Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 27, 1893 A pivotal test ride took place for a newly completed truss railroad bridge in eastern-central Missouri. This four-span truss bridge, crossing the Missouri River at Bellefontaine Bluffs and serving as a link between Charles County and St. Louis County in the Show-Me State, had been built for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy... Continue Reading →
December 21, 1926 The Ross Island Bridge in Portland, Oregon, was opened in what the Associated Press (AP) called “a fitting dedicatory ceremony.” This cantilever truss bridge, which carries U.S. Route 26 (Mount Hood Highway) across a section of the Willamette River between the southwest and southeast parts of Portland, is approximately 800 feet... Continue Reading →
December 20, 1984 The Polanco Station on Line 7 of the Mexico City Metro first went into service. (The Mexico City Metro, which is operated by the Sistems de Transporte Colectivo [STC], is a rapid transit system serving the metropolitan area of Mexico’s capital; it ranks second only to the New York City Subway as... Continue Reading →
December 15, 1874 In southern California’s Los Angeles area, Point Fermin Light on the west side of the entrance to San Pedro Bay had its inaugural lighting. This structure had been designed by architect and civil engineer Paul J. Pelz, who was serving the U.S. Lighthouse Board at the time as its chief draftsman. Point Fermin... Continue Reading →
December 8, 1930 The diesel-powered vessel Aras was launched by her manufacturer Bath Iron Works at the Maine-based company’s location on the Kennebec River. Measuring 243 feet and nine inches (74 meters) in length, this luxury yacht had been built for paper and wood products magnate Hugh J. Chisholm. His wife Sara (“Aras” is her... Continue Reading →
December 6, 1860 Railroad executive Howard Elliott was born in New York City. He started his longtime railway career during the summer of 1880 when -- while on vacation from college -- he worked as a surveyor’s assistant for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. After graduating from Harvard University’s Lawrence Scientific School with a... Continue Reading →
November 23, 1942 The first flight of the experimental Vought V-173 aircraft took place. This plane, which became better known as the "Flying Pancake," was designed by pioneering aeronautical engineer Charles H. Zimmerman for Vought Aircraft Companies. The "Flying Pancake" turned out to be one of the most unorthodox types of aircraft ever created. This plane was... Continue Reading →
November 21, 1913 A major technological breakthrough in transportation took place when wireless messages -- sent in Morse code without any direct electrical connections involved -- from two railroad stations to a train crew on the move were successfully transmitted. This pioneering test in wireless telegraphy specifically occurred in the northeastern United States between a... Continue Reading →
November 17, 1919 A new train terminal made its debut with hardly any fanfare in Jacksonville, Florida, at a time when that city was increasingly evolving into a vital railroad hub. At a minute past midnight, regular operations at the Jacksonville Terminal formally began when its superintendent J.C. Blanton said to his crew, “Open the... Continue Reading →
November 15, 1932 A major milestone for a pioneering highway in northern Virginia with took place with the inaugural ceremony for the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, which had been built by the Bureau of Public Roads of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. The new route, stretching from... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 