Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 5, 1872 In southern California, construction on a major wooden pier along the Pacific coast was completed in the city of Ventura. “At last a steamer can lay alongside of the wharf, and discharge and take on cargo and passengers,” reported the Ventura Signal newspaper. “It is a grand improvement upon the old way,... Continue Reading →
October 2, 1922 Over a year after the first segment of the Boulevard of the Allies made its debut, the entire route in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was opened to traffic. The road, which links downtown Pittsburgh with the city’s Oakland neighborhood, was named in honor of the Allied Powers that had fought against Germany and the other... Continue Reading →
September 28, 2008 The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge was officially opened to foot and bicycle traffic two months ahead of schedule. The footbridge crosses over the Missouri River and links the cities of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. The 3,000-foot (914.4-meter) structure, which can be found north of the Interstate 480 girder bridge, is the longest... Continue Reading →
September 26, 1944 With the United States still fighting the Axis powers during World War II, the U.S. Navy cargo ship USS Beltrami was launched. Beltrami, which had been named after a county in northwestern Minnesota, was built by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company at its shipyards in Richmond, California. The launch of Beltrami at Richmond... Continue Reading →
September 25, 1955 Emma Rowena Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail on her own. The 67-year-old Gatewood was also the oldest person up to that time to complete the trek. Gatewood reached the summit of Maine’s Mount Katahdin, which is the northern terminus of the trail, 146 days after starting her... Continue Reading →
September 21, 2014 In New York City, the third and final section of a linear park featuring an innovative and eco-friendly trail was opened on the west side of Manhattan. A CBS news story called the Sunday opening of this section “perfect timing for New Yorkers looking to soak up the last of summer’s warmth.”... Continue Reading →
September 20, 1935 Railroad magnate William Wallace Atterbury died in Philadelphia at the age of 69. He had been born in the city of New Albany in Indiana in 1866. After graduating from Yale University, Atterbury started out in the railroad business as an apprentice earning five cents per hour at the shops of the Pennsylvania... Continue Reading →
September 18, 1948 A first-of-a-kind flight took place in the skies above Muroc Dry Lake (part of present-day Edwards Air Force Base) in the Mojave Desert in southern California. The pioneering jet plane was the Convair XF-92A, which had been designed and built for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) by the aircraft manufacturing company Consolidated... Continue Reading →
September 14, 1716 1729 illustration showing signal cannon in right background The first lighthouse to be built in the present-day United States began operations on what is now called Little Brewster Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. The first keeper of the structure known as Boston Light was George Worthylake, who also served as... Continue Reading →
September 13, 2008 Legacy Parkway was officially opened in northern Utah. The 11.5-mile (18.5-kilometer)-long four-lane controlled-access highway had been built to provide an alternate route for commuters in the area and significantly reduce traffic congestion in that region of the Beehive State. Legacy Parkway, which is designated as Utah State Route 67, starts at an... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 