I shall write you when I can & shall depend on you to keep them posted.Yours till New York, Nelson.[P.S.] The trip began after a discussion in a San Francisco mens club as to the feasibility of a transcontinental auto crossing. He is also very handy at repairing, a faculty that may prove of value. A picture of Horatios dog, Bud, wearing driving goggles, caught my attention first. . 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. took Jackson 63 days, cost him $8,000 and left a transcontinental trail littered with broken parts, tools, clothes, flat tires and tears. I have been using thesauruses (thesauri is the preferred plural of the author but thesauruses is definitely more fun to say!) There were also no signs because most people out driving were locals who knew all the turns already. My darling Swipes. Explore a chronology of the invention of the automobile. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Director Ken Burns Writer Dayton Duncan Stars Keith David (voice) Tom Hanks (voice) Adam Arkin (voice) The automobile with Jackson and Crocker, crossing the continent, which left here Thursday was badly smashed up twelve miles east of this city on a smooth road while running twenty five miles an hour. By CATHERINE SEIPP. 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. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Horatio Nelson Jacksons Road Trip Route Across America. Im laid-back, sometimes scattered, a little curious, love to laugh, and always up for a fun road trip. Making matters worse, these trails were generally considered informaland werent typically mapped with any senseof care or accuracy. Our experts bring you content that exemplifies life in the North American Western States and Provinces. Its subject is the first cross-country automobile journey in the United States, which occurred during the summer of 1903. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. Upon reaching the threshold of Jackson's garage, the Vermont's drive chain snapped. Sometimes, though, we had to hunt for five miles to find a place where we could get our machine on the track. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Allegedly Jackson made a $50 bet that he could drive from San Francisco to New York in less than 90 days. Theres also a book which I grabbed on my very next visit to the library. He remained on duty until severely wounded by high-explosive shells, when he was obliged to evacuate.[16]. The next day they arrived in Ontario, Oregon, where supplies waited for them. It will be undertaken by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Vermont and S.K. 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. [14][15], The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Medical Corps) Horatio N. Jackson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 313th Infantry Regiment (attached), 79th Division, A. E. F., near Montfaucon, France, September 26-29, 1918. Everything that can break has broken already.". Even before we had cars, Americans have been drawn out to explore the unknown horizons. At 4:30 a.m. on July 26, 1903, Jackson and Crocker crossed the Harlem River into Manhattan to their final destination of the Holland House Hotel. Driving an automobile from coast to coast in 1903 was a difficult and daring achievement. 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. The automobile was about to transform American life. In 1916, a car covered its entire length in just 5 days so much faster than that first trip across the country! Captions: (left) Horatio Nelson Jackson (driving), Sewall K. Crocker (right), and Bud in the "Vermont. Driving Directions to Prescott, AZ including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. I am always amazed by the hot air balloon gondolas on display, seeing how small they are while reading, Read More A Sky Full of Adventure at the Balloon MuseumContinue, I dont know what it is about windmills, but whenever I see one of the old classic designs out on the prairie, I just want to stop and take a picture. Shortly after returning to the road, both of the brothers' vehicles broke down, and Jackson towed them both home with the Vermont. Jacob Murdock and his family drove from Pasadena to New York City in just 32 days. When night came on we made camp beside the car, and having lost our cooking outfit and provisions, and [it] being an uninhabited region went to bed without any supper. As I had been trying to steal one we were glad to get him so accepted the present (consideration $15.00). Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. [7] Jackson and Crocker replaced it with the only spare they had, in fact, the only right-sized spare tire they could find in all of San Francisco. The rough and tumble wagon trails which they followed, combined with the noisiness of their Winton, rendered them unable to tell when they would lose valuable items off the back of the car. Bud was a young, light-colored bulldog who immediately added life to the journey. The Winton Motor Carriage Company published details about the Jackson-Crocker cross-country trip and emphasized the cars ruggedness and reliability. In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, a doctor from Vermont, was in San Francisco with his wife when he made a bet. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental motor route, created in 1913. ", Jackson had wanted a dog along on the trip and purchased the American bulldog, Bud, in Caldwell, Idaho. [8] Jackson had wanted a dog companion since Sacramento. They are repeatedly forced to use shovels and the block and tackle to push and drag the car through sand and mud. 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. The journey became a race among three teams, the winners being Jackson and Crocker. Generally speaking, America in 1903 hadno roadsbetween cities, towns, or any other landmarks for that matter. and their dog Bud made the first successful transcontinental automobile trip. Sidebar ads are available in 125 x 125 and 480 x 60 sizes, in bi-monthly or six month intervals. With 146 illustrations and 1 map Read more Print length 192 pages Language English Our car will now be as good as new.We have had hard luck, but I think it all came at once. No one was injured; it was the only accident on the trip. 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. I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. At the next available stop they outfitted Bud with a pair of goggles which Bud wore without fuss for most of the rest of the journey. We had no trouble in crossing railroad bridges With practice, bumping over bridge ties is no great task. He purchased a 1903 Winton He also had the sense to hire a good bicycle-turned-car mechanic in Crocker. Crocker suggested that Jackson buy a Winton car. Americans have driven millions of miles back and forth across the country over the years but someone had to be first. After twomore days ofplanning and preparation, the two began their unbelievable impromptu journey eastwardtowards New York City. 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. Sewall K. Crocker Sewall K. Crocker, a 22-year-old former professional bicycle racer from Tacoma, Washington, was working in. "Right down that road," she said and pointed. But when he, his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, and American bulldog Bud arrived in New York, a new era in American transportation had begun. Following the railroad would also make it easier to access supplies along the way. His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Nell Richardson, Alice Burke, and the Golden Flier, 1916. Jackson and Crocker opted to start out following the railroad north into Oregon. 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. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). [10] Their trip expended over 800 US gallons (3,000L) of gasoline. 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. "Why did you send us way down there?" York City. Reaching Alturas, California, Jackson and Crocker stopped to wait for the tires. Want to know what happened? 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. Tires, somewhat expectedly, continued to blow out forcing them at times to wind rope around the wheel so it could act as rudimentary tire but at least they could go on. 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. This spur-of-the-moment trip, partially based on a bet, unknowingly turned into a race. 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. And no, it hadnt been lost for 158 years. - Behind Every Day, rubber mackintoshes for themselves and the car (remember no roof, no windshield! But if there was one thing Horatio had, it was a steadfast commitment to the dream. Who knew there were, Are there any other thesaurus lovers out there? 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. The Jackson party left Chicago at noon Saturday and arrived in Cleveland at 5:00 p.m. Monday, remarkably good time for notoriously bad roads which had been rendered worse by continued hard rains. We only made 45 miles in our direct route. There were no gas stations and virtually no road maps as we know them today. . Peter Fimrite is The Chronicle's lead science reporter, covering environmental, atmospheric and ecosystem science. Following the railroad right-of-way seemed the best way to go as they headed out. Having resupplied the best they could, they struck back out onto the open roader,open range. Together, both events would dramatically alter the course of exploration and adventure for the next century. "We're standing in . Jackson and Crockers trip inspired an organized movement to improve the nations roads and make them better for cars. The state of Vermont was so alarmed that it passed a law requiring every auto to be preceded down the street with a person waving a red flag. Last summer I received a letter that had been carried by the Pony Express. Horatio's letter to Bertha | May 31, 1903 . "They were the visionaries and crackpots, which is sometimes the same person. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearSoda Springs in Caribou County, Idaho , Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 22, 2017. We shall now try & make a record trip. 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!). To commemorate Jackson and Crocker's trip, a rerun of the approximate route in a similar 1903 vintage car will start in San Francisco on June 17 and finish the same day as the original 1903 drive, in New York City on July 26. Thanks! 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). Long before the interstates, there was a Winton / Indiana auto enthusiast about to reprise first-ever S.F.-to-N.Y. journey by car, winton_6/16/2003_COLOR (kinda)_3star_A-Section_a1_22p8 x full_steve, 6026, winton3_mon_B/W_3star_A-Section_a9_34p6 x 7.5i_brooks, winton4_mon_B/W_3star_A-Section_a9_10p10 x 3i_brooks, Kesling_6/16/2003_B/W_5star_A-Section_a9_10p10 x 3''_steve, 6026, Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, No seriously, dont drive up to Tahoe this weekend, Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, Horoscope for Saturday, 3/04/23 by Christopher Renstrom, The Warriors broke Russell Westbrook, just like old times, Scream publicity stunt floods Bay Area dispatch with 911 calls, Oakland ransomware attackers leak 'confidential' data, Mochi muffin bakery closes SF cafe after just 4 months, Rain reenters Bay Area forecast: Have an umbrella near you, The best fried chicken is at a San Francisco strip club, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 10 beach essentials to pack for a spring break vacation, 14 things you need in your car before you drive to Tahoe. Horatioeventually settled inBurlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and faithful co-pilot Bud. In 1903, H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker completed the first motor trip across the United States in this car, which Jackson named for his home state. In everyday life, the 31 year old Horatio was a successful Burlington, Vermont physician. Challenged by a sales manager for Maxwell automobiles, The Indians especially never tired of gazing at the machine. Contractor Welland assisted the party back to Archer and they are now coming to Cheyenne to remain till repairs can be made. My darling Swipes. "Which way to Marysville?" I am tired & got to get up early in the morning & damn anxious to get you in my arms. Jackson was seated in a gentleman's club when he overheard a discussion at another table about the impracticability of automobiles. Jackson was unable to replenish the tire he blew but was however able to purchase some slightly used inner tubes. He was frightening horses. 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? The 1903 Winton trip "was a pivotal moment in American automotive history," said Roger White, curator of an exhibition later this year at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History called "America on the Move." I want to celebrate here by getting my new parts. Just as soon as I can get decent tires we will make a record run. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker, his chauffeur, finished the first transcontinental automobile trip at half-past four o'clock yesterday morning. 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. He is a mighty good man.I am fine and the only trouble is I miss you so.Nelson, We met a red-haired young woman riding along on a white horse. The trip took 64 days, including numerous delays while the two men waited for parts or paused to hoist the Winton up and over a gully. 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!!!! Crocker Will Start this Morning on Automobile Trip They Hope Will End in New York. 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. 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. It got people thinking about long-distance highways.". On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. At one point, Bud drank bad water and became ill, but survived. Jackson had now been given two challenges - the time limit he was given and the two other drivers who believed they could beat him. This is a carousel. Kesling's entourage will roughly follow the route taken by Jackson through the Sacramento Valley, past Mount Shasta into Alturas, through Oregon and then swinging eastward toward the Rockies. Both Packard and Oldsmobile were unable to maintain their forward progress through the tough times of the Rockies and within a month each, they eventually gave up their efforts to beat Horatio, Jackson and Bud to be the first to complete a journey across the North American continent in an automobile. Outside of major cities, spotting a car then was almost the equivalent of seeing a UFO today. [Horatio Nelson Jackson].[P.S.] )[11], A longtime member of the Vermont National Guard when World War I broke out, Jackson was considered too old for active service, but he contacted former President Theodore Roosevelt (whom he had met at some point in Burlington), through whose influence Jackson was placed on active duty as a captain in the Medical Corps. Dr. Jackson is a man of wealth, who is very fond of automobiling. The travelers eventually reached Omaha, Nebraska, on July 12. 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. Jackson did manage to find a telegraph office and wired back to San Francisco for replacement tires to be transported to them along the journey. Thanks for stopping by my campfire to share a story. Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. (Hollister Jackson was serving as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont when he died in the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. But this newfangled automobile enticed Americans with two things they wanted most: freedom and mobility. History of Ballooning The first exhibit tells about the history of ballooning from 1783 to the current day. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) . Documentary film maker Ken Burns produced a film, Horatio's Drive, for PBS. There is nothing more quintessentially American than to set out on the open road in search of adventure. 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)". Click on each stop of the journey to learn. Its subject is the first cross-country automobile journey in the United States, which occurred during the summer of 1903. After one harrowing drive over a stretch of narrow, bumpy road in the Cascade range, the two men noticed their cooking utensils had jiggled out. After Cheyenne, Jackson and Horatio both knew that the hard part of the journey was now behind them. 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. He bought a slightly used, two-cylinder,[4] 20hp[5] Winton, which he named the Vermont, after his home state, bade his wife goodbye, and left San Francisco on May 23, carrying coats, rubber protective suits, sleeping bags, blankets, canteens, a water bag, an axe, a shovel, a telescope, tools, spare parts, a block and tackle, cans for extra gasoline and oil, a Kodak camera, a rifle, a shotgun, and pistols.[6]. Horatio Nelson Jacksons road trip occasionally picked up help from more traditional means, More trailside repairs on Horatio Nelson Jacksons 1903 Road Trip, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). They include: Archival footage of Horatio Nelson Jackson is included. The family all turned out to stare at us and told us we'd have to go back.We went back, and met the red-haired young woman again. (1) 'Bud,' a stray American bulldog, joined the journey. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) Got onto the right road again and reached Orchid at eleven oclock. [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]. 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. Jackson and Crocker were en route, but could not overtake them. (4) The men created a 100-foot path of sagebrush so the car could drive over the sandy soil. When Im writing something, I want to use the perfect word to get my meaning across. Some people even took to dangling steel cables across roads to stop the "devil wagons.". The film is based on the book of the same name by Dayton Duncan. I would be wrong. But, 2 days after the bet, Horatiofinalized the purchase of his first car, a Winton that he dubbed The Vermont after his home state. I came pretty nearly having cold feet. 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. Get set for an adventure that marked a new era in America! Sewall Crocker was a 22 year-old former bicycle racer who had been working in a gas engine factory when Dr. Jackson hired him to be the mechanic and co-driver for the journey. Be inspired! Then the caption about the first ever cross-country road trip sealed the deal. "Discovering their loss, Jackson and Crocker determined that living off the countryside or starving was less to be feared than a return trip," wrote Jackson's friend Ralph Nading Hill in his book "The Mad Doctor's Drive. 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. Its not until they reach Iowa that they finally begin to travel at a decent unimpeded speed, averaging nearly 150 miles per day. WhenWorld War Ibroke out, Jackson was considered too old to serve, but he contactedPresident Theodore Roosevelt and volunteered to became a commissioned officer. Pin it so that others can experience the first American cross-country road trip and compare it to some of their own adventures! Explore the Winton touring car, which Jackson took on his historic trip. At first they lost their cookware, but while still in California, Jackson also lost his glasses. After leaving New York City Jackson joined his wife and drove home to Vermont. As the nineteenth century came to an end, there were only 8,000 cars in the United States compared to 14 million horses. At the time there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, all of them within city limits. They left San Francisco on May 23, 1903, loaded with gear and enthusiasm. His wife, though supportive of the trip, opted for a much easier train ride home to Vermont. 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. completed the first transcontinental automobile trip, from San Francisco to New York, in 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes. There are no maps, no roads, no repair shops. What there was however, was a loose patchwork of wagon and horse trails connecting the sparse fabric of humanity. About 15 miles (24km) from home his car once again broke down. 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. "I wanted paw and maw and my husband to see you," she said. 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]. 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. In the spring of 1903, on a whim and a fifty-dollar bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson set off from San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car hoping to become the first person to cross the . A few companies had started to put out guidebooks with detailed instructions on how to get from one town to the next. 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. touring car, named it Vermont, and headed east. that the automobile could be more than an expensive toy. By 1900, he had given up his medical practice and was happily spending his wife Bertha's money on property, travel, horses and, most recently, automobiles. This allowed them to avoid the higher passes in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. "At the time they made the trip, there was a perception that the American frontier was closed. On July 12, the two men and the dog arrived in Nebraska where they found themselves back on paved roads. The Vermont native had married the daughter of a decorated Civil War general who was one of the richest men in Burlington. 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. Jackson (at the wheel) enlisted Sewall Crocker as his mechanic and co-driver, and bought a used Winton touring car. My sense of humor gets me through life. According to the Winton Companys numbering system, the car he bought was Number 1684 but he chose to christen it with the name. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. Have you ever wondered about the first cross-country road trip? Jackson died on January 14, 1955 in Burlington, Vermont and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery there. . Just 4 days after declaring his intentions, he had found a car and a chauffeur. It took five months, and covered more than 10,000 miles. [17][18], In 1944, Jackson gave his Winton, the Vermont, to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is preserved.[6]. I explained to them that the next stop was twelve miles away and that if they would help us out I would take their baggage in for them. "That's why I'm optimistic. Items continued to be lost, including another pair of Jackson's glasses. Like Jackson, Ramsey and her three female passengers packed a block and tackle and used it often in the muddy Midwest. He also writes about the cannabis industry, outdoor adventure, Native American issues and the culture of the West.
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