Six cars raced to the finish line of the U.S.’s first automobile race—at speeds of 7 mph

[Still Waters]

Held on this day in 1895, the 54-mile round trip took more than ten hours and involved accidents with streetcars, horses and snowbanks.

On Thanksgiving Day 1895, six cars lined up near Chicago’s Jackson Park to compete in the first automobile race held in the United States. Given the frigid conditions—30 degrees Fahrenheit and deep snow—only two were destined to finish the 54-mile round trip to Evanston and back. The average speed of the winner was seven miles per hour.

Despite these quaint statistics, America’s first car race was full of hope, drama and significance for the development of the nation’s nascent automobile industry.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/six-cars-raced-to-the-finish-line-of-the-uss-first-automobile-raceat-speeds-of-seven-miles-per-hour-180985385/

[+and-then]

That was the year my grandfather was born.  By the time his grandchildren were around as kids, man had landed on the moon.  If we can collectively manage not go feral for another generation or two, imagine the possibilities.