July 27, 2023 • 12 mins
It's curious just how far some people will go to make a point—both literally and figuratively.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of
the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all
of these amazing tales right there on display, just waiting
for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.
(00:36):
Is there anything more American than a road trip? This
tradition seems to be so much of a part of
American life and culture that it's hard to imagine a
time when they didn't exist. It might seem like a
straightforward question when was the automobile invented? But like so
many of our stories, it's a little more complicated than that.
Some could point back as far as the fifteenth century,
(00:57):
when Leonardo da Vinci was creating schematics for fantastastical transportation machines.
Most would credit Carl Friedrich Benz of Mercedes Benz, but
the invention of the gas powered automobile Patten did in
eighteen eighty five. This three wheeled unit changed the world
for better or worse, depending on your view. Soon further
patents followed, and by the early nineteen hundreds, Americans could
(01:19):
see automobiles in their towns and cities, albeit somewhat rarely.
They mostly belonged to the rich. But luckily we do
have an exact date for the first American road trip.
In nineteen oh three, no one was sure what an
automobile could do, and in a time when most folks
were still getting around with horse drawn wagons and buggies,
the idea that there was nothing pulling their new vehicle
(01:41):
must have been hard to wrap your head around. It
started with a bet. Doctor Horatio Nelson Jackson of Vermont
was on vacation with his wife Bertha in San Francisco.
One night, they were having drinks and the conversation turned
to the automobile. Jackson was an automobile enthusiast and was
quick to defend his beloved machine. He accepted a bet
for fifty dollars that he could drive a car across
(02:03):
the United States from San Francisco to New York City
in less than ninety days. Jackson could choose whatever car
he wanted to get the job done. But of course,
there were a few hiccups along the way. You see,
the roads that Jackson would travel along the way were
barely roads at all. They were terrible. They were full
of potholes and ruts from decades of wagon wheels. He
also didn't own any useful maps and didn't have a car.
(02:27):
They'd come to San Francisco via a series of trains,
oh and Jackson couldn't drive now. Wisely, Jackson asked for
help and brought Sewell K. Crocker into his scheme. Crocker
was a driver and a mechanic, and the two purchased
a nineteen oh three Winton, a two cylinder and twenty
horsepower touring car that they named the Vermont. The pair
(02:48):
loaded up the car with everything they might need, sleeping bags, blankets,
rubber suits and coats, an axe, a shovel, and other tools,
a Kodak camera and a telescope, a rifle, a shot gun,
parts for the car. At as much gasoline as they
could carry, it only took fifteen miles for them to
blow a tire, forcing them to use the only spare
(03:08):
that they brought. When other tires blew out, they had
to curl rope around the wheels so they could keep going.
Since there weren't widespread mechanic shops yet, they often had
to walk a long way to find gas or replace
busted parts. They were further delayed when they asked a
woman north of Sacramento for directions, and she sent them
one hundred and eight miles out of their way so
(03:30):
that her family could see an automobile for the first time.
In Idaho, they picked up an essential traveling companion, a
bulldog named Bud, who got fitted with his own little
pair of goggles to keep the dust out of his eyes.
This was around the time that the press caught wind
of their journey, and the trio became celebrities. Soon large
crowds were waiting for them at nearly every stop. As Jackson, Crocker,
(03:52):
and Bud began making their way through the eastern half
of the country, they were having an easier time. More
of the roads were paved, especially in majors cities where
they had previously managed seventy one miles a day. Once
they reached the paved streets, they covered some two hundred
and fifty miles. Admittedly, they did still have mishaps. They
often got lost and had to replace parts, equipment, and gas.
(04:14):
For this, they contacted the Winton Company, which was eager
to provide They wanted to show that their machines could
do all of this, and soon other car manufacturers had
the same idea. Packard and Oldsmobile sent out their own
drivers from the West Coast. So now not only was
Jackson trying to beat the clock, but he had two
other drivers to worry about. Luckily, Jackson had a head start,
(04:35):
and their increased speed meant that they plowed through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
and Ohio. They made a celebratory stop in Chicago before
pressing on, finally reaching New York State. Their final moment
of calamity was just outside of Buffalo, where they had
their first and only accident. Luckily, the car was quickly repaired,
and Jackson, Crocker, and Bud rolled into New York City
(04:57):
on July twenty sixth of nineteen oh three, d three
days after making the bet. The trio never collected the
fifty dollars, and really it wouldn't have covered the costs.
Jackson spent about eight thousand of his own money to
make the journey about two hundred and sixty thousand dollars today.
Crocker stayed in New York City after the journey, while
(05:17):
Bud and Jackson made their way back to Vermont Jackson
later donated his car to the Smithsonian, where it's on
permanent display. Oh And Jackson apparently had one final automobile
related mishap later in life. It was a speeding ticket
earned while cruising through Burlington, Vermont. The legal limit that
he violated six miles per hour. Growing up, most of
(05:53):
us learn the phrase all that glitters isn't gold, meaning
that what we see on the surface doesn't reflect what's underneath.
This was never truer than during America's Gilded Age. Mark
Twain certainly captured the spirit of the times when he
called it gold and glittering and corrupt, and no one
lived out those principles better than the Vanderbilt family. The
Vanderbilts were a real life rags to riches story, but
(06:15):
no matter how wealthy they were, the old money New
York families wouldn't accept them. There were certain rules the
wealthy had to abide by it to be considered a
part of society. These involved lineages, wealth, and a truly
spectacular degree of snobbishness. These rules were created by Caroline
Astor and her henchman, Ward McAllister. She ruled over New
(06:36):
York society with an iron fist deciding who was in
and who was out. Apparently, there were only four hundred
suitable families in New York City, and the Vanderbilts weren't
among them, at least not yet. By the mid eighteen hundreds,
a new member of the family emerged that would take
on Caroline Astor and the four hundred with the same
single minded focus and discipline that she dedicated to every
(06:59):
other aspect of her life. Life. Born Alva Erskine Smith,
she was intelligent, with refined tastes, but no money. Her
formerly prosperous family had lost their money in the years
following the Civil War, and she needed to marry well.
She found her perfect targets in William Kissom Vanderbilt, a
party boy, and Alva was a force of nature, and
(07:19):
she planned to use her cunning, her self assuredness, and
the Vanderbilt fortune to break into Missus Astor's society. And
the best way to do that was to throw a ball.
Alva had recently completed her first manner at six hundred
and sixty fifth Avenue, called the Petit Chateau, and planned
to fill it in the most spectacular way possible. She
struck up a friendship with Ward McAllister and used his
(07:42):
connections to drum up interest in her party among the
old crowd. It was the spring of eighteen eighty three
and Lent was coming to an end. Traditionally, the start
of Lent signaled the end of the New York social season,
but Alva planned to give her fancy dress ball after Easter,
which would set her apart from all other society hostesses.
She dropped rumors to the press and to her friends,
(08:05):
and soon the city was a buzz with gossip and
whispers about the Vanderbilt Ball. By the time Alva sent
out her invitations, wealthy men and women were frothing at
the mouth to get into the Petit Chateau. Young ladies
spent the weeks leading up to the party practicing their quadrilles,
fancy themed dances performed by four couples in formation, looking
to show off their looks and their dowries. No one
(08:28):
was practicing more than missus Astor's daughter, Carrie. As the
daughter of the Queen of Society, Carrie fully expected to
be invited and in fact, to be a lead dancer
in these quadrilles. Instead, what she got was a notification
that Alva was very sorry, but Carrie couldn't come because
Missus Caroline aster had never received Missus Alva Vanderbilt. By
(08:49):
the laws of Missus Astor's own society, Alva was correct.
Unless Missus Astor would acknowledge Eva Vanderbilt, Carrie couldn't attend
the Party of the Century. Missus Astra evidently decided that
she loved her daughter more than her rules. A calling
card was duly dispatched, and Carrie Astor was allowed to
take part in the spectacle. And it really was a spectacle.
(09:11):
Newspaper reporters and gawkers packed the sidewalks as they watched
a long line of carriages deliver the lushly dressed members
of mister McAllister's four hundred in the elaborate costumes, jewels
and powdered wigs of the time. Missus Astor herself attended
as a Venetian princess, wearing every single diamond that she owned.
(09:32):
Other costumes were a little more out there. Elizabeth Vanderbilt
web dressed as a hornet in brown velvet and yellow
satin with diamond and tenne. Missus Kate fearing Strong came
as a cat, complete with a dress made of white
cat tails and a hat made of taxidermied white cat
Around her neck was a black velvet choker with a
(09:52):
bell and the word Puss spelled out in glittering diamonds.
Apparently that was her nickname, and Alice Vanderbilt, a rival
in the family, came dressed as an electric light. Her gown,
made of red gold and white satin and brocade, was
trimmed with diamonds, and the gilded torch she carried was
powered by a battery. She glittered in the light, but
(10:13):
no one held a candle to Alva. Alva was also
dressed as a Venetian princess, but she outshone missus Astor
in every way possible. Her yellow and white ball gown
was topped with jewels, but the crowning glory wasn't her tiara,
It was a rope of pearls that belonged to Catherine
the Great. The only attendees not dressed outlandishly were Alva's
(10:33):
father in law, Billy, and his good friend some guy
named Ulysses S. Grant, who were both dressed in plain
old white tie. The house was a riot of flowers
and lights, and the photographs truly do not do it justice.
Alva converted the upstairs gymnasium into a forest filled with
palm trees and orchids. She spared no expense on flowers, food, wine,
(10:54):
and costumes for the quadrilles. All told, the ball cost
and estimated two hundred and fifty thousand dollars back then
almost six million dollars today, of which sixty five thousand
was spent on champagne and eleven thousand on flowers. Everyone
danced until dawn, when the guests stumbled out of the house,
still in their costumes and powdered wigs a little worse
(11:16):
for wear, and for a moment it seemed like New
York had gone back in time. Really, in one night,
Alva had dragged the high society, kicking and screaming, into
her future. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of
the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
(11:38):
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky
in partnership with house Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
over at the worldolore dot com. Next time, stay curious.
(12:06):
M
Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of
the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all
of these amazing tales right there on display, just waiting
for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.
(00:36):
Is there anything more American than a road trip? This
tradition seems to be so much of a part of
American life and culture that it's hard to imagine a
time when they didn't exist. It might seem like a
straightforward question when was the automobile invented? But like so
many of our stories, it's a little more complicated than that.
Some could point back as far as the fifteenth century,
(00:57):
when Leonardo da Vinci was creating schematics for fantastastical transportation machines.
Most would credit Carl Friedrich Benz of Mercedes Benz, but
the invention of the gas powered automobile Patten did in
eighteen eighty five. This three wheeled unit changed the world
for better or worse, depending on your view. Soon further
patents followed, and by the early nineteen hundreds, Americans could
(01:19):
see automobiles in their towns and cities, albeit somewhat rarely.
They mostly belonged to the rich. But luckily we do
have an exact date for the first American road trip.
In nineteen oh three, no one was sure what an
automobile could do, and in a time when most folks
were still getting around with horse drawn wagons and buggies,
the idea that there was nothing pulling their new vehicle
(01:41):
must have been hard to wrap your head around. It
started with a bet. Doctor Horatio Nelson Jackson of Vermont
was on vacation with his wife Bertha in San Francisco.
One night, they were having drinks and the conversation turned
to the automobile. Jackson was an automobile enthusiast and was
quick to defend his beloved machine. He accepted a bet
for fifty dollars that he could drive a car across
(02:03):
the United States from San Francisco to New York City
in less than ninety days. Jackson could choose whatever car
he wanted to get the job done. But of course,
there were a few hiccups along the way. You see,
the roads that Jackson would travel along the way were
barely roads at all. They were terrible. They were full
of potholes and ruts from decades of wagon wheels. He
also didn't own any useful maps and didn't have a car.
(02:27):
They'd come to San Francisco via a series of trains,
oh and Jackson couldn't drive now. Wisely, Jackson asked for
help and brought Sewell K. Crocker into his scheme. Crocker
was a driver and a mechanic, and the two purchased
a nineteen oh three Winton, a two cylinder and twenty
horsepower touring car that they named the Vermont. The pair
(02:48):
loaded up the car with everything they might need, sleeping bags, blankets,
rubber suits and coats, an axe, a shovel, and other tools,
a Kodak camera and a telescope, a rifle, a shot gun,
parts for the car. At as much gasoline as they
could carry, it only took fifteen miles for them to
blow a tire, forcing them to use the only spare
(03:08):
that they brought. When other tires blew out, they had
to curl rope around the wheels so they could keep going.
Since there weren't widespread mechanic shops yet, they often had
to walk a long way to find gas or replace
busted parts. They were further delayed when they asked a
woman north of Sacramento for directions, and she sent them
one hundred and eight miles out of their way so
(03:30):
that her family could see an automobile for the first time.
In Idaho, they picked up an essential traveling companion, a
bulldog named Bud, who got fitted with his own little
pair of goggles to keep the dust out of his eyes.
This was around the time that the press caught wind
of their journey, and the trio became celebrities. Soon large
crowds were waiting for them at nearly every stop. As Jackson, Crocker,
(03:52):
and Bud began making their way through the eastern half
of the country, they were having an easier time. More
of the roads were paved, especially in majors cities where
they had previously managed seventy one miles a day. Once
they reached the paved streets, they covered some two hundred
and fifty miles. Admittedly, they did still have mishaps. They
often got lost and had to replace parts, equipment, and gas.
(04:14):
For this, they contacted the Winton Company, which was eager
to provide They wanted to show that their machines could
do all of this, and soon other car manufacturers had
the same idea. Packard and Oldsmobile sent out their own
drivers from the West Coast. So now not only was
Jackson trying to beat the clock, but he had two
other drivers to worry about. Luckily, Jackson had a head start,
(04:35):
and their increased speed meant that they plowed through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
and Ohio. They made a celebratory stop in Chicago before
pressing on, finally reaching New York State. Their final moment
of calamity was just outside of Buffalo, where they had
their first and only accident. Luckily, the car was quickly repaired,
and Jackson, Crocker, and Bud rolled into New York City
(04:57):
on July twenty sixth of nineteen oh three, d three
days after making the bet. The trio never collected the
fifty dollars, and really it wouldn't have covered the costs.
Jackson spent about eight thousand of his own money to
make the journey about two hundred and sixty thousand dollars today.
Crocker stayed in New York City after the journey, while
(05:17):
Bud and Jackson made their way back to Vermont Jackson
later donated his car to the Smithsonian, where it's on
permanent display. Oh And Jackson apparently had one final automobile
related mishap later in life. It was a speeding ticket
earned while cruising through Burlington, Vermont. The legal limit that
he violated six miles per hour. Growing up, most of
(05:53):
us learn the phrase all that glitters isn't gold, meaning
that what we see on the surface doesn't reflect what's underneath.
This was never truer than during America's Gilded Age. Mark
Twain certainly captured the spirit of the times when he
called it gold and glittering and corrupt, and no one
lived out those principles better than the Vanderbilt family. The
Vanderbilts were a real life rags to riches story, but
(06:15):
no matter how wealthy they were, the old money New
York families wouldn't accept them. There were certain rules the
wealthy had to abide by it to be considered a
part of society. These involved lineages, wealth, and a truly
spectacular degree of snobbishness. These rules were created by Caroline
Astor and her henchman, Ward McAllister. She ruled over New
(06:36):
York society with an iron fist deciding who was in
and who was out. Apparently, there were only four hundred
suitable families in New York City, and the Vanderbilts weren't
among them, at least not yet. By the mid eighteen hundreds,
a new member of the family emerged that would take
on Caroline Astor and the four hundred with the same
single minded focus and discipline that she dedicated to every
(06:59):
other aspect of her life. Life. Born Alva Erskine Smith,
she was intelligent, with refined tastes, but no money. Her
formerly prosperous family had lost their money in the years
following the Civil War, and she needed to marry well.
She found her perfect targets in William Kissom Vanderbilt, a
party boy, and Alva was a force of nature, and
(07:19):
she planned to use her cunning, her self assuredness, and
the Vanderbilt fortune to break into Missus Astor's society. And
the best way to do that was to throw a ball.
Alva had recently completed her first manner at six hundred
and sixty fifth Avenue, called the Petit Chateau, and planned
to fill it in the most spectacular way possible. She
struck up a friendship with Ward McAllister and used his
(07:42):
connections to drum up interest in her party among the
old crowd. It was the spring of eighteen eighty three
and Lent was coming to an end. Traditionally, the start
of Lent signaled the end of the New York social season,
but Alva planned to give her fancy dress ball after Easter,
which would set her apart from all other society hostesses.
She dropped rumors to the press and to her friends,
(08:05):
and soon the city was a buzz with gossip and
whispers about the Vanderbilt Ball. By the time Alva sent
out her invitations, wealthy men and women were frothing at
the mouth to get into the Petit Chateau. Young ladies
spent the weeks leading up to the party practicing their quadrilles,
fancy themed dances performed by four couples in formation, looking
to show off their looks and their dowries. No one
(08:28):
was practicing more than missus Astor's daughter, Carrie. As the
daughter of the Queen of Society, Carrie fully expected to
be invited and in fact, to be a lead dancer
in these quadrilles. Instead, what she got was a notification
that Alva was very sorry, but Carrie couldn't come because
Missus Caroline aster had never received Missus Alva Vanderbilt. By
(08:49):
the laws of Missus Astor's own society, Alva was correct.
Unless Missus Astor would acknowledge Eva Vanderbilt, Carrie couldn't attend
the Party of the Century. Missus Astra evidently decided that
she loved her daughter more than her rules. A calling
card was duly dispatched, and Carrie Astor was allowed to
take part in the spectacle. And it really was a spectacle.
(09:11):
Newspaper reporters and gawkers packed the sidewalks as they watched
a long line of carriages deliver the lushly dressed members
of mister McAllister's four hundred in the elaborate costumes, jewels
and powdered wigs of the time. Missus Astor herself attended
as a Venetian princess, wearing every single diamond that she owned.
(09:32):
Other costumes were a little more out there. Elizabeth Vanderbilt
web dressed as a hornet in brown velvet and yellow
satin with diamond and tenne. Missus Kate fearing Strong came
as a cat, complete with a dress made of white
cat tails and a hat made of taxidermied white cat
Around her neck was a black velvet choker with a
(09:52):
bell and the word Puss spelled out in glittering diamonds.
Apparently that was her nickname, and Alice Vanderbilt, a rival
in the family, came dressed as an electric light. Her gown,
made of red gold and white satin and brocade, was
trimmed with diamonds, and the gilded torch she carried was
powered by a battery. She glittered in the light, but
(10:13):
no one held a candle to Alva. Alva was also
dressed as a Venetian princess, but she outshone missus Astor
in every way possible. Her yellow and white ball gown
was topped with jewels, but the crowning glory wasn't her tiara,
It was a rope of pearls that belonged to Catherine
the Great. The only attendees not dressed outlandishly were Alva's
(10:33):
father in law, Billy, and his good friend some guy
named Ulysses S. Grant, who were both dressed in plain
old white tie. The house was a riot of flowers
and lights, and the photographs truly do not do it justice.
Alva converted the upstairs gymnasium into a forest filled with
palm trees and orchids. She spared no expense on flowers, food, wine,
(10:54):
and costumes for the quadrilles. All told, the ball cost
and estimated two hundred and fifty thousand dollars back then
almost six million dollars today, of which sixty five thousand
was spent on champagne and eleven thousand on flowers. Everyone
danced until dawn, when the guests stumbled out of the house,
still in their costumes and powdered wigs a little worse
(11:16):
for wear, and for a moment it seemed like New
York had gone back in time. Really, in one night,
Alva had dragged the high society, kicking and screaming, into
her future. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of
the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
(11:38):
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky
in partnership with house Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
over at the worldolore dot com. Next time, stay curious.
(12:06):
M
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