Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
June 9, 1930 A three-masted staysail auxiliary schooner that had been built for Robert C. Roebling was launched in Bath, Maine. A Georgia resident, Roebling came from a family with a notable background in transportation. He was a great-grandson of John A. Roebling, the renowned civil engineer best known for designing the Brooklyn Bridge; and... Continue Reading →
June 7, 1879 Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen, polar explorer and dogsled driver extraordinaire, was born in the town of Jakobshavn (now Ilulissat) in western Greenland. His father was a Danish missionary, and his mother was of both Danish and Inuit descent. As a child growing up in the often harsh Arctic region, Rasmussen early on... Continue Reading →
June 2, 1851 The clipper ship Flying Cloud, making her maiden voyage, departed from New York City at 2:00 p.m. Under the command of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy, the vessel went on to establish a new sailing record for the fastest passage between that city and San Francisco. After leaving New York City, Flying Cloud... Continue Reading →
June 1, 1882 Belyea’s Point Lighthouse went into service along the Saint John River in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Construction on this navigational aid in the vicinity of the community of Morrisdale had been initiated during the previous year. Spafford Barker Belyea was this lighthouse’s first keeper. During the 1930s, Belyea’s Point Lighthouse... Continue Reading →
May 27, 1972 The U.S. International Transportation Exposition -- best known as Transpo ‘72 -- was formally opened at Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia (26 miles [41.8 kilometers] west of Washington, D.C.). U.S. Transportation Secretary John A. Volpe presided over the opening of that extensive nine-day trade show. “Flying trains, square dancing helicopters and the... Continue Reading →
May 25, 1878 U.S. Army officer and civil engineer Frederick Mears, whose legacy includes notable large-scale transportation infrastructure projects in various regions of the world, was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Mears enlisted in the Army in 1899. He was assigned the following year to the Philippines, where he handled several engineering assignments. Mears left the Philippines... Continue Reading →
May 21, 1914 With 1914 nearly halfway over, 28-year-old Swedish immigrant Eric Wickman was dealing with more than his usual share of challenges. He had arrived in the United States in 1905, and found work as a drill operator in iron ore mines in the northeastern city of Hibbing, Minnesota. In 1914, however, Wickman was laid... Continue Reading →
May 20, 1959 The Ford Motor Company introduced the concept model of the Levacar Mach I, an air-propelled automobile, in the Ford Rotunda in Dearborn, Michigan. The guiding force behind the design for the single-passenger, wheels-free Levacar was Andrew A. Kucher, vice president of engineering for the Ford Motor Company and the head of its... Continue Reading →
May 17, 1992 A Baltimore-area light rail system that is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) began regular train runs. The initial segment of this system covered 13 miles (20.9 kilometers) between the community of Timonium in Baltimore County and the then-new Major League Baseball stadium (formally named Oriole Park at Camden Yards and... Continue Reading →
May 14, 1920 The Michigan Avenue Bridge, which spans the main stem of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, was officially opened. This structure is widely believed to have been the first double-deck bridge built with roadway on both levels – the upper level for automobiles, the lower level for heavy commercial vehicles. In addition, the bridge... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 