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New York City To San Francisco in 1909
On June 9, 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, 22, cranked her new dark-green Maxwell DA to life and headed north from 1930 Broadway, Manhattan, for a 59-day journey across the United States. She passed through north of Council Bluffs exactly one month later, on Friday, July 9, and turned west on the route of the future Lincoln Highway, to be proclaimed four years later. She was four miles east of Grand Island when an axle broke, stranding her there for three days. On August 7 she arrived in San Francisco, becoming the first woman to drive an automobile from coast to coast.
The Western Historic Trails Center will host an illustrated lecture on
the subject by Gregory M. Franzwa at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 7. Franzwa’s
firm, The Patrice Press, has published Alice’s Drive, a new book about
Ramsey’s amazing adventure. He is the founder of the Lincoln Highway
Association, has authored six books on the history and geography of the
1913 road.
His lecture includes 70 slides—mostly photos from her book—and
takes about 45 minutes. The $20 book will be for sale after the talk. WHTC
is located at 3434 Downing Ave., Council Bluffs, and the program is free.
Call (712) 366-4900 for more information.
