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Alturas, California
May 29th, 1903
Mount Shasta, which for days had been in view off and on "like a guide post," Jackson wrote, now faded completely from sight behind them as they came down out of the mountains and headed for the town of Alturas, in the northeastern corner of California. In Alturas, Jackson decided to wait for a day. He had telegraphed back to San Francisco for a new set of badly needed tires, some new batteries, and a new cyclometer to help him measure distances — and he had been promised by Wells, Fargo that the stagecoach with his shipment would soon catch up with him. By Tuesday, June 2nd, the shipment still had not arrived. Jackson left Alturas anyway — "in no very good humor," according to the local paper. But after only a few miles, a front spring broke, and the Vermont limped toward Lakeview, Oregon, at under 10 miles per hour. Play Video Clip Horatio’s letter to Bertha, May 31 My darling Girl: — We have crossed the mountains & don’t expect to come to anymore until we get into Idaho. ... We have proven that my machine can do or go anywhere.... I feel confident we can make it. How I wish you were with me & that it was possible for you to take the trip... With... a barrel full [of love], I am, as always, yours. Nelson  Horatio’s letter to Bertha, June 1 Well Old Girl, I am rather provoked over our delay... I have lost 5 days. This is a bad start for our first eleven days out. Just as soon as I can get decent tires we will make a record run. I feel more confident that I can make New York... We are causing a great sensation along the road – it is the first machine that has ever gone over these mountains. 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. Newspaper Article Alturas Plaindealer, 6/5/03 Quite a flurry of excitement was erected Saturday evening by the arrival of an automobile. Very few of our citizens had ever seen this, one of the wonders of the century, and large crowds gazed with curious interest at the horseless wagon. The Indians especially never tired of gazing at the machine. Indeed had a flying machine lit down in their midst it would not have created greater astonishment. Jackson is a "wealthy Vermont gentleman" who bet $3,000 on trip. The running time to Alturas was five and a half days; about 125 miles per day, without accident or incident worthy of mention. "The rubber tires on the machine were somewhat worn and a new supply was ordered from the East by telegraph to be sent to this place. A stop of two days was made here to await their arrival, and on Tuesday morning the adventurous travelers resumed their journey."
Excerpted from Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, a Borzoi Book published by Alfred A. Knopf. Copyright © 2003 by The American Lives II Film Project, LLC. All rights reserved.
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