Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 21, 1925 The deluxe passenger train “Orange Blossom Special” made its first regular run between New York and Florida. The Orange Blossom Special, which was characterized at that time by the North Carolina-based News and Observer as “one of the finest of trains,” came about thanks to Seaboard Air Line (SAL) Railroad President S.... Continue Reading →
November 20, 1872 In Massachusetts, Wood End Light in Provincetown on Cape Cod first went into service. The 39-foot (12-meter)-tall brick lighthouse, which serves as a navigational aid for vessels approaching Provincetown Harbor, is specifically situated near the southernmost extremity of a curving section of land known as the Provincetown Spit. There had long been... Continue Reading →
November 16, 2019 In the San Francisco Bay Area, a dedication ceremony – complete with a ribbon-cutting -- was held less than two weeks before Thanksgiving for a bicycle and pedestrian path that had recently been added to the San Rafael-Richmond Bridge (officially named the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge in honor of a longtime... Continue Reading →
November 13, 1973 Nearly 59 years after being established, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) achieved another major milestone when the organization officially renamed itself the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This change, which reflected a broadened mission that would encompass different modes of transportation, specifically took place when... Continue Reading →
November 10, 1955 The East Capitol Street Bridge in Southeast Washington, D.C., was officially opened. This bridge, carrying East Capitol Street across the Anacostia River, had been built to help reduce increasingly heavy traffic in that region of the nation’s capital. The dedication ceremony for the East Capitol Street Bridge commenced at 3:30 on that... Continue Reading →
November 7, 1857 On Maryland’s side of the Potomac River, a cast iron light pole was installed as the first navigational aid in an area that is about 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) south of Washington, D.C. This pole was specifically put into place on the grounds of Fort Washington, which ultimately served for many years... Continue Reading →
October 25, 1892 A lighthouse built at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and along the Straits of Mackinac was first lit. This structure, which is known as Old Mackinac Point Light, is specifically located at the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron -- one of the busiest areas for vessels in the... Continue Reading →
October 24, 1923 The Pacific Highway was officially opened in Olympia, Washington. This international highway would ultimately extend from Vancouver in British Columbia to San Diego in California. There were 1,687 miles (2,715 kilometers) of the Pacific Highway in place by 1926, making this route the longest continuously paved road at that time. The 1923... Continue Reading →
October 23, 1980 The first formal intercity air/ground/rail transportation connection in the United States -- and the country’s first rail station built on airport-owned property -- was officially dedicated about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the terminal of Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Construction on that rail station serving the airport (now known as Baltimore Washington International... Continue Reading →
October 20, 1914 Archibald D. Campbell and Lawrence S. Campbell applied for a patent for an innovative camping trailer that they had developed as a vehicle to be marketed and sold by their Los Angeles-based business (known as the Campbell Folding Camping Trailer Company) and used for recreational purposes. This two-wheeled trailer, which was described in the... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 