Alice Huyler Ramsey
Alice Huyler Ramsey ( born November 11, 1886 in Hackensack, New Jersey; † September 10, 1983 in Covina, California ) was an American Automobilistin, the traversal of the United States succeeded in the summer of 1909 as the first woman with an automobile.
Early years
Alice Taylor Huyler was born as a daughter of the wood and coal merchant John Edwin Huyler and his wife Ada Mumford Farr in Hackensack, the county seat of Bergen County in New Jersey. Even in school she showed a high level of technical and mechanical understanding. In 1903 she went to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, but dropped out after two years of her studies to marry more than twice as old administrative officer John Rathbone Ramsey. In 1907, their son John born, followed in 1910 the daughter Alice.
1908, the family acquired a Maxwell automobile and Alice Ramsey took driving lessons at a local car dealer. Ramsey was fascinated by the new means of transport and became an avid car driver. In September, Alice Ramsey took with her automobile for the first time participate in an endurance race of Hackensack to New York City. It proved to be an excellent driver who dominated their vehicles on rough terrain. Alice Ramsey was elected chairman of the New York Women's Motoring Club and stood in front of the women's section of the Maxwell - Briscoe Motor Club. In other races Ramsey was able to achieve several victories.
Crossing of the United States
Representatives of Maxwell - Briscoe became aware of Alice Ramsey and suggested she perform an effective advertising journey across the United States. The doctor Horatio Nelson Jackson had handled in 1903 the first human to route from the west coast to the east coast in the car. In other rides women were present only as passengers, thus Alice Ramsey should tackle first female driver the more than 6,000 -kilometer route.
Maxwell - Briscoe made based on the current model DA a car for Alice Ramsey and instructed its branches, Ramsey adequate supply of spare parts and fuel, and to accompany them if necessary to the nearest town with a second vehicle. In addition, the company provided a detailed report in advance of the trip. Since her husband insisted that Alice Ramsey did not go alone, she invited her sisters in law Margaret Atwood and Nettie Powell and her friend Hermine Jahns as a travel companions. But Ramsey was the only one who could drive a car. In early June 1909, the preparations were complete to the historic ride.
On June 9, 1909, Alice Ramsey and her companions found in the New York sales rooms of Maxwell - Briscoe one on Broadway. There, AL Westgard, who was responsible for creating the road map of the AAA, the starting shot for the trip was to San Francisco.
After ten days, Ramsey reached Chicago. The ride then proceeded without any major incidents, Ramsey and their passengers inside were warmly welcomed in the cities. In the next section to Iowa but the women were suffering from continuous rain, which made the dirt roads to mud barely passable roads. Just before the town of Sioux City broke the rear axle of the Maxwells. Ramsey had to take a three-day forced break, but could then continue the journey on July 6. The poor road conditions also resulted in the following days to repair the vehicle, so that only Ramsey on July 14, Cheyenne, Wyoming, reached.
On 17 July, the rise began in the Rocky Mountains, which according to Ramsey scenic proved to be less cumbersome, but also than less. After only four days the women Salt Lake City, where they were cleaned and repaired the Maxwell reach. As they continue the journey through the Rocky Mountains, the car crashed into a ditch. Ramsey had to make a new axle in Salt Lake City. Due to the delays her companions traveled by train ahead, and Ramsey undertook alone with a representative of Maxwell - Briscoe the arduous trip to Nevada. In this section Alice Ramsey met a group of Indians, but showed little interest in her and the automobile.
On August 4, left Alice Ramsey and her companions the town of Reno for the last leg of their journey. About Lake Tahoe, the rise took place in the Sierra Nevada, from where it went to California. For the first time since Chicago Ramsey could again drive on paved roads. The drive from Sacramento to Oakland was eventually escorted to a triumph for Ramsey and her friends, she was Maxwell of numerous enthusiastic motorists. By ferry they crossed the bay of San Francisco and finally reached on August 7, 1909 60 days after the start in New York destination San Francisco.
Ramsey met so three weeks later than planned on the west coast, but tell it to Maxwell was due to various repairs and driving breaks silence on a total of 18 days. On the 42 days trip, the four ladies in the average covered a 146 km daily. During the trip had to be changed eleven times a tire. All tire changes were made by Alice Ramsey himself, even to the other repairs they worked with when ever possible.
Alice Ramsey was celebrated for its driving performance and highlighted as an example of the new generation of emancipated women drivers. Maxwell - Briscoe applied considering Ramsey's power their cars with the slogan " The car for a lady to drive ," which neither steep mountains, thick mud sand could even deeper harm it. Just nine months later, Blanche Stuart Scott Ramsey repeated crossing of the United States.
Later life
Alice Ramsey was the car racing loyal, but abandoned after the birth of her second child, first to other long distance trips. It was not until 1919, she undertook a second journey from the east to the west coast of the United States. She repeated the rides almost a year to old age.
1933 died John Rathbone Ramsey. Six years later, moved by Alice Ramsey Ridgewood, New Jersey, in 1949 she settled down finally in Covina. On the 50th anniversary of its first trip from New York to San Francisco reminded several newspapers Ramsey, not realizing that the 72 -year-old was still an active car driver.
1960 was awarded the title " car driver of the Century" Alice Ramsey of the American Automobile Association, more honors and honorary memberships of automobile sports federations followed. 1961 Ramsey published her memories of the journey from 1909 in the book Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron.
Alice Ramsey died in 1983 at the age of 96 years. On 17 October 2000, she was posthumously received the first woman in the Automotive Hall of Fame.