Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 5, 1893 Industrial designer Raymond Loewy was born in Paris, France. Loewy would spend most of his professional career in the United States, and his wide range of design efforts included many with a transportation theme of some kind. These efforts started at an early age. When he was only 15 years old, for example, Loewy... Continue Reading →
In 1968, construction began on Puerto Rico Highway 52 (PR-52). This project was completed seven years later. PR-52, which is maintained by the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works, covers 67.4 miles (108.5 kilometers) between Puerto Rico’s capital of San Juan in the north and the city and municipality of Ponce on the... Continue Reading →
November 3, 1900 The first major automobile show in the United States opened on a Saturday evening at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The next day’s edition of the New York Times reported, “From the hour the doors of the big building swung inward until midnight a throng of spectators variously estimated at from... Continue Reading →
Joseph Robert Toahty, who was half Pawnee and half Kiowa, established notable records for Native Americans during his service in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Toahty was born in Oklahoma in 1919. He inherited the name Le-Tuts-Taka (meaning “White Eagle”) from his Pawnee ancestor Chief White Eagle, who had served as a U.S. Army scout... Continue Reading →
October 30, 1905 In Australia, a newly built electric tram system first went into service in the town (present-day city) of Fremantle in the state of Western Australia. This system, which was owned and operated by the Fremantle Municipal Tramways, was the first-ever public transportation network in that town. In an even broader context, the... Continue Reading →
October 29, 1932 The ocean liner SS Normandie was launched into the River Loire at Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 40,000 people – including French President Albert Lebrun and his wife Marguerite – were on hand for the event. Madame Lebrun was selected to christen the ship, and she performed the duty with the world’s largest bottle of champagne. As... Continue Reading →
Between 1920 and 1923, the Illinois Division of Highways (IDH) --now part of the Illinois Department of Transportation -- oversaw a series of tests to help determine the best type of pavement to use on that state’s roads. IDH launched these tests at a time when it was preparing for major construction projects to accommodate... Continue Reading →
October 27, 1948 In southwestern Michigan’s city of St. Joseph, the Blossomland Bridge was dedicated in a series of evening ceremonies. This drawbridge was built to carry U.S. Route 31 (US 31) across the St. Joseph River (That segment of US 31 is now part of Michigan Highway 63.) There had been a longtime need... Continue Reading →
October 26, 1959 The Valiant, an automobile manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation, made its public debut at the 44th International Motor Show in London, England. The new vehicle – measuring 15 feet and four inches (4.7 meters) in length, four-and-a-half feet (1.4 meters) in height, and nearly six feet (1.8 meters) in... Continue Reading →
October 23, 1914 In a late-afternoon ceremony near the city of Eureka in northwestern California, the last 200 feet (61 meters) of track of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) was officially dedicated. This celebration specifically occurred at Chain Rock Bridge. The completion of the PWP occurred just about seven years after that line was created by the... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 