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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. 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. 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. As the nineteenth century came to an end, there were only 8,000 cars in the United States compared to 14 million horses. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. At one point he was ticketed for exceeding the 6mph (9.7km/h) speed limit in Burlington. Jackson and Crocker face obstacle after obstacle on their trip. Just 4 days after declaring his intentions, he had found a car and a chauffeur. He was outfitted with his own driving goggles as protection from the dust and settled right in for the journey. Ill admit, I hadnt given it much thought myself despite my own epic road trip history. 1899 -Louise and John Davis made the first known attempt to drive a car from coast to coast. Horatio's Journey. On July 12, the two men and the dog arrived in Nebraska where they found themselves back on paved roads. 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." Traveled at 40 mph, and "said they sometimes spurted up to 60 miles an hour.". Bud was a young, light-colored bulldog who immediately added life to the journey. It was one of the few original parts never replaced during the entire journey. 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. "Fifty dollars says I can drive a car to New York." This was quite a boast for a man without a car or mechanical knowledge. Touch for map. Watch me now come to you.Nel. Subsequently, their mileage took a sharp increase andtheir rate of trail damage sharply decreased. Got onto the right road again and reached Orchid at eleven oclock. But, 2 days after the bet, Horatiofinalized the purchase of his first car, a Winton that he dubbed The Vermont after his home state. 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. 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. Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. Want to know what happened? No sooner than Jackson had finished the repair however, that they then suffered a gasoline leak which wasted all their available fuel. After 63 days on the road, the expedition reached New York. 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. [1] His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. A stop of two days was made here to await their arrival, and on Tuesday morning the adventurous travelers resumed their journey.". Horatio Nelson Jackson was a physician from Vermont who married Bertha Wells, the daughter of the richest man in Vermont. In addition to the effect the rough roads had on their possessions, it also took its toll on the Winton and their equipment. With lots of love to all I am yours.NelsonP.S. Jackson walked back to the town of Vale, Oregon to stock up on oil for this latestrepair. Here they prepare to light the acetylene gas headlamps. that the automobile could be more than an expensive toy. coats and sweaters and two small suitcases for their clothes Jackson attended the schools of Toronto and Toronto's collegiate institute. In honor of its achievement it was decorated with tiny flags and draped with national standards. The axle crank and two connecting rods broke and they had to send to the Cleveland factory to replace them. On June 9, outside of Vale, Oregon, the Vermont ran out of oil. Until that time, the current route was but a well-traveled wagon road parallel with the Oregon Short Line railroad. The idea of driving across the country captured the imagination of millions of Americans. I asked her. Here we were advised to changed our course a little and take the left hand road of the R. R. One old fellow said keep to the left road. ", Jackson had wanted a dog along on the trip and purchased the American bulldog, Bud, in Caldwell, Idaho. The Jackson-Crocker trip excited people across the nation. The Vermont native had married the daughter of a decorated Civil War general who was one of the richest men in Burlington. A broken mud guard and a sprung front axle alone attested the hard knocks it had had on its long journey. 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. When the Winton needed repairs, they telegraphed the factory for parts and awaited delivery by railroad. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Im laid-back, sometimes scattered, a little curious, love to laugh, and always up for a fun road trip. ", Bud, wrote Jackson, was "the one member of (our) trio who used no profanity on the entire trip.". Jackson decided to take a more northerly route. 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!) 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. They often At Hailey, Idaho, Crocker wired the Winton Company for more parts. 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. Shortly after returning to the road, both of the brothers' vehicles broke down, and Jackson towed them both home with the Vermont. But only 15 miles (24km) into the journey, the car blew a tire. Thanks! We took that road for miles and then it came to a dead end at an isolated farmhouse. ", "Col. Nelson Jackson: The Man Who Spent $8,000 to Win a $50 Bet" Martin Sheridan. 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. Jackson and S.K. 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. Tom Hanks provided the voice-over narration for Horatio Nelson Jackson. The trip, sparked by a $50 gentlemen's wager, took 63 days. We are spending most of the time trying to get out of water and mud holes. I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. [6] The duo was also assisted in Sacramento by bicyclists who offered them road maps. He also served as a senior officer in the Officer Reserve Corps. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker, his chauffeur, finished the first transcontinental automobile trip at half-past four o'clock yesterday morning. 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. Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. They removed the backseat to make more room for gear and spare parts. 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. 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. 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. He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). took Jackson 63 days, cost him $8,000 and left a transcontinental trail littered with broken parts, tools, clothes, flat tires and tears. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Jackson (at the wheel) enlisted Sewall Crocker as his mechanic and co-driver, and bought a used Winton touring car. At a time when few women owned or drove cars, taking the wheel was a powerful symbolic act. This post contains affiliate links. We shall try & get away tonight. 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. Ken Burns takes 'Horatio's Drive'. He also had the sense to hire a good bicycle-turned-car mechanic in Crocker. My darling Swipes,We expected our express on No. I asked her. His arrival in New York City, after every imaginable breakdown and delay, proved that the "horseless . My answer would probably be computer. The travelers eventually reached Omaha, Nebraska, on July 12. She extracted the Maxwell from washouts and mudholes with block and tackle, a jack, even fence rails under the wheels. "[Horatio Nelson Jackson], My darling Girl: We have crossed the mountains & dont expect to come to anymore until we get into Idaho. [6], Jackson continued to reside in Burlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and Bud the dog. The trip began after a discussion in a San Francisco mens club as to the feasibility of a transcontinental auto crossing. In Caldwell, Idaho, they met a man who offered them a dog as a mascot. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) 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). Jackson and Crocker followed trails, rivers, mountain passes, alkali flats, and the Union Pacific Railroad across the West. The possibilities of the open road What natural wonder will we see today? 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." Hmm, perhaps youve never stopped to think about it before. Generally speaking, America in 1903 hadno roadsbetween cities, towns, or any other landmarks for that matter. 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 journey was arduous and slow, but their trip made headlines wherever they went. What there was however, was a loose patchwork of wagon and horse trails connecting the sparse fabric of humanity. 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. Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. "They've never seen an automobile. 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. Explore a chronology of the invention of the automobile. "Which way to Marysville?" There is nothing more quintessentially American than to set out on the open road in search of adventure. He was frightening horses. 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. The further they pushed on through Idaho and Wyoming, the more it seemed that the team would actually make it. 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. All day yesterday it was visited by admiring automobilists, and curious passersby peeped in upon it. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! "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. Somewhere near Caldwell, Idaho, Jackson and Crocker obtained a dog, a bulldog named Bud. I am not much of a hand to write love letters: you didnt give me a chance for much practice, but you know dear how I feel. Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. Enough gasoline can be carried to run the machine 250 miles. Jackson and Crockers trip inspired an organized movement to improve the nations roads and make them better for cars. There were no gas stations and virtually no road maps as we know them today. (4) The men created a 100-foot path of sagebrush so the car could drive over the sandy soil. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [1] Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. Most. The first effort to cross the country in 1899 ended inauspiciously for the car. 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. She returned home by train, allowing him to take his adventure by automobile. It will be undertaken by Dr. H. Nelson Jackson of Vermont and S.K. Jackson and Crocker set off from San Francisco at 1 p.m. on May 23, 1903. 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]. 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. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). 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. 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. While crossing the Rocky Mountains, they were moving boulders by hand out of their path. [6] Newspapers at the time gave a variety of stories of how Bud was acquired, including that he was stolen; in a letter to his wife, Nelson said a man sold him the dog for $15[9] (equivalent to $452 in 2021[3]). for many, many years. Occasionally horses and cars gave her Peter's car is 100 years old, and he has to worry about semi-trucks.". By all accounts,Horatios bet was one made in the innocence of drunken exuberance. [17][18], In 1944, Jackson gave his Winton, the Vermont, to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is preserved.[6]. Having no mechanical experience, Jackson convinced a young mechanic and chauffeur, Sewall K. Crocker, to serve as his travel companion, mechanic, and backup driver. Following the war, he became one of the founders of theAmerican Legion, and twice ran forGovernor of Vermont. Yet the young retired doctor, along with a mechanical assistant and a dog, took up the . Once underway again, it was only 3 days later that they ran out of oil. Fortunately, Jackson was an optimist. The Winton Touring Car "Vermont" and Bud Googles are displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History until this day. Film-maker Ken Burns presents the hilarious 1903 saga of the first transcontinental automobile trip. "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. Making matters worse, these trails were generally considered informaland werent typically mapped with any senseof care or accuracy. This article about a historical documentary film is a stub. There had to be an easier way to win a $50 bet. 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). The running time to Alturas was five and a half days; about 125 miles per day, without accident or incident worthy of mention. 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. California to New York. Please give my best love to your mother & tell [my] father & mother that I love them as much as ever. 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. 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. 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. Or sometimes I just need to, Read More The Right Word Peter Roget and His ThesaurusContinue, If youve never heard of Snowflake Bentley, then Ive got a treat for you! 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. [1] He graduated with an MD degree from the University of Vermont in 1893, became a physician, and practiced in Brattleboro and Burlington. [8] Jackson had wanted a dog companion since Sacramento. He was active in several businesses, including a granite manufacturing company owned by his brother Hollister. Horatio's letter to Bertha | May 31, 1903 . 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Dr. Nelson has provided the very latest kind of gasoline machine, large and commodious and 20-horsepower. H. Nelson Jacksons trip in 1903 inspired dozens of motorists to cross the country. 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. Long-distance road trips and other publicity stunts helped establish the automobile in Americans consciousness long before cars became commonplace. Keep reading The Pony Express is a well-known American mail delivery service of the early 1860s. Hi, Im Sheila laid-back, sometimes creative, a little curious, and always ready for a last-minute adventure. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. On our way back we were stopped by a man and asked if I didnt want a dog for a mascot. "They were the visionaries and crackpots, which is sometimes the same person. The Winton Motor Carriage Company published details about the Jackson-Crocker cross-country trip and emphasized the cars ruggedness and reliability. Jackson and Crocker were en route, but could not overtake them. Article from American Heritage . The next day they arrived in Ontario, Oregon, where supplies waited for them. Going northwards out of Sacramento, the noise of the car covered the fact that the duo's cooking gear was falling off. Jackson chose a cherry red 1903 Winton Company touring car. Alturas, California. Theres also a book which I grabbed on my very next visit to the library. Sidebar ads are available in 125 x 125 and 480 x 60 sizes, in bi-monthly or six month intervals. York City. 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. Bud became an efficient watchman and was left in front seat at all stops to guard the car and equipment. 42 38.862 N, 111 42.124 W. Marker is near Soda Springs, Idaho, in Caribou County. "Everyone pooh- poohed the idea of even attempting such a journey.". In everyday life, the 31 year old Horatio was a successful Burlington, Vermont physician. 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. I shall write you when I can & shall depend on you to keep them posted.Yours till New York, Nelson.[P.S.] I am tired & got to get up early in the morning & damn anxious to get you in my arms. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [Horatio Nelson Jackson].[P.S.] Jacob Murdock and his family drove from Pasadena to New York City in just 32 days. Enter Horatios Drive: Americas First Road Trip, a documentary produced by Ken Burns. 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. Just as soon as I can get decent tires we will make a record run. Louise Davis wrote of their attempt, The automobile is a treacherous animal for a long trip.. "That's why I'm optimistic. 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. What part of history will come to life when we see it with our own eyes? Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 January 14, 1955) was an American automobile pioneer. 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 leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. ), 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! So many windmills! 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). 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. 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. They were facing a daunting task. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental motor route, created in 1913. 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.