His two brothers, each driving his own automobile, came to help him get going again. 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 . There had to be an easier way to win a $50 bet. The Winton Touring Car "Vermont" and Bud Googles are displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History until this day. "The majority opinion expressed was that, save for short distances, the automobile was an unreliable novelty," Jackson later wrote. [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]). H. Nelson Jackson, a physician and businessman from Burlington, Vermont, captured the nations attention when he and Sewall K. Crocker, a mechanic, drove from When the travelers reached Omaha, Nebraska on July 12 they were able to stitch together a few paved roads in between the stretches of older wagon trails. I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. Having no mechanical experience, Jackson convinced a young mechanic and chauffeur, Sewall K. Crocker, to serve as his travel companion, mechanic, and backup driver. The machine drove up in front of the Hotel Lakeview and stopped.The Chauffeur inquired for a blacksmith shop, having had a mishap coming over the rough roads. Hmm, perhaps youve never stopped to think about it before. This first successful cross-country road trip sealed the American love affair with the ultimate symbol of freedom the automobile. [6], Jackson continued to reside in Burlington, Vermont, with his wife Bertha and Bud the dog. It is displayed with reproductions of supplies and equipment that the men carried. They often Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. Between June 20 and 21, all three of them got lost in Wyoming, and went without food for 36 hours before finding a sheepherder who gave them a meal of roast lamb and boiled corn. Here they prepare to light the acetylene gas headlamps. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 January 14, 1955) was an American automobile pioneer. 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. Yet the young retired doctor, along with a mechanical assistant and a dog, took up the . Horatio Nelson Jackson was a physician from Vermont who married Bertha Wells, the daughter of the richest man in Vermont. She returned home by train, allowing him to take his adventure by automobile. Until that time, the current route was but a well-traveled wagon road parallel with the Oregon Short Line railroad. He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). [10] Their trip expended over 800 US gallons (3,000L) of gasoline. Want to know what other interesting things there are to see out on the road? Last summer I received a letter that had been carried by the Pony Express. Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Horatio Nelson Jackson died on January 14, 1955, at the age of 82. 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 drove a Maxwell touring car from New York to San Francisco in 59 days. Jackson was seated in a gentleman's club when he overheard a discussion at another table about the impracticability of automobiles. Captions: (left) Horatio Nelson Jackson (driving), Sewall K. Crocker (right), and Bud in the "Vermont. 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. At a time when few women owned or drove cars, taking the wheel was a powerful symbolic act. ", "Col. Nelson Jackson: The Man Who Spent $8,000 to Win a $50 Bet" Martin Sheridan. 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. 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 threat of the other teams would spur Jackson and Horatio on, pushing them to step up their pace across the unending Great Plains of Nebraska and beyond. He also writes about the cannabis industry, outdoor adventure, Native American issues and the culture of the West. This we did the result being that we ran across the desert to Swanton Falls a distance, out of our way, 38 miles. Crocker of Seattle, both of whom are at the Palace ready for the journey. But if there was one thing Horatio had, it was a steadfast commitment to the dream. On May 23, 1903 the car was transported by ferry from San Francisco to Oakland and pointed eastward. that the automobile could be more than an expensive toy. Jackson died on January 14, 1955 in Burlington, Vermont and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery there. THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL AUTOMOBILE ROAD TRIP In 1903, a man named Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to drive across the country, from coast to coast. Sidebar ads are available in 125 x 125 and 480 x 60 sizes, in bi-monthly or six month intervals. The Indians especially never tired of gazing at the machine. History of Ballooning The first exhibit tells about the history of ballooning from 1783 to the current day. This article related to a made-for-TV documentary film is a stub. There are a few windmill museums in the world and Ive been lucky enough to visit one. Bud became an efficient watchman and was left in front seat at all stops to guard the car and equipment. It was one of the few original parts never replaced during the entire journey. 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. 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. We focus on Mountain and Action Sports, Travel, Recreation, and the inspirational personalities that make up the New North American Western Lifestyle. The travelers eventually reached Omaha, Nebraska, on July 12. In everyday life, the 31 year old Horatio was a successful Burlington, Vermont physician. ), additional tanks to hold extra oil and gasoline for emergencies. The trip, sparked by a $50 gentlemen's wager, took 63 days. Hi! Two other motoring partieseach anxious to claim the title of first to drive across countrydeparted while In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. Jackson walked back to the town of Vale, Oregon to stock up on oil for this latestrepair. Jackson and S.K. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Jackson was unable to buy a new tire, but purchased some used inner tubes. All Rights Reserved. From there on, they were able to use a few paved roads, and their trip was much easier. 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. Those who had seen automobiles mostly complained about the noise and dust they caused and their tendency to spook horses. Somewhere along this route, Jackson lost a pair of his glasses. He was frightening horses. Enough gasoline can be carried to run the machine 250 miles. And having become the first to drive a car across the nation, within hours of their. It got people thinking about long-distance highways.". Western roads were still unimproved in 1909 when Alice Huyler Ramsey drove across the country. "Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip", Learn how and when to remove this template message, He'd Have to Get Under Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile), The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God, Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horatio%27s_Drive:_America%27s_First_Road_Trip&oldid=1107453344, Documentary films about United States history, Articles needing additional references from May 2019, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 August 2022, at 02:26. Traveled at 40 mph, and "said they sometimes spurted up to 60 miles an hour.". Everything that can break has broken already.". York City. Peter's car is 100 years old, and he has to worry about semi-trucks.". 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 attended the schools of Toronto and Toronto's collegiate institute. But when he, his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, and American bulldog Bud arrived in New York, a new era in American transportation had begun. 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. By all accounts,Horatios bet was one made in the innocence of drunken exuberance. Having resupplied the best they could, they struck back out onto the open roader,open range. We shall now try & make a record trip. She extracted the Maxwell from washouts and mudholes with block and tackle, a jack, even fence rails under the wheels. They have been very short & dear ones to me. 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. This historical marker was erected by America's Byways. 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. 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. 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. Sewall K. Crocker Sewall K. Crocker, a 22-year-old former professional bicycle racer from Tacoma, Washington, was working in. Horatio's Journey. 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. In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, of Hackensack, New Jersey, became the first woman to drive across the United States. "Horacio was the big guy on the road with a brand new car. All Rights Reserved. The further they pushed on through Idaho and Wyoming, the more it seemed that the team would actually make it. Following the railroad right-of-way seemed the best way to go as they headed out. But this newfangled automobile enticed Americans with two things they wanted most: freedom and mobility. (2) A team of horses rescued the car from being swallowed by quicksand. The first family road trip was in 1908. On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. Jackson described the mostly unmarked paths he was forced to bounce over as "a compound of ruts, bumps and thank-you-marms.". 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). ), 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! Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. The rough trek towards Oregon required them to haul the car across deep streams with the block and tackle. Doctors were outnumbered by blacksmiths and most Americans rarely traveled than twelve miles from home because that was the distance a horse-and-wagon could cover to take them out and back home again in a single day. Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip is a 2003 documentary film directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan. He was outfitted with his own driving goggles as protection from the dust and settled right in for the journey. We leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. The thick coating of mud gave evidence that it had been somewhere and that somewhere a long way off. His beat includes earthquake research, marine biology, wildfire science, nuclear testing, archaeology, wildlife and scientific exploration of land and sea. 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. We only made 45 miles in our direct route. They offered locals rides in the car in exchange for a "wild west show". My darling Swipes,We expected our express on No. Churning dust irritated Buds eyes, and Jackson purchased this pair of goggles for him. Horatio's letter to Bertha | May 31, 1903 . 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. The documentary focuses primarily on Horatio Nelson Jackson and his Winton car, the Vermont; along with his companions Sewall K. Crocker, his pet pitbull Bud and frequent correspondence with Jackson's wife Bertha Richardson Wells (called "Swipes" by Jackson). An article in the. Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip View history Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip is a 2003 documentary film directed by Ken Burns and written by Dayton Duncan. Thanks! The technology nevertheless began to catch on, slowly. Like Jackson, Ramsey and her three female passengers packed a block and tackle and used it often in the muddy Midwest. Crocker Will Start this Morning on Automobile Trip They Hope Will End in New York. When Im writing something, I want to use the perfect word to get my meaning across. [6] When their tires blew out they were required to wind rope around the wheels. He then hired a partner/mechanic, Samuel Crocker, who was a successful bicycle racer to accompany him on his journey east. Peter Kesling, 71, an orthodontist and antique auto museum owner from La Porte, Ind., has a good idea of what might be in store Tuesday when he climbs aboard his own 1903 Winton and starts out to duplicate the historic feat. 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. (You can see a few clips on the PBS website.) Watch me now come to you.Nel. Jackson and Crocker opted to start out following the railroad north into Oregon. There were no gas stations and virtually no road maps as we know them today. Jackson walked back to the last town to get oil, only to discover eventually that they had been stopped only a short distance outside of Vale. After driving the distance, they moved the path back in front of the car, repeating the process until they cleared the area. At one point he was ticketed for exceeding the 6mph (9.7km/h) speed limit in Burlington. Early life and medical career [ edit] Driving Directions to Prescott, AZ including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. Wilson Alwyn Bentley was born on February 9, 1865, in Jericho, Vermont. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. 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. The axle crank and two connecting rods broke and they had to send to the Cleveland factory to replace them. 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. 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. Jackson had now been given two challenges - the time limit he was given and the two other drivers who believed they could beat him. It had no windshield and no top. Their luck would soon begin to slowly turn when they purchased Bud, a Pit Bull they obtained from a rancher near Caldwell, Idaho. On June 16, somewhere in Idaho, Jackson's coat, containing most of the travelers' money, fell off and was not found. "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. 1st auto passed thru yesterday; came via Camas Prairie and Croy Gulch to Hailey, "hence to Bellevue and on to Blackfoot." In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. We took that road for miles and then it came to a dead end at an isolated farmhouse. It is generally believed that Kesling will make it farther than Jackson before the first breakdown, which happened barely 15 miles outside of San Francisco on the 1903 trip, when a tire blew. 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. The press came out at every stop to take their picture and conduct interviews. It took five months, and covered more than 10,000 miles. Subsequently, their mileage took a sharp increase andtheir rate of trail damage sharply decreased. There were also no signs because most people out driving were locals who knew all the turns already. After 63 days on the road, the expedition reached New York. I had to know more! 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. They removed the backseat to make more room for gear and spare parts. As the nineteenth century came to an end, there were only 8,000 cars in the United States compared to 14 million horses. [17][18], In 1944, Jackson gave his Winton, the Vermont, to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is preserved.[6]. Jackson and Crocker set off from San Francisco at 1 p.m. on May 23, 1903. That someone was Horatio Jackson Nelson. His enthusiasm was matched only by his underestimate of the effort needed to accomplish the journey. A significant historical date for this entry is July 23, 1903. 15 miles into the journey, they blew the first of what would be many, many tires. 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. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. He remained on duty until severely wounded by high-explosive shells, when he was obliged to evacuate.[16]. The automobile was about to transform American life. Take good care of yourself & dont worry. In the spring and summer of 1903, Jackson and his mechanic, Sewall Crocker, drove this 1903 Winton touring car from San Francisco to New York City. California to New York. Except for its heavy coat of mud and dilapidated front tires, the car is little the worse for its rough usage. and their dog Bud made the first successful transcontinental automobile trip. "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. Youre going to love it here. [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]. 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. As soon as they left San Francisco though, trouble began tochase them down. Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. 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. "They were the visionaries and crackpots, which is sometimes the same person. At their next stop, Jackson had to wire his wife to send them money to Cheyenne, Wyoming. [12] While attached to the 313th Infantry, 79th Division as a surgeon, Jackson was wounded near Montfaucon during the MeuseArgonne Offensive. Alturas, California. What part of history will come to life when we see it with our own eyes? At one point, Bud drank bad water and became ill, but survived. Basin & Range is the premier resource for living the Active Outdoor Western Lifestyle. Jacob Murdock and his family drove from Pasadena to New York City in just 32 days. We are spending most of the time trying to get out of water and mud holes. 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. Ken Burns takes 'Horatio's Drive'. . Learn about the driver, the mechanic and the sidekick who took the epic journey. 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. 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. [1] His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. According to the Winton Companys numbering system, the car he bought was Number 1684 but he chose to christen it with the name. [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. "; (bottom center) My darling Swipes. Of course, these guidebooks were only published in the more-populated East at the time. Ramseys sisters-in-law and a friend accompanied her on the trip from New York to San Francisco. 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. 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]. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) Thanks for stopping by my campfire to share a story. Browse letters written by Horatio Nelson Jackson to his wife while on the road, and newspaper articles written about Jackson's epic trip. Mr. Murdock did all the driving and even drove for more than twelve hours on a few days, just to cover more distance (just like me on my road trips!). Jackson was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 25, 1872, a son of Samuel Nelson Jackson (18381913) and Mary Anne (Parkyn) Jackson (18431916).
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