Tuesday, May 16, 2023

May 16 - Across America on a Motor Bicycle

At Lotta's Fountain
Market & Kearney Streets
(San Francisco to Vallejo, CA)

"Little more than three miles constituted the first day's travel of my journey across the American continent. It is just three miles from the corner of Market and Kearney streets, San Francisco, to the boat that steams to Vallejo, California, and, leaving the corner formed by those streets at 2:30 o'clock on the bright afternoon of May 16, less than two hours later I had passed through the Golden Gate and was in Vallejo and aboard the "Ark," or houseboat of my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Brerton, which was anchored there. I slept aboard the "Ark" that night."

Across America on a Motor Bicycle - "Over the Sierra's and Through the Snow Sheds" by George A. Wyman, The Motorcycle Magazine, June 1903, Vol 1 No 1
San Francisco, CA to Reno, NV
May 16 to May 20, 1903


George A. Wyman made a ceremonial start of his transcontinental motorcycle ride from this spot at 2:30 p.m. It was known as “Newspaper Square” at the time. Wyman’s transcontinental attempt was being underwritten by The Goodman Company, NYC, to help launch their new publication “The Motorcycle Magazine.”  Seven weeks of hard riding would begin the following day from the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay.  The direct route along Market St to the Vallejo Ferry terminal is less than one mile. However, the distance from Lotta’s Fountain to the California Motor Company, then on to the ferry terminal, is about 3 miles.

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