In 1903 Doctor H. Nelson Jackson became the first man to drive across the United States, accompanied by Sewall K. Crocker. The trip from California to New York City took 63 days. Six years later a publicity minded Maxwell-Briscoe auto dealer asked a young New Jersey wife and mother if she would be interested in becoming the first woman to drive across the United States. Her answer was yes.
The Early Life of Alice Ramsey
Alice Huyler was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1887. At an early age her father noted that his daughter was "born mechanical“ and in high school, she chose to take manual training instead of home economic classes.
After attending prestigious Vassar college in 1907, Alice married John Ramsey, a Hackensack lawyer, businessman, and later U.S. Congressman. Soon after her marriage, she developed a life-long love of automobiles. She became an expert mechanic and entered several driving contests where she became known for her expert driving skills.
When the Maxwell dealer approached her with the idea of a cross country tour, all expenses paid, she readily agreed.
The Hazards of Early Driving
Early automobiles were hard to drive and subject to frequent breakdowns. Roads in the early 1900s were often no more than rutted wagon trails. (In her 3800 mile journey, Alice would only encounter 152 miles of paved roads.) Service stations were few and far between.
Road maps were non-existent. East of the Mississippi, drivers relied on "Blue Books" which gave directions such as: “At 11.6 miles, yellow house and barn on [right]. Turn left.” Such directions could become rapidly obsolete when houses or other landmarks were repainted or simply disappeared. West of the Mississippi, drivers had to depend on local advice.
Alice’s Drive
On June 9, 1909, Alice Ramsey said goodbye to her husband, young son, and a large crowd and, accompanied by two older sisters-in-law and a 16 year-old friend, left Manhattan to head west. Along with some luggage, the entourage carried spare parts, a shovel, rope, and a block and tackle.
The drive from New York City to Chicago took two weeks and, except for running out of gas and water once each, was mainly uneventful. Many of the roads were wagon trails, but they were well-maintained and Alice was often able to reach a top speed of 40 mph. However, from Iowa on, the trip was often a nightmare.
Constant rains turned the Iowa roads into quagmires and her plans to go through Omaha, Nebraska, were thwarted by flooding. Instead, she had to make a lengthy detour to the north. Throughout Nebraska and the remainder of her journey, the Maxwell constantly broke down. The Rockies presented a formidable challenge.
Fifty-nine days, twelve flat tires, two broken axles, a broken spring, and a damaged tie-rod later, Alice and her group reached San Francisco. Despite all the problems, she and her Maxwell had set a new “speed” record for transcontinental driving.
The Later Life of Alice Ramsey
Alice maintained her love of driving all her life. She wrote a memoir, Veil, Duster and Tire Iron (aka Alice’s Drive), and made at least 30 more cross-country trips, often accompanied by her children and grandchildren. She also made several auto trips across the Swiss Alps.
She was named “Woman Motorist of the Century” by the American Automobile Association in 1960 and in 2000 became the first woman to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. Ironically, her supportive husband, never learned to drive.
Alice died in Covinia, California, in 1983 at the age of 96.
Emily Anderson’s Journey
Inspired by Ramsey’s groundbreaking feat, Emily Anderson of Seattle decided to repeat the journey on its 100th anniversary. Aided by her father and friends who completely rebuilt a 1909 Maxwell and painted it the same dark green as Alice’s car, her dream is coming true.
On June 9th, she left Manhattan on her journey, dubbed as “Alice’s Drive,” to San Francisco. As a symbolic link to the past, Alice Ramsey’s great-grandson accompanied Anderson on the first leg of the trip.
Ms Anderson’s “co-pilot” is Christie Catania who acts as a “traffic controller” and gives hand turn signals. There is also an advanced team, led by her parents, and a support team following her. Her route is basically the same as Alice’s except where the earlier route is now Interstate.
On June 19th Ms Anderson reached the approximate halfway point when she arrived in Omaha.
More details on the two women’s journeys can be read here. Ms Anderson’s journey can be followed at Alice's Drive.
Around the World in 72 Days is another story of adventurous women.
 |
 |
