Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 1, 1895 The American Motor League (AML), the first automobile club in the United States, held its preliminary meeting in Chicago. A total of 60 people were at the meeting, which took place at the Chicago School of Electricity on Dearborn Street. The new club’s main objectives included promoting continued technological innovations for automobiles, which were... Continue Reading →
October 31, 1913 The official dedication of the Lincoln Highway took place in the form of numerous ceremonies and other celebrations nationwide, notably in the hundreds of cities and towns along the approved route for the planned transcontinental thoroughfare for motor vehicles. “Cities en Route From Coast to Coast Mark Opening of Great Rock Road,”... Continue Reading →
October 30, 1919 Tony Pizzo pedaled into New York City on his bicycle to conclude one of the more unique coast-to-coast journeys using that mode of transportation. Pizzo, who had completed a stint with the U.S. Navy earlier in the year, began his transcontinental trek in California during the spring. He and C.J. Devine, another recently discharged... Continue Reading →
October 29, 1864 In England, Emma Sharp completed a highly publicized walk of 1,000 miles (1,609.3 kilometers) in 1,000 hours. This milestone in 19th century pedestrianism took place at a 120-yard (109.7-meter) roped-off course in Laisterdyke, a part of the then-municipal borough (now city) of Bradford. More than 55 years earlier in the English town... Continue Reading →
October 26, 1825 The Erie Canal was fully opened to boat traffic. The 363-mile (584-kilometer) inland waterway, connecting Lake Erie to New York City via the Hudson River, was built to provide a faster and more direct means of transportation between the Eastern seaboard and the vast areas of land west of the Appalachian Mountains. Prior... Continue Reading →
October 25, 1904 The first successful flight of a dirigible (a type of airship) in the United States occurred when aviator and aeronautical engineer A. Roy Knabenshue flew the “California Arrow.” He took to the skies in that cigar-shaped dirigible from the World’s Fair (officially known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition) in St. Louis, Missouri.... Continue Reading →
October 24, 1858 In what is now central Oregon, entrepreneurs E.F. Coe and R.R. Thompson launched their newly built steamboat Colonel Wright at the mouth of the Deschutes River. The sternwheel-propelled vessel proved to be a reliable means of transporting freight and passengers in the Pacific Northwest. She also played a pioneering role in the... Continue Reading →
October 23, 1964 A 45-year-old Illinois engineer named Sidney Allen Heenan applied for a U.S. patent for a durable road safety device that remains in extensive use nationwide to further reduce motor vehicle accidents. The device, as outlined in his patent application, was a raised pavement reflector marker. These markers were designed for placement on... Continue Reading →
October 18, 1909 The aristocrat known as Charles, Count de Lambert became the first person to fly over the French capital city of Paris in a plane. He quickly gained worldwide attention for this achievement. “Great Record in Air,” proclaimed a headline in the next day’s edition of the New York-based Buffalo Express. De Lambert,... Continue Reading →
October 15, 1958 The inaugural ceremony for the AASHO Road Test took place in the city of Ottawa, Illinois, which is located about 80 miles (128.8 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. The purpose of this road test, which was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) and supervised by the Highway Research Board... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 