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First Drive across the Continent
Driving an automobile from coast to coast in 1903 was a difficult and daring achievement. H. Nelson Jackson, a physician and businessman from Burlington, Vermont, captured the nation's attention when he and Sewall K. Crocker, a mechanic, drove from California to New York. Despite mud, washouts, breakdowns, and a lack of roads and bridges in the West, they finished their trip. Two other motoring parties -- each anxious to claim the title of first to drive across the country -- departed while Jackson and Crocker were en route, but could not overtake them.
The trip began after a discussion in a San Francisco men's club as to the feasibility of a transcontinental auto crossing. Jackson decided to give it a try. He purchased a 1903 Winton touring car, named it "Vermont," and headed east. Jackson and Crocker followed trails, rivers, mountain passes, alkali flats, and the Union Pacific Railroad across the West. After 63 days on the road, the expedition reached New York. Jackson had spent $8,000 on his trip, including hotel rooms, gasoline, tires, parts, supplies, food, and the cost of the Winton.
The Winton Motor Carriage Company published details about the Jackson-Crocker cross-country trip and emphasized the car's ruggedness and reliability. Bud, a bulldog, accompanied the drivers, and was featured in many news photos. In Idaho, Jackson acquired Bud, and the bulldog accompanied the pioneering motorists to the East Coast. Churning dust irritated Bud's eyes, and Jackson purchased [a] pair of goggles for him.
Winton touring car "Vermont," 1903
IN 1903, H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker completed the first motor trip across the United States in this car, which Jackson named for his home state. It is displayed with reproductions of supplies and equipment that the men carried. They often used a block and tackle to pull the car out of mudholes. When the Winton needed repairs, they telegraphed the factory for parts and awaited delivery by railroad. |