Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
July 26, 1884 A pivotal milestone occurred in the construction of a lighthouse in Maryland’s Eastern Shore region. This milestone specifically involved setting up the cottage-like superstructure for Great Shoals Light at the mouth of the Wicomico River, a 24.4-mile (39.3-kilometer)-long tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. The components for that superstructure had been manufactured at... Continue Reading →
July 25, 1916 The North and South State Highway Association of Idaho was founded to help promote a 500-mile (804.7-kilometer) route more directly linking the northern and southern regions of the state. The launch of that association took place during a decade heavily characterized by an ever-increasing interest and involvement in building and maintaining roads... Continue Reading →
July 22, 1908 The automobile coachbuilder Fisher Body Company was established in Detroit. This company’s ancestry can be traced to Lawrence Fisher, who -- along with his brother Andrew and brother-in-law Joseph Weisenberger -- set up Fisher Brothers Carriage Company in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1880 to produce horse-drawn vehicles. All seven of Lawrence Fisher’s sons spent... Continue Reading →
July 21, 1941 The basic infrastructure for a U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) airfield in southern California was completed as part of a rapid-construction project. This infrastructure included runways, airplane hangars, and a control tower for the recently designated airfield, which was located nine miles (14.5 kilometers) southeast of the city of Taft. This construction... Continue Reading →
July 20, 1976 In Belgium, the JosĂ©phine-Charlotte station on Line 1B (now Line 1) of the Brussels Metro was officially opened. The Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large portion of the Brussels-Capital Region. This region encompasses a total of 19 municipalities, including Belgium’s capital city of Brussels. The JosĂ©phine-Charlotte station is... Continue Reading →
July 19, 1932 A bascule (moveable) truss bridge in the city of Grafton in Australia’s state of New South Wales (NSW) was formally opened. Sir Isaac Isaacs (1855-1948), who served as governor-general of Australia from 1931 to 1936, officiated at this dedication ceremony. The Grafton Bridge carries Bent Street (formerly known as Summerland Way) over... Continue Reading →
July 18, 1945 About a month-and-a-half before World War II ended altogether with the surrender of Japan to the Allies, the U.S. Navy patrol yacht USS Tourmaline (PY-20) was decommissioned. This vessel had been used for various patrol assignments throughout the war. Tourmaline had actually started out as a private yacht named Sylvia. She was... Continue Reading →
July 15, 1880 The American Shoal Light, which is located on a submerged reef in the Florida Keys, first went into service. The inaugural lighting of this navigational aid was done that night by William Bates, the newly constructed lighthouse's first keeper. He served in that role until 1889. The American Shoal Light can be found about 15 miles... Continue Reading →
July 14, 1990 In California, the Blue Line of Los Angeles County’s transit system began making regular runs. This line (renamed the A Line in 2019) was the first of the six lines that now comprise the Los Angeles Metro Rail. “After nearly three decades, commuter rail returns to Los Angeles today with the opening... Continue Reading →
July 13, 1919 The first two-way air crossing of the Atlantic Ocean was completed by Major George Herbert Scott of the British Royal Air Force. The aircraft used for this crossing was the military airship R34, which had been built by the British engineering conglomerate William Beardmore and Company. On July 2, Scott -- along... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 