Learn about the driver, the mechanic and the sidekick who took the epic journey. Alturas, California. Together, both events would dramatically alter the course of exploration and adventure for the next century. Just 4 days after declaring his intentions, he had found a car and a chauffeur. Last summer I received a letter that had been carried by the Pony Express. We leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. Darling SwipesOn our arrival here [I] was much surprised to find a man from the factory with a letter congratulating me and stating that they were willing to place men along the line with supplies at their expense.I have informed them that we have made the trip so far without their assistance & thought that perhaps [we] two greenhorns could do the rest of it. It was also the same year that the "Frontier" in America was considered closed. Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. Lets follow along on his journey, shall we? Marker is on Soda Point Power Plant Road near Reservoir Road, on the right when traveling south. WhenWorld War Ibroke out, Jackson was considered too old to serve, but he contactedPresident Theodore Roosevelt and volunteered to became a commissioned officer. coats and sweaters and two small suitcases for their clothes 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. View my full disclosure. Fortunately, Jackson was an optimist. By CATHERINE SEIPP. After delivering their luggage to the section boss we started on for Bitter Creek, crossing two rivers over the railroad bridge. Take good care of yourself & dont worry. We only made 45 miles in our direct route. 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. ), coats and sweaters and two small suitcases for their clothes, a set of tools including two jacks, a spade, and a firemans ax, a block and tackle with 150 feet of hemp rope, a small Kodak camera to record his trip (this just warms my little memory-keeping heart! Between 12th and 14th Streets Youre going to love it here. Press Clipping from Horatio Nelson Jacksons road trip across America. 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. Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (TV Movie 2003) - IMDb Jackson decided to take a more northerly route. In the spring of 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to cross the United States in a car, following portions of what is now US 30 in Idaho and Wyoming. In 1903, H. Nelson Jackson, Sewall Crocker, Jackson was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 25, 1872, a son of Samuel Nelson Jackson (18381913) and Mary Anne (Parkyn) Jackson (18431916). Horatio's Drive | Video | THIRTEEN - New York Public Media It is Near Soda Springs in Caribou County Idaho, 3. 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. 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. Really, it was just a matter of time before the car took over the roads. for many, many years. Generally speaking, America in 1903 hadno roadsbetween cities, towns, or any other landmarks for that matter. Horatioeventually settled inBurlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and faithful co-pilot Bud. Questions? After repairing the flat, they stopped again inSacramento, CA to replace & upgrade their all too dim headlights and met some friendly cyclists who offered them road maps to the local area. [Horatio Nelson Jackson]. 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. Jackson was possessed of a deep thirst for adventure, and his remarkable story chronicles the very beginning of the restless road trips that soon became a way of life in America. "The majority opinion expressed was that, save for short distances, the automobile was an unreliable novelty," Jackson later wrote. I have lost 5 days. Want to know what happened? I asked her. All Rights Reserved. Jackson and Crocker were en route, but could not overtake them. 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]. Their luck would soon begin to slowly turn when they purchased Bud, a Pit Bull they obtained from a rancher near Caldwell, Idaho. An article in the. This post contains affiliate links. This we did the result being that we ran across the desert to Swanton Falls a distance, out of our way, 38 miles. The idea of driving across the country captured the imagination of millions of Americans. (4) The men created a 100-foot path of sagebrush so the car could drive over the sandy soil. My darling Swipes. 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. Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip is a 2003 documentary film directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan. On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. 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. Reaching Alturas, California, Jackson and Crocker stopped to wait for the tires. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearSoda Springs in Caribou County, Idaho , Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 22, 2017. "Ocean to Ocean in an Automobile Car," Stephen Sears, Bud grew so accustomed to his riding goggles that "he would not begin the day's drive without them. Browse letters written by Horatio Nelson Jackson to his wife while on the road, and newspaper articles written about Jackson's epic trip. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) They have been very short & dear ones to me. We shall now try & make a record trip. When the Rubber First Hit the Roads of America - Los Angeles Times 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. Finally, the end is in sight! The travelers eventually reached Omaha, Nebraska, on July 12. Jackson was unable to buy a new tire, but purchased some used inner tubes. Americans have driven millions of miles back and forth across the country over the years but someone had to be first. 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 Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. That someone was Horatio Jackson Nelson. 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. I find it fascinating how similar my own road trip experiences were in some ways to the very first cross-country journey. No sooner than Jackson had finished the repair however, that they then suffered a gasoline leak which wasted all their available fuel. H. Nelson Jacksons trip in 1903 inspired dozens of motorists to cross the country. 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? I am a little ahead of time but Lord knows when I will get time to write again. Even before roads stretched across the nation, well-publicized cross-country automobile trips advertised car manufacturers, promoted political causes, and proved Take good care of yourself & dont worry. This historical marker was erected by America's Byways. Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip - amazon.com 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!). 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. When Im writing something, I want to use the perfect word to get my meaning across. The film is based on the book of the same name by Dayton Duncan. Ramseys sisters-in-law and a friend accompanied her on the trip from New York to San Francisco. The Vermont native had married the daughter of a decorated Civil War general who was one of the richest men in Burlington. Google Maps Please give my best love to your mother & tell [my] father & mother that I love them as much as ever. Car: 1903 Winton two-seat touring car No. [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. [1] He graduated with an MD degree from the University of Vermont in 1893, became a physician, and practiced in Brattleboro and Burlington. Of course, these guidebooks were only published in the more-populated East at the time. They often Click on each stop of the journey to learn. The Jackson-Crocker trip excited people across the nation. She returned home by train, allowing him to take his adventure by automobile. Automobiles were in their infancy: The first American car had been produced only 10. Its subject is the first cross-country automobile journey in the United States, which occurred during the summer of 1903. 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]. In those days, almost all of the paved roads were in cities, and most people traveled no more than 12 miles from their homes. 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. 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. 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. Jackson and Crocker opted to start out following the railroad north into Oregon. "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. 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. You have done everything in the world to make me happy.I shall just tear up the ground until I can be with you. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [8] Jackson had wanted a dog companion since Sacramento. In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, a doctor from Vermont, was in San Francisco with his wife when he made a bet. I shall write you when I can & shall depend on you to keep them posted.Yours till New York, Nelson.[P.S.] Broke down again, Jackson rented a bicycle from a nearby rancher, rode the 25 miles back to town, suffered his own flat tire, and eventually returned with the fuel. But if there was one thing Horatio had, it was a steadfast commitment to the dream. Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. I asked her. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 January 14, 1955) was an American automobile pioneer. 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. He purchased a 1903 Winton Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Contractor Welland assisted the party back to Archer and they are now coming to Cheyenne to remain till repairs can be made. No one was injured; it was the only accident on the trip. 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. 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. Horatio's Drive America's First Road Trip 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 United States in the new-fangled "horseless carriage." Thanks! There were also no signs because most people out driving were locals who knew all the turns already. Jackson had made it from San Francisco in 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes - well within his wager of 90 days. "In the last three months I've been driving it every day in preparation for the trip and every day something breaks," Kesling said. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. 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. With 146 illustrations and 1 map Read more Print length 192 pages Language English They were also given a 108-mile (174km) misdirection by a woman so that she could send them to the spot where her family could see an automobile.[6]. The First: Cross-Country Road Trip - historynet.com 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. A significant historical date for this entry is July 23, 1903. Winton and the Great American Road Trip - Automotive Hall of Fame His wife, though supportive of the trip, opted for a much easier train ride home to Vermont. It was also the same year that the Frontier in America was consideredclosed. About the Film | Horatio's Drive | Ken Burns | PBS The First Cross-Country Road Trip Took 2 Men and a Pitbull 63 Days By all accounts,Horatios bet was one made in the innocence of drunken exuberance. 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. Tom Hanks provided the voice-over narration for Horatio Nelson Jackson. Dr. Jackson left his practice after a diagnosis of tuberculosis. In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson single handedly silenced a conversation taking place at the San Francisco University Club. They removed the backseat to make more room for gear and spare parts. 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. He is also very handy at repairing, a faculty that may prove of value. Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. At the time there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, all of them within city limits. Be inspired! At Mountain Home, Idaho they veered from the Oregon Trail for the first time since near the California border and turned south glancing by the southern edge of the Sawtooth Mountains.