"I had," he later recalled, "succumbed completely to a primary enthusiasm for the newfangled horseless buggy.". Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker, his chauffeur, finished the first transcontinental automobile trip at half-past four o'clock yesterday morning. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. 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. The further they pushed on through Idaho and Wyoming, the more it seemed that the team would actually make it. My answer would probably be computer. Two other motoring partieseach anxious to claim the title of first to drive across countrydeparted while In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, of Hackensack, New Jersey, became the first woman to drive across the United States. 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. The trip began after a discussion in a San Francisco mens club as to the feasibility of a transcontinental auto crossing. (Hollister Jackson was serving as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont when he died in the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. I find it fascinating how similar my own road trip experiences were in some ways to the very first cross-country journey. "Why did you send us way down there?" Documentary film maker Ken Burns produced a film, Horatio's Drive, for PBS. It was one of the few original parts never replaced during the entire journey. View my full disclosure. Going northwards out of Sacramento, the noise of the car covered the fact that the duo's cooking gear was falling off. Dr. Jackson started his trek in San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car he called "Vermont" (honoring the state in which he and his wife Bertha lived), and the final destination was Burlington, Vermont. Somewhere along this route, Jackson lost a pair of his glasses. I have been using thesauruses (thesauri is the preferred plural of the author but thesauruses is definitely more fun to say!) Allegedly Jackson made a $50 bet that he could drive from San Francisco to New York in less than 90 days. Jackson, who was 31 in 1903, was undaunted by these conspicuous failures. In addition to owning and publishing the Burlington Daily News, he was head of the Burlington Trust Company, and owned and operated radio station WCAX (now WVMT). Driving Directions to Prescott, AZ including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. Jackson was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 25, 1872, a son of Samuel Nelson Jackson (18381913) and Mary Anne (Parkyn) Jackson (18431916). for many, many years. After 63 days on the road, the expedition reached New York. 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. The canine was quickly fitted with a pair of goggles and, from then on, got second billing only to the "whizz wagon," as one newspaper called the "Vermont. He accepted, even though at age 31 he did not own a car, had practically no experience driving, and had no maps to follow. Horatio Jackson, Sewall Crocker, Bud and the "Vermont", Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, October 19, 2018, 4. He is also very handy at repairing, a faculty that may prove of value. Take good care of yourself & dont worry. York City. They are repeatedly forced to use shovels and the block and tackle to push and drag the car through sand and mud. An automobile trip across the continent that will be watched with a great deal of interest will start from this city this morning. H. Nelson Jackson, a physician and businessman from Burlington, Vermont, captured the nations attention when he and Sewall K. Crocker, a mechanic, drove from Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. The film is based on the book of the same name by Dayton Duncan. Somewhere near Caldwell, Idaho, Jackson and Crocker obtained a dog, a bulldog named Bud. 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. [Horatio Nelson Jackson]. The possibilities of the open road What natural wonder will we see today? 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. 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]. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) My darling Swipes,We expected our express on No. His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. 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. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) Keep reading to find out more Which came first, the snow or the passion? 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. Jackson (at the wheel) enlisted Sewall Crocker as his mechanic and co-driver, and bought a used Winton touring car. In those days, almost all of the paved roads were in cities, and most people traveled no more than 12 miles from their homes. This post contains affiliate links. (1) 'Bud,' a stray American bulldog, joined the journey. Youre going to love it here. took Jackson 63 days, cost him $8,000 and left a transcontinental trail littered with broken parts, tools, clothes, flat tires and tears. The Vermont native had married the daughter of a decorated Civil War general who was one of the richest men in Burlington. Horatio's Drive Follow the route that Horatio Nelson Jackson and his passengers took across the country. Tom Hanks provided the voice-over narration for Horatio Nelson Jackson. He also had the sense to hire a good bicycle-turned-car mechanic in Crocker. The automobile was about to transform American life. Basin & Range is the premier resource for living the Active Outdoor Western Lifestyle. Want to know what other interesting things there are to see out on the road? Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearSoda Springs in Caribou County, Idaho , Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 22, 2017. I want to celebrate here by getting my new parts. On July 12, the two men and the dog arrived in Nebraska where they found themselves back on paved roads. Subsequently, their mileage took a sharp increase andtheir rate of trail damage sharply decreased. 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. 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)". "At the time they made the trip, there was a perception that the American frontier was closed. Later, somewhere in Idaho, they lost Jacksons coat which contained most of the travelers money. Jackson and Crocker were en route, but could not overtake them. In Caldwell, Idaho, they met a man who offered them a dog as a mascot. 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. Horatio Nelson Jackson was a physician from Vermont who married Bertha Wells, the daughter of the richest man in Vermont. Many days of the journey, especially in the beginning, were spent parked in a town awaiting replacement parts to arrive via stagecoach or train so they they could continue on. 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. Most. Proper roads were so few and far between at this point, that there were no maps. The jaunt will not only be a trip back in history, but a clash of early 20th and 21st century technologies. Hmm, perhaps youve never stopped to think about it before. Jackson and Crockers trip inspired an organized movement to improve the nations roads and make them better for cars. We returned and took supper with the section hand. When the tires failed to materialize, however, they continued on after a three-day wait. In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. On the first night of the journey they discovered that the side lanterns were too dim. 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. "The rubber tires on the machine were somewhat worn and a new supply was ordered from the East by telegraph to be sent to this place. He then hired a partner/mechanic, Samuel Crocker, who was a successful bicycle racer to accompany him on his journey east. 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!) At a time when few women owned or drove cars, taking the wheel was a powerful symbolic act. What there was however, was a loose patchwork of wagon and horse trails connecting the sparse fabric of humanity. "We're standing in . It got people thinking about long-distance highways.". He purchased a 1903 Winton 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. 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. . The first family road trip was in 1908. There had to be an easier way to win a $50 bet. completed the first transcontinental automobile trip, from San Francisco to New York, in 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes. This is a bad start for our first eleven days out. By CATHERINE SEIPP. 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 "In the last three months I've been driving it every day in preparation for the trip and every day something breaks," Kesling said. A few companies had started to put out guidebooks with detailed instructions on how to get from one town to the next. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. "[Horatio Nelson Jackson], My darling Girl: We have crossed the mountains & dont expect to come to anymore until we get into Idaho. Those who had seen automobiles mostly complained about the noise and dust they caused and their tendency to spook horses. After Cheyenne, Jackson and Horatio both knew that the hard part of the journey was now behind them. Press Clipping from Horatio Nelson Jacksons road trip across America. - Behind Every Day, rubber mackintoshes for themselves and the car (remember no roof, no windshield! 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. Theres also a book which I grabbed on my very next visit to the library. 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. Before leaving, the machine will have a thorough overhauling and be put into condition for fast running. 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. Jackson and his wife planned to return to their Burlington, Vermont, home in a few days, and both had been taking automobile driving lessons while in San Francisco. With lots of love to all I am yours.NelsonP.S. Fortunately, Jackson was an optimist. Of course, these guidebooks were only published in the more-populated East at the time. Jackson walked back to the town of Vale, Oregon to stock up on oil for this latestrepair. Horatio, Jackson and Bud Passing through town. In honor of its achievement it was decorated with tiny flags and draped with national standards. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) . By all accounts,Horatios bet was one made in the innocence of drunken exuberance. Car: 1903 Winton two-seat touring car No. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) was an American physician and automobile pioneer. 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. The duo was assisted in Sacramento by bicyclists who offered them road maps. 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. As Burke and Richardson drove around the country, overcoming the challenges of rough roads and mechanical breakdowns, they showed that women could be at home in the masculine domain of machines. 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. There were also no signs because most people out driving were locals who knew all the turns already. Sometimes, though, we had to hunt for five miles to find a place where we could get our machine on the track. You have done everything in the world to make me happy.I shall just tear up the ground until I can be with you. Horatio Nelson Jacksons Road Trip Route Across America. Like Jackson, Ramsey and her three female passengers packed a block and tackle and used it often in the muddy Midwest. Between 1909 and 1975, Ramsey drove across the country I asked her. It will be undertaken by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Vermont and S.K. Im laid-back, sometimes scattered, a little curious, love to laugh, and always up for a fun road trip. A significant historical date for this entry is July 23, 1903. )[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. 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. 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." Director Ken Burns Writer Dayton Duncan Stars Keith David (voice) Tom Hanks (voice) Adam Arkin (voice) With them they brought little more than a couple of coats, some protective canvas suits, a couple of sleeping bags, some blankets, canteens, a water bag, an ax, a shovel, a telescope, some bicycle repair tools, a few spare parts, a block and tackle, extra cans gasoline and oil, a camera, a rifle, a shotgun, and a couple of pistols. Touch for map. Jackson attended the schools of Toronto and Toronto's collegiate institute. Finally, the end is in sight! Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip is a 2003 documentary film directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan. But only 15 miles (24km) into the journey, the car blew a tire. When the Winton needed repairs, they telegraphed the factory for parts and awaited delivery by railroad. Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. The amazing journey of Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, and the first successful car trip across the United States, has been commemorated in a documentary film by the celebrated Ken Burns, "Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip", which debuts Monday, October 6th, at 9:00 p.m. on PBS. They helped prove that long-distance road travel was a realif expensive and difficultpossibility. 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. Horatio's letter to Bertha | May 31, 1903 . Watch me now come to you.Nel. The press came out at every stop to take their picture and conduct interviews. 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. They include: Archival footage of Horatio Nelson Jackson is included. Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. 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 . Way out West: H. Nelson Jackson at the wheel of his Winton. Want to know what happened? He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). About 15 miles (24km) from home his car once again broke down. History of Ballooning The first exhibit tells about the history of ballooning from 1783 to the current day. Until that time, the current route was but a well-traveled wagon road parallel with the Oregon Short Line railroad. They often Horatio's Drive is the first chapter in our nation's great romance with the road. 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. His beat includes earthquake research, marine biology, wildfire science, nuclear testing, archaeology, wildlife and scientific exploration of land and sea. Bud became an efficient watchman and was left in front seat at all stops to guard the car and equipment. "Right down that road," she said and pointed. Hi! [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. 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. They have been very short & dear ones to me. Jackson decided to give it a try. that the automobile could be more than an expensive toy. The journey was arduous and slow, but their trip made headlines wherever they went. Enter Horatios Drive: Americas First Road Trip, a documentary produced by Ken Burns. Contents 1 Early life and medical career 2 Cross-country drive 2.1 Wager and preparation 2.2 Journey 3 Later life Darling Swipes,The car is at the shop & they are to work all night so that I can get away in the morning. The idea of driving across the country captured the imagination of millions of Americans. The trip,. Take good care of yourself & dont worry. This historical marker was erected by America's Byways. 1st auto passed thru yesterday; came via Camas Prairie and Croy Gulch to Hailey, "hence to Bellevue and on to Blackfoot." Source: 'The Mad Doctor's Drive,' by Ralph Nading Hill; 'Winton 1903,' by Peter C. Kesling. This allowed them to avoid the higher passes in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. Here we slept under our carriage. 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 . He was frightening horses. 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. It was also the same year that the Frontier in America was consideredclosed. Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. 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. 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. As I had been trying to steal one we were glad to get him so accepted the present (consideration $15.00). Thanks for stopping by my campfire to share a story. The running time to Alturas was five and a half days; about 125 miles per day, without accident or incident worthy of mention. 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. "They've never seen an automobile. Despite mud, washouts, breakdowns, and a lack of roads and bridges in the West, they finished their trip in 63 days. California to New York. They left San Francisco on May 23, 1903, loaded with gear and enthusiasm. Horatio's Journey. 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. But this newfangled automobile enticed Americans with two things they wanted most: freedom and mobility. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). 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. Be amazed! On June 16, somewhere in Idaho, Jackson's coat, containing most of the travelers' money, fell off and was not found. 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. [1] His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. There is nothing more quintessentially American than to set out on the open road in search of adventure. 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. 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. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). "That's why I'm optimistic. Jacob Murdock and his family drove from Pasadena to New York City in just 32 days. Thanks! 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. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. Postcard from the mid-1920s of a scene near Pocatello, Idaho before the road was officially named U.S. Highway 30.; (map on right) Route of Horatio's journey, arriving in Soda Springs June 16, 1903. Captions: (left) Horatio Nelson Jackson (driving), Sewall K. Crocker (right), and Bud in the "Vermont. [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. 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 chose a cherry red 1903 Winton Company touring car. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. They offered locals rides in the car in exchange for a "wild west show". African American History Curatorial Collective. A stop of two days was made here to await their arrival, and on Tuesday morning the adventurous travelers resumed their journey.". The Pres of the firm with his associates came out & we had quite a procession into the city. "The majority opinion expressed was that, save for short distances, the automobile was an unreliable novelty," Jackson later wrote. Having resupplied the best they could, they struck back out onto the open roader,open range. Early life and medical career [ edit] They are all like a lot of kids I have made arrangements to have the Winton agent at New York to take you up the Hudson to meet me. Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. He was active in several businesses, including a granite manufacturing company owned by his brother Hollister. Dr. Nelson has provided the very latest kind of gasoline machine, large and commodious and 20-horsepower. One hundred years ago, on May 23, 1903, an eccentric doctor from Vermont named Horatio Nelson Jackson set off from San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car, hoping to become the first . It was also the same year that the "Frontier" in America was considered closed. 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. With 146 illustrations and 1 map Read more Print length 192 pages Language English No sooner than Jackson had finished the repair however, that they then suffered a gasoline leak which wasted all their available fuel. Really, it was just a matter of time before the car took over the roads. [6] When their tires blew out they were required to wind rope around the wheels. We are spending most of the time trying to get out of water and mud holes. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission!