[6] They were also forced to pay a $4 (equivalent to $121 in 2021[3]) toll by a land-owner in order to cross his property on a "bad, rocky, mountain road" as Jackson described it. This physical limitation defined the spaces people occupied at the last turn of the century and made wandering beyond these informal limits rare and difficult. [Horatio Nelson Jackson].[P.S.] In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. Driving an automobile from coast to coast in 1903 was a difficult and daring achievement. Jackson and Crocker followed trails, rivers, mountain passes, alkali flats, and the Union Pacific Railroad across the West. [17][18], In 1944, Jackson gave his Winton, the Vermont, to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is preserved.[6]. Horatio Nelson Jacksons road trip occasionally picked up help from more traditional means, More trailside repairs on Horatio Nelson Jacksons 1903 Road Trip, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). York City. Film-maker Ken Burns presents the hilarious 1903 saga of the first transcontinental automobile trip. In Caldwell, Idaho, they met a man who offered them a dog as a mascot. Following the railroad right-of-way seemed the best way to go as they headed out. , Read More Who was Snowflake Bentley?Continue. My darling Swipes. Having no mechanical experience, Jackson convinced a young mechanic and chauffeur, Sewall K. Crocker, to serve as his travel companion, mechanic, and backup driver. Jackson was unable to replenish the tire he blew but was however able to purchase some slightly used inner tubes. A stop of two days was made here to await their arrival, and on Tuesday morning the adventurous travelers resumed their journey.". completed the first transcontinental automobile trip, from San Francisco to New York, in 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes. The state of Vermont was so alarmed that it passed a law requiring every auto to be preceded down the street with a person waving a red flag. Questions? The trip, sparked by a $50 gentlemen's wager, took 63 days. At 30 mph, "Horatio Nelson Jackson didn't have to worry about someone going 75 mph on the highway and running him over," said author Dayton Duncan, who wrote and co-produced the documentary and companion book "Horacio's Drive," with Burns. He accepted, even though at age 31 he did not own a car, had practically no experience driving, and had no maps to follow. When we get there the worst will be over.I can run the car as well as Crocker & have rather surprised him We take 2 hours on and 2 off at the wheel. Steve Perkins, Executive Director of the Vermont Historical Society, gives us a little background, before launching into the fascinating story of Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson. The film is based on the book of the same name by Dayton Duncan. Be amazed! "Ocean to Ocean in an Automobile Car," Stephen Sears, Bud grew so accustomed to his riding goggles that "he would not begin the day's drive without them. On July 26, 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson, a 31-year-old Vermont doctor, and his 22-year-old mechanic, Sewall Crocker, became the first to cross the United States in an automobile. Finally, the end is in sight! Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Our car will now be as good as new.We have had hard luck, but I think it all came at once. Occasionally horses and cars gave her After one harrowing drive over a stretch of narrow, bumpy road in the Cascade range, the two men noticed their cooking utensils had jiggled out. The first American automobiles had been built only 10 years earlier, and most people in America had never set eyes on the wildly expensive contraptions. (5) Both men and the dog were thrown from the car after striking an obstacle. Peter's car is 100 years old, and he has to worry about semi-trucks.". "Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip", Learn how and when to remove this template message, He'd Have to Get Under Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile), The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God, Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horatio%27s_Drive:_America%27s_First_Road_Trip&oldid=1107453344, Documentary films about United States history, Articles needing additional references from May 2019, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 August 2022, at 02:26. We leave in the morning for Oroville the last railway point we will have until we strike Ontario, [Oregon]. I feel confident we can make it.How I wish you were with me & that it was possible for you to take the tripWith a barrel full [of love], I am, as always, yours.Nelson. This post contains affiliate links. Before leaving, the machine will have a thorough overhauling and be put into condition for fast running. more than 30 times. [12] While attached to the 313th Infantry, 79th Division as a surgeon, Jackson was wounded near Montfaucon during the MeuseArgonne Offensive. "Horacio was the big guy on the road with a brand new car. Horatio Nelson Jackson was a physician from Vermont who married Bertha Wells, the daughter of the richest man in Vermont. Horatio Jackson's Winton in the Smithsonian, 5. Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Like Jackson, Ramsey and her three female passengers packed a block and tackle and used it often in the muddy Midwest. We shall try & get away tonight. Crocker made repairs, but a fuel leak caused them to lose all of their available gasoline, and Jackson rented a bicycle for Crocker to travel 25 miles (40km) to Burns, Oregon, for fuel. As an indication of how slow this trip would turn out to be, the first stop was a few blocks east of the Palace Hotel -- the San Francisco-Oakland ferry terminal. [1] His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. All Rights Reserved. Horatio Nelson Jackson (March 25, 1872 - January 14, 1955) . The threat of the other teams would spur Jackson and Horatio on, pushing them to step up their pace across the unending Great Plains of Nebraska and beyond. In Idaho, Jackson acquired Bud, and the bulldog accompanied the pioneering motorists to the East Coast. His siblings included John Holmes Jackson, who served several terms as mayor of Burlington, Vermont. The trip began after a discussion in a San Francisco mens club as to the feasibility of a transcontinental auto crossing. On June 6, the car broke down, and they had to be towed to a nearby ranch by a cowboy on horseback. "I wanted paw and maw and my husband to see you," she said. (Hollister Jackson was serving as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont when he died in the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. "From Sea to Sea in a Horseless Carriage", Dr. H.N. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use). On our way back we were stopped by a man and asked if I didnt want a dog for a mascot. And no, it hadnt been lost for 158 years. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). My darling Swipes. "They were the visionaries and crackpots, which is sometimes the same person. Generally speaking, America in 1903 hadno roadsbetween cities, towns, or any other landmarks for that matter. This article about a historical documentary film is a stub. I explained to them that the next stop was twelve miles away and that if they would help us out I would take their baggage in for them. Kesling's entourage will roughly follow the route taken by Jackson through the Sacramento Valley, past Mount Shasta into Alturas, through Oregon and then swinging eastward toward the Rockies. 1903 was a big year for the United States- President Teddy Roosevelt sent a wireless radio message across the Atlantic to the King of England, a cable was laid across the Pacific Ocean, completing the circuit and allowing Roosevelt to send the first telegraph around the world, and the Wright brothers made the worlds first airplane flight. Heeding the omens of a previously failed attempt to cross the continent just a couple years earlier by automobile pioneerAlexander Winton(original builder of Horatios Winton) by way of the deserts of Nevada and Utah, the two explorerstook a more northerly route through theSacramento Valley along the remnants of the originalOregon Trail. Thanks for stopping by my campfire to share a story. Jackson walked back to the last town to get oil, only to discover eventually that they had been stopped only a short distance outside of Vale. This historical marker was erected by America's Byways. While crossing the Rocky Mountains, they were moving boulders by hand out of their path. At Hailey, Idaho, Crocker wired the Winton Motor Carriage Company for more parts, which, combined with the increasing press coverage, spurred the Winton car company to step up their support efforts since to them it meant an increased positive image of the company. Horatio Nelson Jackson departed San Francisco onMay 23rd, 1903 for what was to become Americas first ever road trip and all because of a 50 dollar bet made just 5 days prior. Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. Broke down again, Jackson rented a bicycle from a nearby rancher, rode the 25 miles back to town, suffered his own flat tire, and eventually returned with the fuel. The two-cylinder, 20-horsepower Winton that Kesling will be driving has only two speeds -- slow and slower. ", Bud, wrote Jackson, was "the one member of (our) trio who used no profanity on the entire trip.". Documentary film maker Ken Burns produced a film, Horatio's Drive, for PBS. When the Winton needed repairs, they telegraphed the factory for parts and awaited delivery by railroad. He twice ran for Governor of Vermont. Thankfully, they could then manage about 250 miles a day. Those who had seen automobiles mostly complained about the noise and dust they caused and their tendency to spook horses. Jackson had now been given two challenges - the time limit he was given and the two other drivers who believed they could beat him. Their luck would soon begin to slowly turn when they purchased Bud, a Pit Bull they obtained from a rancher near Caldwell, Idaho. [1] Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. By 1900, he had given up his medical practice and was happily spending his wife Bertha's money on property, travel, horses and, most recently, automobiles. The rough trek towards Oregon required them to haul the car across deep streams with the block and tackle. The list price 100 years ago for Jackson's 1903 Winton Touring Car was $2,500, about $50,000 in today's money. The car is at the shop & they are to work all night so that I can get away in the morning I go from here to Buffalo. a tow. He purchased a 1903 Winton Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, otherwise known as "The Mad Doctor," had no idea what he was getting into in 1903 when he strapped a spare tire onto his 20-horsepower Winton touring car and started out from San Francisco's Palace Hotel on the first automobile trip across America. Jackson walked back to the town of Vale, Oregon to stock up on oil for this latestrepair. So many windmills! [citation needed]. Crocker suggested that Jackson buy a Winton car. Watch me now come to you.Nel. He owned a newspaper, a bank andradio station WCAX (nowWVMT). Jackson and Crocker face obstacle after obstacle on their trip. Jackson and his wife planned to return to their Burlington, Vermont, home in a few days, and both had been taking automobile driving lessons while in San Francisco. Press Clipping from Horatio Nelson Jacksons road trip across America. [1] H. Nelson Jackson and Bertha Wells were the parents of daughter Bertha (19061984), the wife of George B. Kolk and the longtime editor of the Burlington Daily News, of which her father was publisher.[2]. Incidentally, half a ton of Nebraska clay, which it has gathered during the past few days, will be removed Monday Eve.Darling Swipes:While I think of it I want you to order two full sets more of the kodak pictures & have one set sent to Mrs. B. D. Crocker Tacoma, Wash. Keep the other set for me & bring all pictures & photos to N.Y. when you come to meet me there that is if you care to come.Well old girl I have brought the car to its birthplace & a great reception it got. (4) The men created a 100-foot path of sagebrush so the car could drive over the sandy soil. I asked her. Really, it was just a matter of time before the car took over the roads. "A few people saw it as the wave of the future," Duncan said. When I telegraph you to come down leave on the first train, telephone the agency you are at the Holland & I will telegraph you both then come. Making matters worse, these trails were generally considered informaland werent typically mapped with any senseof care or accuracy. Challenged by a sales manager for Maxwell automobiles, In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. He also had the sense to hire a good bicycle-turned-car mechanic in Crocker. Yesterday the framer drove in for miles to see my machine and there has been a hundred people around the livery stable since our arrival. We returned and took supper with the section hand. The automobile was about to transform American life. Horatio Nelson Jackson died on January 14, 1955, at the age of 82. Automobiles were in their infancy: The first American car had been produced only 10. At the next available stop they outfitted Bud with a pair of goggles which Bud wore without fuss for most of the rest of the journey. By CATHERINE SEIPP. Following the war, he became one of the founders of theAmerican Legion, and twice ran forGovernor of Vermont. Jackson was seated in a gentleman's club when he overheard a discussion at another table about the impracticability of automobiles. There will be breakdowns and tears and stories to last you through the years so get out there and start exploring! Peter Kesling, 71, an orthodontist and antique auto museum owner from La Porte, Ind., has a good idea of what might be in store Tuesday when he climbs aboard his own 1903 Winton and starts out to duplicate the historic feat. Many days of the journey, especially in the beginning, were spent parked in a town awaiting replacement parts to arrive via stagecoach or train so they they could continue on. Im laid-back, sometimes scattered, a little curious, love to laugh, and always up for a fun road trip. Learn about the driver, the mechanic and the sidekick who took the epic journey. Tires, somewhat expectedly, continued to blow out forcing them at times to wind rope around the wheel so it could act as rudimentary tire but at least they could go on. We only made 45 miles in our direct route. Jackson's bold adventure in a horseless carriage in many ways created the America we live in today, filled with a network of highways, thousands of motels, fast-food joints at every intersection and SUVs. Proper roads were so few and far between at this point, that there were no maps. In the spring of 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to cross the United States in a car, following portions of what is now US 30 in Idaho and Wyoming. He was frightening horses. Jackson described the mostly unmarked paths he was forced to bounce over as "a compound of ruts, bumps and thank-you-marms.". Once underway again, it was only 3 days later that they ran out of oil. that the automobile could be more than an expensive toy. In 1903, he and driving partner Sewall K. Crocker became the first people to drive an automobile across the United States. Ken Burns takes 'Horatio's Drive'. The further they pushed on through Idaho and Wyoming, the more it seemed that the team would actually make it. Long distance travel was done by train. [13], Jackson's military awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Honour, and the Croix de Guerre. Over a hundred years after Jacksons trip, I can still relate to some of his experiences. ), additional tanks to hold extra oil and gasoline for emergencies. There were also no signs because most people out driving were locals who knew all the turns already. They were facing a daunting task. 5 at three this afternoon, but a message this noon from the train agent says that he has nothing, so it is another day. We buried our car completely in one and after working a half-day to get it out again, three Italians came along, each packing a heavy bag. I feel more confident that I can make New YorkWe are causing a great sensation along the road it is the first machine that has ever gone over these mountains. They helped prove that long-distance road travel was a realif expensive and difficultpossibility. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker (and Bud!) Funding provided by General Motors, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and the Park Foundation. The journey was arduous and slow, but their trip made headlines wherever they went. He was active in several businesses, including a granite manufacturing company owned by his brother Hollister. Sponsored by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the trip began and ended in New Horatio's Drive is a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA. - Behind Every Day, rubber mackintoshes for themselves and the car (remember no roof, no windshield! The automobile with Jackson and Crocker, crossing the continent, which left here Thursday was badly smashed up twelve miles east of this city on a smooth road while running twenty five miles an hour. [Horatio Nelson Jackson] Interactive Map Home . touring car, named it Vermont, and headed east. In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, of Hackensack, New Jersey, became the first woman to drive across the United States. Here we slept under our carriage. According to the Winton Companys numbering system, the car he bought was Number 1684 but he chose to christen it with the name. Just 4 days after declaring his intentions, he had found a car and a chauffeur. At Hailey, Idaho, Crocker wired the Winton Company for more parts. My darling Swipes,We expected our express on No. The way the streets of Lakeview were lined with people Tuesday afternoon, one would think a circus was coming to town, or a 4th of July procession was about to pass. Keep reading The Pony Express is a well-known American mail delivery service of the early 1860s. I find it fascinating how similar my own road trip experiences were in some ways to the very first cross-country journey. "That's why I'm optimistic. In the spring of 1903, on a whim and a fifty-dollar bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson set off from San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car hoping to become the first person to cross the . Having resupplied the best they could, they struck back out onto the open roader,open range. Hi, Im Sheila laid-back, sometimes creative, a little curious, and always ready for a last-minute adventure. Horatio Nelson Jackson, a physician and automobile pioneer, and Sewall Crocker arrive in New York on July 26, 1903, completing the first continental crossing by car, a journey prompted by a. Several noted actors read the lines of various historical figures. But relief would not comfort them since they soon heard that competing corporate sponsored teams from both Packard and Oldsmobile were chasing them down hoping to steal the crown of first across the US in a motor car. Packard had secretly been planning their journey for months before Horatios fateful 50 dollar bet, and Oldsmobile had hoped to show the world what assembly line manufactured cars were capable of. After delivering their luggage to the section boss we started on for Bitter Creek, crossing two rivers over the railroad bridge. Its not until they reach Iowa that they finally begin to travel at a decent unimpeded speed, averaging nearly 150 miles per day. She extracted the Maxwell from washouts and mudholes with block and tackle, a jack, even fence rails under the wheels. Jackson died on January 14, 1955 in Burlington, Vermont and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery there. Theres also a book which I grabbed on my very next visit to the library. You have done everything in the world to make me happy.I shall just tear up the ground until I can be with you. It was for $50 and made on the spur of the moment, over drinks at the San. Another brother, Hollister Jackson, served as Lieutenant governor of Vermont. A picture of Horatios dog, Bud, wearing driving goggles, caught my attention first. His enthusiasm was matched only by his underestimate of the effort needed to accomplish the journey. When Im writing something, I want to use the perfect word to get my meaning across. Jackson was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 25, 1872, a son of Samuel Nelson Jackson (18381913) and Mary Anne (Parkyn) Jackson (18431916). He remained on duty until severely wounded by high-explosive shells, when he was obliged to evacuate.[16]. Except for its heavy coat of mud and dilapidated front tires, the car is little the worse for its rough usage. The press came out at every stop to take their picture and conduct interviews. Jackson and Crocker opted to start out following the railroad north into Oregon. From there on, they were able to use a few paved roads, and their trip was much easier. Or sometimes I just need to, Read More The Right Word Peter Roget and His ThesaurusContinue, If youve never heard of Snowflake Bentley, then Ive got a treat for you! As luck would have it, the movie was available on Amazon prime for just a few more days so I immediately added it to the top of my list. But only 15 miles (24km) into the journey, the car blew a tire. Data by OpenStreetMap, under CC BY SA. In 1903 there were only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire nation and most people had never seen a "horseless buggy" - but that did not stop Horatio Nelson Jackson, a 31-year-old Vermont doctor, who impulsively bet $50 that he could drive his 20-horsepower automobile from San Francisco to New York City. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. [Horatio Nelson Jackson]. But still, troubles continued to plague Horatio and Jackson. 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). (c) 2014 Re:West Media House, LLC. Between June 20 and 21, all three of them got lost in Wyoming, and went without food for 36 hours before finding a sheepherder who gave them a meal of roast lamb and boiled corn. Both the Packard and Oldsmobile companies sent their respective automobiles from California with hope of passing Jackson and claiming the title for first automobile to travel across the U.S. , It took 63 days to complete the journey, during which the trek merged with present-day Highway 30 near Pocatello, Idaho, and followed it into Soda Springs, Idaho, and finally into Granger, Wyoming. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. A series of American university professors of history provided background information. They were also given a 108-mile (174km) misdirection by a woman so that she could send them to the spot where her family could see an automobile.[6]. The Indians especially never tired of gazing at the machine. The worst of it is over & everyone is congratulating us.There are [others] on the way trying to beat us across. [but] I feel confident they will give it up. Constantly working in the face of heavy machine-gun and shell fire, Major Jackson was most devoted in his attention to the wounded, always present in the line of advance, directing the administering of first aid, and guiding the work of litter bearers. So Bud is now with us.We stopped at Nampa and had lunch at the Dewey Hotel. At Mountain Home, Idaho, citizens warned them that the Oregon Trail was not good further east, so Jackson and Crocker veered off their original course along the southern edge of the Sawtooth Mountains. On July 12, the two men and the dog arrived in Nebraska where they found themselves back on paved roads. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), A Sky Full of Adventure at the Balloon Museum, The Right Word Peter Roget and His Thesaurus, Mosquitos - What are they good for? A few companies had started to put out guidebooks with detailed instructions on how to get from one town to the next. I asked her. There were no gas stations and virtually no road maps as we know them today. It turned out that the dusty alkali flats the travelers encountered would bother Bud's eyes so much (the Vermont had neither a roof nor windshield) that Jackson eventually fitted him with a pair of goggles. . Bud, a bulldog, accompanied the drivers, and was featured in many news photos. Dr. H. Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker, his chauffeur, finished the first transcontinental automobile trip at half-past four o'clock yesterday morning. Director Ken Burns Writer Dayton Duncan Stars Keith David (voice) Tom Hanks (voice) Adam Arkin (voice) Horatio Jackson's Winton in the Smithsonian. Jackson had spent The thick coating of mud gave evidence that it had been somewhere and that somewhere a long way off. "The majority opinion expressed was that, save for short distances, the automobile was an unreliable novelty," Jackson later wrote. ", "Col. Nelson Jackson: The Man Who Spent $8,000 to Win a $50 Bet" Martin Sheridan. Jackson decided to take a more northerly route. After 63 days on the road, the expedition reached New York. Churning dust irritated Buds eyes, and Jackson purchased this pair of goggles for him. Our experts bring you content that exemplifies life in the North American Western States and Provinces. The journey became a race among three teams, the winners being Jackson and Crocker. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental motor route, created in 1913. They removed the backseat to make more room for gear and spare parts. The trip,. His traveling companions were Sewall K. Crocker and a bulldog, Bud. Driving Directions to Omaha, NE including road conditions, live traffic updates, and reviews of local businesses along the way. Please give my best love to your mother & tell [my] father & mother that I love them as much as ever. With lots of love to all I am yours.NelsonP.S. "Fifty dollars says I can drive a car to New York." This was quite a boast for a man without a car or mechanical knowledge. But this newfangled automobile enticed Americans with two things they wanted most: freedom and mobility. Article from American Heritage . I shall think of you a good deal tomorrow, as I always do. They include: Archival footage of Horatio Nelson Jackson is included. Just as soon as I can get decent tires we will make a record run. On the second night, they stopped early in Sacramento and replaced them with a large spotlight mounted on the front of the Vermont. Jackson did manage to find a telegraph office and wired back to San Francisco for replacement tires to be transported to them along the journey. Here they prepare to light the acetylene gas headlamps. Contractor Welland assisted the party back to Archer and they are now coming to Cheyenne to remain till repairs can be made. 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. Many days of travel are lost as they sit waiting for repair parts to arrive via train or stagecoach. No sooner than Jackson had finished the repair however, that they then suffered a gasoline leak which wasted all their available fuel. They left from New York and traveled so slowly that a one-armed bicyclist who started 10 days after them passed them before they made it to Syracuse at which point they abandoned the attempt. After Cheyenne, Jackson and Horatio both knew that the hard part of the journey was now behind them. An automobile trip across the continent that will be watched with a great deal of interest will start from this city this morning. There are no maps, no roads, no repair shops. The fateful bet was made during a club room discussion on May 19, 1903, when Jackson and his wife were on a stopover in San Francisco after they had traveled to Mexico and Alaska looking at potential mining investments. THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL AUTOMOBILE ROAD TRIP In 1903, a man named Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to drive across the country, from coast to coast. I have been using thesauruses (thesauri is the preferred plural of the author but thesauruses is definitely more fun to say!) She returned home by train, allowing him to take his adventure by automobile. You are the best little wife in the world and I am a mighty lucky fellow to have you.Yes, old girl, I appreciate it, if, sometimes I have a queer way of showing it.Four years tomorrow!!!! One hundred years later, another doctor is following in Jackson's patched tire tracks. Keep in mind that the cars of 1903 were little more than expensive playthings for hobbyists and hadnt really been proven to be worthy of such a bet.