Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
In the Canadian province of British Columbia, the paddle steamer sternwheeler Moyie was launched at Kootenay Lake in the city of Nelson. This vessel, which was built in prefabricated sections in Toronto, became the newest steamship acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The launch of Moyie was described by the Vancouver-based Daily News Advertiser... Continue Reading →
October 20, 1919 USS Mahopac, originally designated as Fleet Tug No. 29, was commissioned into the U.S. Navy under the command of Lieutenant (junior grade) Harry J. Carey. Mahopac was one of the Navy’s Bagaduce class of steel tugboats. These vessels were designed to carry out major towing assignments at navy yards and also to... Continue Reading →
October 17, 1888 The Eckington & Soldiers’ Home Railway became the first electric streetcar service to begin operations in Washington, D.C. The company’s streetcars initially ran along tracks from the intersection of Seventh Street and New York Avenue, N.W., in the downtown area -- and near the Soldiers’ Home that had been in existence in... Continue Reading →
The Boston Bridge in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County was officially inaugurated. This cantilever bridge, which crosses the Youghiogheny River, serves as a link between Elizabeth Township and the borough of Versailles. The structure was named after Elizabeth Township’s Boston neighborhood. (That neighborhood, in turn, had been named after the capital city of Massachusetts.) About 5,000... Continue Reading →
October 10, 1992 The first segment of the Montour Trail in the Pittsburgh region was formally opened in Cecil Township. The dedication ceremony for this 4.4-mile (7.1-kilometer) section of the multi-use recreational trail was specifically held at Cecil Park. Those taking part in this ceremony included Robert A. Hall, supervisory community planner for the Federal... Continue Reading →
October 1, 2005 A light rail station in the Fruitdale neighborhood of San Jose, California, made its official debut. This station, which was built near the intersection of Fruitdale Avenue and Southwest Expressway, is a link in the Santa Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail system serving that region of the Golden State. Fruitdale station... Continue Reading →
September 30, 1862 Nearly a year-and-a-half after the start of the American Civil War, the Union Navy (the name for the U.S. Navy during that military conflict) acquired the side-wheel steamer Red Rover as part of its fleet. Red Rover became this military branch’s first vessel used specifically as a hospital ship. Red Rover had... Continue Reading →
September 19, 1981 A bridge spanning the Saint John River in Fredericton, the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick was officially dedicated. This bridge is an extension of Westmorland Street in the central district of Fredericton and it connects that area with New Brunswick Route 105 in the city’s neighborhood of Nashwaaksis.... Continue Reading →
September 17, 1862 An unimposing bridge in Maryland played a pivotal role in one of the most significant battles of the American Civil War. The Battle of Antietam, which was fought near the town of Sharpsburg, was the first major military engagement of that war to take place on Union soil. This battle also encompassed the... Continue Reading →
September 12, 1998 In the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon, a light rail station in the Quatama area of the city of Hillsboro was officially opened. Originally known as Quatama/NW 205th Avenue Station, this facility is part of the regional light rail system known as the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX). This station is the eighth... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 