He was outfitted with his own driving goggles as protection from the dust and settled right in for the journey. He also served as a senior officer in the Officer Reserve Corps. After twomore days ofplanning and preparation, the two began their unbelievable impromptu journey eastwardtowards New York City. Making matters worse, these trails were generally considered informaland werent typically mapped with any senseof care or accuracy. Over a hundred years after Jacksons trip, I can still relate to some of his experiences. 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. 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. Jackson was seated in a gentleman's club when he overheard a discussion at another table about the impracticability of automobiles. 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. Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip TV Movie 2003 TV-G 1 h 47 m IMDb RATING 8.0 /10 546 YOUR RATING Rate Documentary Adventure History The saga of Horatio Nelson Jackson, the first man to cross the United States by automobile--in 1903! The rough trek towards Oregon required them to haul the car across deep streams with the block and tackle. 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. His arrival in New York City, after every imaginable breakdown and delay, proved that the "horseless . The running time to Alturas was five and a half days; about 125 miles per day, without accident or incident worthy of mention. Captions: (left) Horatio Nelson Jackson (driving), Sewall K. Crocker (right), and Bud in the "Vermont. 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. [1] Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. ), additional tanks to hold extra oil and gasoline for emergencies. What there was however, was a loose patchwork of wagon and horse trails connecting the sparse fabric of humanity. Jackson had made it from San Francisco in 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes - well within his wager of 90 days. [6], Jackson continued to reside in Burlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and Bud the dog. If Im laughing, even at myself, then Im not crying, right? Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, NearSoda Springs in Caribou County, Idaho , Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 22, 2017. The Winton Touring Car "Vermont" and Bud Googles are displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History until this day. Questions? Having resupplied the best they could, they struck back out onto the open roader,open range. Yet the young retired doctor, along with a mechanical assistant and a dog, took up the . Following the railroad right-of-way seemed the best way to go as they headed out. 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. With 146 illustrations and 1 map Read more Print length 192 pages Language English After driving the distance, they moved the path back in front of the car, repeating the process until they cleared the area. Jackson's trip started in a hastily purchased Winton that he named the "Vermont" four days after he made the bet. 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. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) 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? When the Winton needed repairs, they telegraphed the factory for parts and awaited delivery by railroad. The cross-country trip, which now takes about two days if you drive nonstop. Together, both events would dramatically alter the course of exploration and adventure for the next century. Mr. Crocker is a devotee of the new machines and expert as a chauffeur. 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). [Horatio Nelson Jackson]. Click on each stop of the journey to learn. 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 and Crockers trip inspired an organized movement to improve the nations roads and make them better for cars. My sense of humor gets me through life. Despite mud, washouts, breakdowns, and a lack of roads and bridges in the West, they finished their trip in 63 days. 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. 5 at three this afternoon, but a message this noon from the train agent says that he has nothing, so it is another day. Our experts bring you content that exemplifies life in the North American Western States and Provinces. 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. His wife, though supportive of the trip, opted for a much easier train ride home to Vermont. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) was an American automobile pioneer. Peter Fimrite is The Chronicle's lead science reporter, covering environmental, atmospheric and ecosystem science. 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. Its not until they reach Iowa that they finally begin to travel at a decent unimpeded speed, averaging nearly 150 miles per day. A few companies had started to put out guidebooks with detailed instructions on how to get from one town to the next. Contents 1 Early life and medical career 2 Cross-country drive 2.1 Wager and preparation 2.2 Journey 3 Later life Even before we had cars, Americans have been drawn out to explore the unknown horizons. It will be undertaken by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Vermont and S.K. 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. At a time when few women owned or drove cars, taking the wheel was a powerful symbolic act. 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. Until that time, the current route was but a well-traveled wagon road parallel with the Oregon Short Line railroad. The public's perception of this newfangled conveyance took a deep public relations dive on Sept. 13, 1899, when Henry H. Bliss stepped off a streetcar in Manhattan and was flattened by an electric-powered taxicab, becoming the first automobile fatality in the country. The press came out at every stop to take their picture and conduct interviews. 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. I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. Thanks for stopping by my campfire to share a story. It took five months, and covered more than 10,000 miles. The two-cylinder, 20-horsepower Winton that Kesling will be driving has only two speeds -- slow and slower. 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. Jackson died on January 14, 1955 in Burlington, Vermont and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery there. In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, of Hackensack, New Jersey, became the first woman to drive across the United States. They offered locals rides in the car in exchange for a "wild west show". ", Bud, wrote Jackson, was "the one member of (our) trio who used no profanity on the entire trip.". Hi! It is Near Soda Springs in Caribou County Idaho, 3. 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. Enough gasoline can be carried to run the machine 250 miles. In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. He was active in several businesses, including a granite manufacturing company owned by his brother Hollister. African American History Curatorial Collective. Documentary film maker Ken Burns produced a film, Horatio's Drive, for PBS. This growing glimmer of hope eventually attracted the attention of the Press, who would anticipate their next town arrival and show up to document their adventures. From there on, they were able to use a few paved roads, and their trip was much easier. . Jackson chose a cherry red 1903 Winton Company touring car. The film features many old songs, framed by a popular number from 1914 called "He'd Have to Get Under Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile)". This is a carousel. The thick coating of mud gave evidence that it had been somewhere and that somewhere a long way off. Crocker Will Start this Morning on Automobile Trip They Hope Will End in New York. Before leaving, the machine will have a thorough overhauling and be put into condition for fast running. , At the time of Horatio Jackson's trek, only 150 miles of paved road existed in the country, and gas stations and road maps were non-existent. a tow. 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. Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. [17][18], In 1944, Jackson gave his Winton, the Vermont, to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is preserved.[6]. Indeed had a flying machine lit down in their midst it would not have created greater astonishment. 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. Nell Richardson, Alice Burke, and the Golden Flier, 1916. 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. Constitution Avenue, NW 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. He also writes about the cannabis industry, outdoor adventure, Native American issues and the culture of the West. 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]. 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. The next day they arrived in Ontario, Oregon, where supplies waited for them. Horatio Nelson Jacksons Road Trip Route Across America. Explore the Winton touring car, which Jackson took on his historic trip. All Rights Reserved. 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 [Horatio Nelson Jackson] Interactive Map Home . 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. But, 2 days after the bet, Horatiofinalized the purchase of his first car, a Winton that he dubbed The Vermont after his home state. "Everyone pooh- poohed the idea of even attempting such a journey.". Sponsored by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the trip began and ended in New Take good care of yourself & dont worry. , The route of US 30 traces its origin to the early 1900s. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental motor route, created in 1913. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. Jackson and S.K. Interested in having your company's ad featured on Basin & Range Magazine? This is a bad start for our first eleven days out. Marker is on Soda Point Power Plant Road near Reservoir Road, on the right when traveling south. This article related to a made-for-TV documentary film is a stub. In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. 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. Except for its heavy coat of mud and dilapidated front tires, the car is little the worse for its rough usage. (3) The car's 'cyclometer' fell off before crossing Idaho, leaving no way to tell how fast or how far they traveled for the remainder of the trip. We returned and took supper with the section hand. Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. 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. 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. In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, a doctor from Vermont, was in San Francisco with his wife when he made a bet. Thankfully, they could then manage about 250 miles a day. 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!) (1) 'Bud,' a stray American bulldog, joined the journey. Their luck would soon begin to slowly turn when they purchased Bud, a Pit Bull they obtained from a rancher near Caldwell, Idaho. Jackson, who was 31 in 1903, was undaunted by these conspicuous failures. After delivering their luggage to the section boss we started on for Bitter Creek, crossing two rivers over the railroad bridge. [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]. Jackson described the mostly unmarked paths he was forced to bounce over as "a compound of ruts, bumps and thank-you-marms.". 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. His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. [1] He married Bertha Richardson Wells, the daughter of William Wells, a Medal of Honor recipient and one of the richest men in Vermont as a partner in Wells, Richardson & Co., manufacturer of Paine's Celery Compound, a popular patent medicine. On June 16, somewhere in Idaho, Jackson's coat, containing most of the travelers' money, fell off and was not found. On June 9, outside of Vale, Oregon, the Vermont ran out of oil. 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. It was also the same year that the "Frontier" in America was considered closed. His traveling companions were Sewall K. Crocker and a bulldog, Bud. 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. 1903 was a big year for the United States- President Teddy Roosevelt sent a wireless radio message across the Atlantic to the King of England, a cable was laid across the Pacific Ocean, completing the circuit and allowing Roosevelt to send the first telegraph around the world, and the Wright brothers made the worlds first airplane flight. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) . Subsequently, their mileage took a sharp increase andtheir rate of trail damage sharply decreased. After 63 days on the road, the expedition reached New York. "Which way to Marysville?" At first they lost their cookware, but while still in California, Jackson also lost his glasses. 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. Jackson had now been given two challenges - the time limit he was given and the two other drivers who believed they could beat him. But if there was one thing Horatio had, it was a steadfast commitment to the dream. Bud, a bulldog, accompanied the drivers, and was featured in many news photos. California to New York. 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 is a "wealthy Vermont gentleman" who bet $3,000 on trip. Once underway again, it was only 3 days later that they ran out of oil. He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). 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. The Jackson-Crocker trip excited people across the nation. The Pres of the firm with his associates came out & we had quite a procession into the city. Jackson and Crocker followed trails, rivers, mountain passes, alkali flats, and the Union Pacific Railroad across the West. We shall now try & make a record trip. At one point, Bud drank bad water and became ill, but survived. 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. Sign up for my occasional email updates! 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. Horatio's Drive is the first chapter in our nation's great romance with the road. Really, it was just a matter of time before the car took over the roads. 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. "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. Hmm, perhaps youve never stopped to think about it before. 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 one of the few original parts never replaced during the entire journey. 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]. On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. I asked her. Generally speaking, America in 1903 hadno roadsbetween cities, towns, or any other landmarks for that matter. The further they pushed on through Idaho and Wyoming, the more it seemed that the team would actually make it. Youre going to love it here. This historical marker was erected by America's Byways. Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. "I had," he later recalled, "succumbed completely to a primary enthusiasm for the newfangled horseless buggy.". 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. 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. 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. Darling Swipes,The car is at the shop & they are to work all night so that I can get away in the morning. Like Jackson, Ramsey and her three female passengers packed a block and tackle and used it often in the muddy Midwest. His enthusiasm was matched only by his underestimate of the effort needed to accomplish the journey. "They've never seen an automobile. At 30 mph, "Horatio Nelson Jackson didn't have to worry about someone going 75 mph on the highway and running him over," said author Dayton Duncan, who wrote and co-produced the documentary and companion book "Horacio's Drive," with Burns. Jackson and Crocker replaced it with the only spare they had, which by the way, happened to be the only right-sized spare tire they could find before they left. My answer would probably be computer. Tom Hanks provided the voice-over narration for Horatio Nelson Jackson. According to the Winton Companys numbering system, the car he bought was Number 1684 but he chose to christen it with the name. 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. This allowed them to avoid the higher passes in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. What part of history will come to life when we see it with our own eyes? At this point, the trio became celebrities. View my full disclosure. At Hailey, Idaho, Crocker wired the Winton Company for more parts. [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. 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. [1] His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. - Behind Every Day, rubber mackintoshes for themselves and the car (remember no roof, no windshield! We focus on Mountain and Action Sports, Travel, Recreation, and the inspirational personalities that make up the New North American Western Lifestyle. 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? . 15 miles into the journey, they blew the first of what would be many, many tires. 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. and their dog Bud made the first successful transcontinental automobile trip. All Rights Reserved. He twice ran for Governor of Vermont. The journey was arduous and slow, but their trip made headlines wherever they went. Even before roads stretched across the nation, well-publicized cross-country automobile trips advertised car manufacturers, promoted political causes, and proved By CATHERINE SEIPP. At the time there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, all of them within city limits. "From Sea to Sea in a Horseless Carriage", Dr. H.N. 1st auto passed thru yesterday; came via Camas Prairie and Croy Gulch to Hailey, "hence to Bellevue and on to Blackfoot." 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. Explore a chronology of the invention of the automobile. All Rights Reserved. Louise Davis wrote of their attempt, The automobile is a treacherous animal for a long trip.. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. 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. Keep reading The Pony Express is a well-known American mail delivery service of the early 1860s. Car: 1903 Winton two-seat touring car No. Proper roads were so few and far between at this point, that there were no maps. coats and sweaters and two small suitcases for their clothes Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. The automobile was about to transform American life. "Horacio was the big guy on the road with a brand new car. , Read More Who was Snowflake Bentley?Continue. And no, it hadnt been lost for 158 years. Who knew there were, Are there any other thesaurus lovers out there? Later, somewhere in Idaho, they lost Jacksons coat which contained most of the travelers money. ", "Col. Nelson Jackson: The Man Who Spent $8,000 to Win a $50 Bet" Martin Sheridan. They left San Francisco on May 23, 1903, loaded with gear and enthusiasm. But still, troubles continued to plague Horatio and Jackson. Want to know what other interesting things there are to see out on the road? In Caldwell, Idaho, they met a man who offered them a dog as a mascot. [Horatio Nelson Jackson].[P.S.] Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. Driving Directions to Prescott, AZ including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. We had no trouble in crossing railroad bridges With practice, bumping over bridge ties is no great task. 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. Jackson had spent Ken Burns takes 'Horatio's Drive'. Horatio, Jackson and Bud Passing through town. In 1903, H. Nelson Jackson, Sewall Crocker, Let's share the joy of discovery together. In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. After leaving New York City Jackson joined his wife and drove home to Vermont. Pin it so that others can experience the first American cross-country road trip and compare it to some of their own adventures!

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