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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2009 13:13:57 GMT
It was on this day in 1909 that the first woman to drive across the United States,Alice Huyler Ramsey left New York City for San Francisco. She was 22 years old, a housewife from Hackenstack, New Jersey. Her trip got a lot of media attention. In 1909,not many women drove cars, and some doctors thought that it was dangerous for women to even ride in cars because they would get too worked up at more than 20 miles an hour. Ms. Ramsey drove 3,800 miles across the country in a Maxwell 30 with 3 other women, but she was the only one who knew how to drive. They drove for 41 days and used 11 spare tires. She wrote a book about the trip called,Veil,Duster, and Tire Iron(1961). In 2000 she was the first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
(I tried finding a photo of a Maxwell 30 and had no luck)
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 9, 2009 17:00:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2009 17:07:04 GMT
great pieces Bixa. Would love to read Ms. Ramsey's personal account, I love the title she chose.
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Post by traveler63 on Jun 9, 2009 19:55:03 GMT
This is really great Bixa. Let's see, did you know that the first woman to run for U. S. President was Victoria Woodhull in 1871? She was a journalist and investment counselor, ran in the Equal Rights Party. Her platform consisted of an 8 hour day, graduated income tax and a new divorce law. Pretty progressive for the times, but unfortunately women could not vote. Wonder what our lives in the U. S. would have been like if women could have voted.  |
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Post by imec on Jun 9, 2009 20:06:00 GMT
Ms. Ramsey drove 3,800 miles across the country in a Maxwell 30 with 3 other women, but she was the only one who knew how to drive. Bet that didn't stop the other three from "helping" though... |
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Post by traveler63 on Jun 9, 2009 20:12:57 GMT
Imec: are you implying that women are "back seat" drivers? ? ;D |
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 10, 2009 8:17:22 GMT
I'd never heard of this story. Good on her!
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Post by BigIain on Jun 10, 2009 12:03:11 GMT
I wonder where the car full of ladies were actually intending to go? Imagine their surprise when they arrived in SF instead of Coney island?
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Post by distantshores on Jun 10, 2009 22:21:41 GMT
I do agree it's quite a feat, but do you realize that there was NO road system in the United States at the time? No gas stations to speak of either? Fighting mud and ruts all the way! Where did they... ahem... powder their noses?  Could the hubby and kids have been that bad??? ;D |
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ABSOLUTELY visit this website! 
Could the hubby and kids have been that bad??? ;D