many news photos. I feel confident we can make it.How I wish you were with me & that it was possible for you to take the tripWith a barrel full [of love], I am, as always, yours.Nelson. The thick coating of mud gave evidence that it had been somewhere and that somewhere a long way off. Following the railroad right-of-way seemed the best way to go as they headed out. We shall try & get away tonight. On July 12, the two men and the dog arrived in Nebraska where they found themselves back on paved roads. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. I am tired & got to get up early in the morning & damn anxious to get you in my arms. Jackson had made it from San Francisco in 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes - well within his wager of 90 days. He was active in several businesses, including a granite manufacturing company owned by his brother Hollister. This they consented to do and in about an hour we were on our way again. The Winton Touring Car "Vermont" and Bud Googles are displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History until this day. They helped prove that long-distance road travel was a realif expensive and difficultpossibility. Take good care of yourself & dont worry. They offered locals rides in the car in exchange for a "wild west show". It was a fascinating story, full of experiences that I could totally relate to while at the same time it was an adventure I could hardly imagine. 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. "Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip", Learn how and when to remove this template message, He'd Have to Get Under Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile), The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God, Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horatio%27s_Drive:_America%27s_First_Road_Trip&oldid=1107453344, Documentary films about United States history, Articles needing additional references from May 2019, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 August 2022, at 02:26. At Mountain Home, Idaho, citizens warned them that the Oregon Trail was not good further east, so Jackson and Crocker veered off their original course along the southern edge of the Sawtooth Mountains. The first American automobiles had been built only 10 years earlier, and most people in America had never set eyes on the wildly expensive contraptions. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Dr. Nelson has provided the very latest kind of gasoline machine, large and commodious and 20-horsepower. Im Sheila - a wife, mom to 3, and favorite human of a slightly-neurotic dog. I feel more confident that I can make New YorkWe are causing a great sensation along the road it is the first machine that has ever gone over these mountains. This is a bad start for our first eleven days out. "At the time they made the trip, there was a perception that the American frontier was closed. At their next stop, Jackson had to wire his wife to send them money to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Documentary film maker Ken Burns produced a film, Horatio's Drive, for PBS. It will be undertaken by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Vermont and S.K. Those who had seen automobiles mostly complained about the noise and dust they caused and their tendency to spook horses. The cross-country trip, which now takes about two days if you drive nonstop. [1] H. Nelson Jackson and Bertha Wells were the parents of daughter Bertha (19061984), the wife of George B. Kolk and the longtime editor of the Burlington Daily News, of which her father was publisher.[2]. Soon after, the triowithBud sporting his fashionable goggles, began to accumulate some fame along their journey. Their yellow Saxon automobile, nicknamed the Golden Flier, became a moving symbol of womens rights and a podium for speeches in many towns and cities. Yet the young retired doctor, along with a mechanical assistant and a dog, took up the . In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. Sign up for my occasional email updates! 1684; 20-horsepower, two-cylinder engine; nicknamed the 'Vermont' by Jackson, Car price: $2,500 Gasoline price range on trip: $0.35 to $1.05 per gallon Estimated miles traveled: 4,200. Many days of travel are lost as they sit waiting for repair parts to arrive via train or stagecoach. Generally speaking, America in 1903 hadno roadsbetween cities, towns, or any other landmarks for that matter. Its subject is the first cross-country automobile journey in the United States, which occurred during the summer of 1903.

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