Pete Davies
Encyclopedia
Pete Davies is the author of American Road: The Story of an Epic Transcontinental Journey at the Dawn of the Motor Age, a book about the 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy
. The convoy, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
Charles W. McClure and observed by Lieutenant Colonel
Dwight D. Eisenhower
, was a sixty-two day trip from Washington, D.C.
to San Francisco, California
intended to raise awareness as to the poor quality of American roads and to test their ability to accommodate military vehicles.
Mr. Davies visited many cities and towns along the route of the Lincoln Highway
and consulted local archives and newspapers for information on the convoy and its impact on the states and cities it visited.
Transcontinental Motor Convoy
The Transcontinental Motor Convoys were early 20th century vehicle convoys, including three US Army truck trains, that crossed the United States to the west coast...
. The convoy, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Charles W. McClure and observed by Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, was a sixty-two day trip from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
intended to raise awareness as to the poor quality of American roads and to test their ability to accommodate military vehicles.
Mr. Davies visited many cities and towns along the route of the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
and consulted local archives and newspapers for information on the convoy and its impact on the states and cities it visited.