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With wanderlust running high these days, a cross-country road trip probably sounds like a lot of fun. But how about doing it over one hundred years ago and on a motorcycle? To promote the viability of women as military dispatch riders, sisters Augusta (1884–1959) and Adeline (1889–1949) Van Buren did just that (and more!), departing New York for San Francisco in 1916. Their route initially followed the new Lincoln Highway, which consisted of unimproved dirt roads in most sections west of the Mississippi River that were impassable in heavy rain. When the sisters diverted to Colorado and rode up the newly completed Pikes Peak road, they became the first women to reach the 14,115-foot summit on a motorized vehicle. The Van Buren sisters arrived in San Francisco after two harrowing months, and then continued south through Los Angeles to Mexico for good measure before returning home—becoming the first women to ride across the United States solo on motorcycles. “Early American Motorcycles” is on view pre-security in the International Terminal Main Hall and online - link via bio.
This image was posted on April 26, 2021.