Reaching Alturas, California, Jackson and Crocker stopped to wait for the tires. . By all accounts,Horatios bet was one made in the innocence of drunken exuberance. 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. 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. 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. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) Theres also a book which I grabbed on my very next visit to the library. "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. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. The car is at the shop & they are to work all night so that I can get away in the morning I go from here to Buffalo. We only made 45 miles in our direct route. We leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. He also writes about the cannabis industry, outdoor adventure, Native American issues and the culture of the West. 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. His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, 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. 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. "That's why I'm optimistic. His arrival in New York City, after every imaginable breakdown and delay, proved that the "horseless . It has been an awful long time to us and I shall be mighty glad when we are on the way again and unless another serious accident happens we ought to be able to make good time across these plainsWell, tomorrow is our anniversary & I wish I could be with you. Watch me now come to you.Nel. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. What there was however, was a loose patchwork of wagon and horse trails connecting the sparse fabric of humanity. 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. In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson single handedly silenced a conversation taking place at the San Francisco University Club. 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 . Except for its heavy coat of mud and dilapidated front tires, the car is little the worse for its rough usage. Packard and Oldsmobile had for several months been meticulously planning similar trips with expert drivers and mechanics, support crews and modified cars when Jackson simply loaded up the Winton and split. Ill admit, I hadnt given it much thought myself despite my own epic road trip history. Over a hundred years after Jacksons trip, I can still relate to some of his experiences. But if there was one thing Horatio had, it was a steadfast commitment to the dream. When Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson wagered in May 1903 that he could drive from San Francisco to New York in 90 days, there were only 150 miles of paved road in the entire country. H. Nelson Jacksons trip in 1903 inspired dozens of motorists to cross the country. They include: Archival footage of Horatio Nelson Jackson is included. About 15 miles (24km) from home his car once again broke down. He is also very handy at repairing, a faculty that may prove of value. Bud, a bulldog, accompanied the drivers, and was featured in many news photos. 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." The trip, sparked by a $50 gentlemen's wager, took 63 days. 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. Thanks! If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! Nelson Jackson, a physician and businessman from Burlington, Vermont, captured the nation's attention when he and Sewall K. Crocker, a mechanic, drove from California to New York. On a visionary whim and a $50 bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to drive an automobile across the continent. "; (bottom center) 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. Really, it was just a matter of time before the car took over the roads. Its not until they reach Iowa that they finally begin to travel at a decent unimpeded speed, averaging nearly 150 miles per day. The journey was arduous and slow, but their trip made headlines wherever they went. 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 automobile was about to transform American life. Jackson (at the wheel) enlisted Sewall Crocker as his mechanic and co-driver, and bought a used Winton touring car. Jackson was one of the founders of the American Legion Department of Vermont. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental motor route, created in 1913. When the Winton needed repairs, they telegraphed the factory for parts and awaited delivery by railroad. Horatio's Drive Follow the route that Horatio Nelson Jackson and his passengers took across the country. My darling Swipes,We expected our express on No. Peter's car is 100 years old, and he has to worry about semi-trucks.". 2023 Behind Every Day - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP. On June 6th however, the car finally suffered a severe mechanical issue forcing them to stop all forward progress near Burns, Oregon for several days. I had to know more! Source: 'The Mad Doctor's Drive,' by Ralph Nading Hill; 'Winton 1903,' by Peter C. Kesling. Jackson decided to take a more northerly route. Between 1909 and 1975, Ramsey drove across the country This we did the result being that we ran across the desert to Swanton Falls a distance, out of our way, 38 miles. I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. This physical limitation defined the spaces people occupied at the last turn of the century and made wandering beyond these informal limits rare and difficult. York City. Bud was a young, light-colored bulldog who immediately added life to the journey. Outside of major cities, spotting a car then was almost the equivalent of seeing a UFO today. Long-distance road trips and other publicity stunts helped establish the automobile in Americans consciousness long before cars became commonplace. In those days, almost all of the paved roads were in cities, and most people traveled no more than 12 miles from their homes. [6], Jackson continued to reside in Burlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and Bud the dog. Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. Louise Davis wrote of their attempt, The automobile is a treacherous animal for a long trip.. She extracted the Maxwell from washouts and mudholes with block and tackle, a jack, even fence rails under the wheels. 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? 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. Having resupplied the best they could, they struck back out onto the open roader,open range. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. "Everyone pooh- poohed the idea of even attempting such a journey.". Hmm, perhaps youve never stopped to think about it before. Here they prepare to light the acetylene gas headlamps. He purchased a 1903 Winton Jackson walked back to the town of Vale, Oregon to stock up on oil for this latestrepair. "From Sea to Sea in a Horseless Carriage", Dr. H.N. Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Sidebar ads are available in 125 x 125 and 480 x 60 sizes, in bi-monthly or six month intervals. Subsequently, their mileage took a sharp increase andtheir rate of trail damage sharply decreased. There will be breakdowns and tears and stories to last you through the years so get out there and start exploring! Two other motoring partieseach anxious to claim the title of first to drive across countrydeparted while There were no gas stations and virtually no road maps as we know them today. Of course, these guidebooks were only published in the more-populated East at the time. 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. Until that time, the current route was but a well-traveled wagon road parallel with the Oregon Short Line railroad. I asked her. used a block and tackle to pull the car out of mudholes. 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]. Jackson had spent After twomore days ofplanning and preparation, the two began their unbelievable impromptu journey eastwardtowards New York City. Its subject is the first cross-country automobile journey in the United States, which occurred during the summer of 1903. A significant historical date for this entry is July 23, 1903. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, the trio took a short break as they waited for more money to come through the wire, and repaired yet another mechanical failure, this time to the wheel bearings. They removed the backseat to make more room for gear and spare parts. 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. [Horatio Nelson Jackson] Interactive Map Home . A picture of Horatios dog, Bud, wearing driving goggles, caught my attention first. It took five months, and covered more than 10,000 miles. Following the war, he became one of the founders of theAmerican Legion, and twice ran forGovernor of Vermont. 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. 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. 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. This they consented to do and in about an hour we were on our way again. Somewhere near Caldwell, Idaho, Jackson and Crocker obtained a dog, a bulldog named Bud. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) In honor of its achievement it was decorated with tiny flags and draped with national standards. What part of history will come to life when we see it with our own eyes? 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. We took that road for miles and then it came to a dead end at an isolated farmhouse. (c) 2014 Re:West Media House, LLC. The possibilities of the open road What natural wonder will we see today? Contractor Welland assisted the party back to Archer and they are now coming to Cheyenne to remain till repairs can be made. coats and sweaters and two small suitcases for their clothes The duo was assisted in Sacramento by bicyclists who offered them road maps. While crossing the Rocky Mountains, they were moving boulders by hand out of their path. 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.