In the early 1900's driving wasn't easy. The dirt roads that horses walked over so simply, were a challenge for the early motorcar. Also, horses were extremely startled whenever their owner started the engine of the car.
Even though it was rough, the car soon became a must-have. Some people still hated the car, but there was no turning back. The automobile was here to stay.
In the early 1900's, the automobile only drove about as fast as 15 mph. To you and me, that may be very slow. In fact, that is little over the speed limit of a modern parking lot. However, to the people of the early 20th century, it was extremely fast.
The first woman to drive coast to coast was Alice Huyler Ramsey, who was a housewife, and a mother from New Jersey. When she did this, she was 22 years old. She drove all the way, although she had three women companions who didn't know how to drive. They left Manhattan on June 9, 1909, and arrived in San Francisco 59 days later on August 7, of the same year. After a long life, Alice Ramsey died in 1983, at age 93 years old.
For more information visit the following sites:
http://www.ibiscom.com/auto.htm
http://www.greatachievements.com/greatachievements/ga_2_1.html
