Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
January 29, 1943 Just over a year after the United States entered World War II on the side of the Allies, one of the many ships built for service in that global conflict was commissioned into the U.S. Navy. This new vessel was an LST (formally classified as a Landing Ship, Tank). The ship had... Continue Reading →
January 28, 1962 The conclusion of the first era of streetcars in Washington, D.C. and the grand finale for a memorable part of the city’s transportation history, took place. “A century of streetcar service ends in Washington,” reported the Associated Press, “and nostalgia lies thick along the Potomac.” This first era of regularly scheduled streetcar... Continue Reading →
January 27, 1830 The first railroad in Kentucky was chartered by the state’s legislature. This charter for the Lexington & Ohio Railroad (L&O) named Lexington citizens Elisha Winter and General Leslie Combs as the lead organizers for the new railroad. The overall aim of Winter, Combs, and other L&O proponents was to find an effective means... Continue Reading →
January 26, 1895 The First National Exhibit of Cycles, Cycle Accessories, and Sundries – better known as the National Show – came to a rousing end at 11:00 p.m. in New York City. “The most successful cycle show ever held in this country, and probably in the world, was brought to a close at Madison Square... Continue Reading →
January 25, 1998 In France, a new railway station was opened for service in the commune of Saint-Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris. This station, which is known as La Plaine-Stade de France, had been designed by architect Jean-Marie Duthilleul. The station is a link within the Réseau Express Régional (RER), a hybrid commuter... Continue Reading →
January 22, 1903 Seattle businessman Fred Spenser Stimson and his associates Charles Terry Scurry and J.T. Robinson established the Yakutat & Southern (Y&S) Railroad to operate in the southeastern region of what was then the U.S. Territory of Alaska. For nearly seven decades, the Y&S served a unique role among American railroads. It was the... Continue Reading →
January 21, 1963 Early on a subzero Monday morning, the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad – popularly known as the North Shore Line (NSL) – made its final run after nearly 47 years of service between northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. United Press International (UPI) reported, “The last train of the North Shore railroad –... Continue Reading →
January 20, 1908 In the north-central region of the State of Washington, the first highway bridge in the United States crossing the Columbia River was officially opened. The Columbia River Bridge, which was built by the Washington Bridge Company over the course of two years, has provided an important link between the city of Wenatchee in... Continue Reading →
January 19, 1881 School bus pioneer Franklin A. “Patch” Patchett was born in San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County, California. In 1911, he went into business with his two of his brothers and a brother-in-law to run a Ford Motor Company distributorship for the western half of California’s Stanislaus County. A milestone for their... Continue Reading →
January 15, 1970 William Thomas Piper, Sr., an aircraft manufacturer and businessman who left an indelible imprint on the aviation industry, died in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, at the age of 89. During the course of his long career, Piper had become widely known as the “Henry Ford of aviation.” Piper was born in the New... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 