Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 24, 1949 It was the end of a transportation era in San Diego, California, at 5:45 that morning. This was when streetcar no. 446 of the San Diego Transit Company (known as the San Diego Electric Railway up until September of the previous year) completed its final run by pulling into the car barn... Continue Reading →
On September 8, 2000, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Employee Memorial was formally established to honor those state employees who have lost their lives in work zones or elsewhere while performing their duties. These individuals are commemorated each year in an annual remembrance ceremony held at the memorial, which is located on the... Continue Reading →
April 17, 1896 James Rich Steers, who achieved widespread fame for his shipbuilding achievements, died at his home in New York City from what the New York Time characterized as “an attack of acute indigestion.” He was 88. Steers was born on October 15, 1808, in Plymouth, England. His father Henry Steers worked for the... Continue Reading →
April 11, 1895 A letter from California that was sent to General Roy Stone (1836-1905), director of the U.S. Office of Road Inquiry (forerunner of the Federal Highway Administration), shared news about a significant milestone in highways development within that state. This letter was from state highway officials in California and read in part: “It... Continue Reading →
March 28, 1941 Champion cyclist Marcus Hurley passed away in New York City. He was 57. Hurley was born in New Rochelle, New York, on December 22, 1883. By the start of the 20th century, he had established himself as a formidable competitor in cycling races. These pedaling skills were clearly on display during a... Continue Reading →
March 19, 1947 William Starling Burgess, whose transportation legacy spans multiple means of mobility, died at his home in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was 68. Burgess was born in Boston on Christmas Day in 1878. His father, Edward Burgess, was a renowned yacht designer. Early on in life, William Starling Burgess demonstrated a high level... Continue Reading →
March 12, 1882 Edwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker, who would achieve widespread fame for his motorcycle and automobile records, was born in the community of Weisburg, Indiana. He first became known to the public as a vaudeville performer but started focusing instead on transportation-oriented pursuits after winning a dirt-track motorcycle race in the Hoosier State... Continue Reading →
March 7, 1925 After more than a quarter-century of service in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the U.S. Navy tugboat USS Iroquois (AT-46) was decommissioned. This steam tugboat was the second Navy vessel named after a confederacy of Native Americans and First Nations peoples originally based in the northeastern part of North America. The... Continue Reading →
March 6, 2009 Construction began on a 3.2-mile (5.1-kilometer) light rail tunnel in Seattle. This structure is a key connection within Sound Transit’s Link light rail system serving that metropolitan area. The two-bore tunnel is specifically part of the University Link of the 1 Line of that system and carries trains running between the Downtown... Continue Reading →
March 5, 2008 John C. Mackie, who served as Michigan’s state highway commissioner, passed away in Warrenton, Virginia, at the age of 88. He was also the 51st president of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), which is now known as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Mackie was... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 