January 2019
THE BEACON
Page 7A
The Challenge of Change
Anonymous
Transportation was so
different at the turn of the
century. Long-range transpor-
tation across the United States
was by rail. Roads were short-
range paths between destina-
tions. While many rural roads
existed, less than ten percent
of them were more than just
plain dirt. And then, change
came. That change was the au-
tomobile. Personal transporta-
tion was instantly available by
automobile so long as a path
was available to a destination.
In 1912, an Indiana vision-
ary, Carl Fisher, proposed and
started to build a 3,398-mile
highway from New York City
to San Francisco. He named
the highway after his hero,
President Abraham Lincoln.
The Lincoln Highway was
just plain unimproved dirt,
but it provided a way for an
automobile to travel across
the United States. When
completed, the normal trip
by automobile took at least
a month. As time went by,
the highway was improved.
The first modern improve-
ment came in 1923 and was a
stretch of highway 1.3 miles
long in northern Indiana be-
tween Dyer and Schererville
in Lake County. The improved
highway was forty feet wide,
made of eight inches of con-
crete, and could support 8,000
pounds per vehicle wheel.
Still, almost all of the Lincoln
Highway was unimproved
dirt. The normal upgrade was
to cover the highways with
straw. A “strawed” highway
kept down the dust and made
it easier to slog through mud.
In 1926, the U.S. Government
began numbering highways.
The Lincoln Highway was
designated U.S. Highway 30.
As highway construction
made automobile travel
more convenient, demand
for automobiles grew. Auto-
mobile companies became
competitive and struggled for
acceptance by the consumer.
Promotional events became
a common way to advertise
and prove the reliability
of automobiles. One such
promotion was driving from
coast to coast challenging the
speed record. That challenge
was taken by three men from
Southeast Indiana. To set
the record, three men were
necessary. They would eat and
sleep in the car while driving
24-hours a day. First was Wil-
liam Harrington of Milan. Mr.
Harrington owned a Chev-
rolet dealership and garage
in Moores Hill. He owned
the car. He was sponsored by
the Chevrolet Company. The
second was Albert Kleine,
also of Milan. Mr. Kleine was
the garage’s mechanic, and
his skill was necessary for
completion of the trip. For the
third man, they needed an in-
trepid driver. They found that
man in Norman Weatherford
of Dillsboro. Mr. Weatherford
delivered mail in a Chevrolet
between Dillsboro and Bear
Branch. He prided himself
on “getting the mail through,
regardless of conditions.”
He forded raging streams
and let no weather stop him.
They were the perfect three
to challenge the record. The
Chevrolet Company ar-
ranged for their dealerships
throughout the United States
to participate in the project.
The dealers would provide
stops for gasoline and would
supply a basket of food to
be eaten while driving. They
drove a Chevrolet that had
13,000 miles on it. They took
out the right front seat and
made a bed on the right side
of the car. One would drive,
one would sit behind the
driver, and one would sleep.
Each would drive 100 miles
and, then, shift positions. The
route led from Baltimore,
Maryland to Los Angeles,
California. Most of the route
followed Highway 30, the
Lincoln Highway. Western
Union was the official time-
keeper. The Chevrolet Com-
pany approached each state
they would pass through and
request an exemption from
the speed limit. The exemp-
tion was granted by each state
with the exception of Indiana,
which told them they were
expected to obey the law.
The trio drove from Indiana
to Baltimore, Maryland where
the challenge began at 12:01
AM on August 30, 1926. The
driving was a challenge, but
sometimes monotonous, at
a normal speed of about 45
miles an hour. Their big-
gest challenge seemed to
be the weather. There was,
abnormally, more rain than
expected. That made those
William Harrington and Albert Kleine of Milan, and
Norman Weatherford of Dillsboro.
“unstrawed” roads difficult
and slowed them consider-
ably. Still, they sped along
until they were stopped and
arrested in Indiana by the
police for exceeding the speed
limit. Proceeding with their
speeding ticket in the glove
compartment, they picked up
speed after leaving Indiana
and were still on schedule to
set a record of 92 hours for
the trip. Then, Kansas be-
came a problem. Until then,
they had only minor prob-
lems affording quick repair.
As they traveled in the dark
of night through torrential
Kansas rains, they hit an
unseen drainage ditch cross-
ing the road. Their windshield
shattered and the two front
tires blew out. They had no
option but to limp, with the
wind and rain in their faces,
the next hundred miles to a
Chevrolet dealership for help.
Getting back on the road,
they saw that their objec-
tive was in jeopardy. They
pressed on at the best speeds
they could attain. The rest of
the trip was less eventful, but
they all agreed that Needles,
California was the hottest
place they had ever been in
all their lives. They arrived at
the Western Union office in
Los Angeles at 4:56 AM on
September 2, 1926. Adjust-
ing for the difference in time
zones, they made the trip in
100 hours and 55 minutes; not
a record but the fastest trip
ever made by an automobile
in Chevrolet’s price range.
The trip back to Indiana was
less eventful and much more
pleasurable. They took their
time and did lots of sightsee-
ing at national parks. They
arrived home with exciting
stories of their trip that are
still related, especially as they
are passed down through their
families.
As we admire astronauts
who challenge traveling into
space, a drive from coast to
coast seems insignificant. Our
challenges are shaped by the
technologies that allow them.
We look back and still admire
the bravery of three Indiana
men who challenged the rig-
ors of a trip across the United
States. They were as much
heroes to us, then, as our
astronauts are today. We still
remember Bill Harrington,
Albert Kleine, and Norman
“Speedy” Weatherford.
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812-432-5684
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223 Main St.
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401 W Eads Parkway, Suite 270
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