From our collection ... The first (?) Manual for Motorists, 1920 ...
Those of you who have been following us for a while will know John loves ships and trains. Most of our collection is focused on trains and ships. HOWEVER, one very interesting story is the introduction of the automobile into Yellowstone National Park. The Park was created by an Act of Congress in 1872. The first Model T was manufactured by Ford in 1908. Before 1915 the only way to get around in the Park was on foot, horseback, or stagecoach. One of the first manfacturers of cars was the White Motor Company and they were anxious to get cars into the Park. In the picture above, dignitaries in a White Motor Company car lead the official automobile entourage in Yellowstone Park on August 1, 1915. (How about that license plate, WYO -1-) It soon became apparent that operators of the first cars needed some rules and regulations and thus the Manual for Motorists was born. This was a little publication handed out free to all drivers entering the Park ... Similar to the "Yellowstone Today" paper that is now handed out. We are not sure if this Manual for Motorists in our collection is the very first issue but it may well be ... we haven't seen an earlier version. Here is a scan of the whole publication for you. If you find any of this interesting, do tell us about it in the comments.
Our favorite ...
Thanks for stopping by John's Island.
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Hello John, great post. I can only imagine seeing Yellowstone when it first became a park and to be able to drive there. The driving manual is interesting. Have a happy day!
ReplyDeletevery cool. The world needs folks like you who retain our past.
ReplyDeleteI found it very difficult to read the small print so I went to the final piece that you enlarged, John. It amused me to think of the terrific speeds these cars could attain, with a maximum of 25mph! That would have seemed very fast in one of those jalopies, I think. It's a century ago now, since this was written. Times have changed. :-)
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say THANKS to DJan for heads up on the print size being a bit too small for easy reading. I have update the images to a larger size. It looks OK to me on a full size desktop screen. However, if you are using a smaller device, it might be necessary to download the images and then zoom in on them. Yes, I realize that's a pain, and don't really expect anyone to do that, but just in case ... :-)
ReplyDeleteThe speed limit sounds complicated on paper but I guess it still is today with speed limits for areas like playgrounds and school zones. It's just that we have signs now and they just had a book and then had to use their judgement.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone actually read those manuals before driving in?
ReplyDeleteFascinating. I am glad that we now have cars with air conditioning and all the extras.Guess I'm a bit of a softie and like my comforts. :)
ReplyDeleteI really like the vintage photo.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. I my dad and some friends drove thru YNP in 1928 on the way to visit family in Phoenix.
ReplyDeleteOld cars are fascinating. Great post, John, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMany greetings.