The Coast-to-coast Road Trip Is 120 Years Old

In 1903, many still thought the “horseless carriage” was a passing fad, with limited practical use. Eager to prove them wrong, Horatio Jackson made a bet that he could drive a car across the country. 63 days later, Jackson, his driver, and Bud the bulldog had completed the very first coast-to-coast road trip in American history.

The coast-to-coast road trip, that American essential, turns 120 this year. In 1903, Horatio Jackson and Sewall Crocker became the first people ever to drive a car from one side of the U.S. all the way to the other. Cars were an exciting novelty at the time, and their numbers were exploding — from 8,000 in 1900 to 32,920 in 1903 — but many still considered the “horseless carriage” a passing fad. There were few suitable roads, let alone a nationwide road network. So theirs was an adventure like none before. And it all started with a $50 bet… read more >