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The Guy Who Drove Across America For A $50 Bet
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- Published on Oct 1, 2023 veröffentlicht
- In 1903, there was a man named Horatio. He really liked cars. He wagered a bet that he could cross the US in under 90 Days. Not a big deal today. But this was before highways, and paved roads. This was going to be a journey.
Twitter: AltHistoryHub
Written and Edited by Tyler Franklin
Whimsu: clip-share.net/user/Whimsu?app=...
Hey everyone. This video was written and edited by my brother Tyler. The production improvement are all thanks to him. I like fun history tales, and I figured you all do too. So I want to start uploading more of these little stories from time to time.
Good job Tyler
I can actually looks the improvements :), pretty cool
Nice :D
Yes do more of these fun little stories
please tell your brother Tyler that I say hello, thank you.
Respect the hell out of a guy willing to spend thousands of dollars and two months of his life to prove his point
It's like the world's first Top Gear challenge special.
No
@Kaydoe Teccc Yes
no rimworld music under this video?
I wonder if that the birth of road trip culture
A man, a mechanic, a dog and a car, made a 63 day journey across the United States, truly awesome.
this implies that mechanics aren't people and i support this
Honestly it should be a movie
Without roads.
@The Different Childsadly they don’t make good movies anymore, just remakes and shit. If only they’d take cool historical events like this for movie ideas.
How is this not a movie? Not only is it funny as hell but it's absolutely inspiring. This man did something everyone thought was impossible just because he liked cars and someone said it couldn't be done. No matter how hard it got he never gave up and kept up a positive attitude. We should all aspire to be like Horatio.
Not a movie or tv show but, Noah Caldwell-Gervais made a travelogue of him journeying through the route himself recently clip-share.net/video/SmFQR0IltDQ/video.html
The writing in the travelogue is absolutely amazing. The way he was able to intertwine the history of the Lincoln Highway, the places he’s travelling through and his own experiences were just magical.
@Andrew because of your comment I can't wait to watch the video later on in the day ✌️✌️
@Andrew
Is that the one narrated by Tom Hanks?
Would have been a film by now if Horatio was a black handicapped trans lesbian woman.
Unfortunately, Alan Fisher is keeping movie producers by gun point to not make the film
Part 2: What if Horatio didn't like cars?
• 2 companies start a race to be the first to go across the country
• The amount of trouble of going by car, even if possible, wasn't worth it
• The Car companies start declining
• The Great Depression comes and practically dismantles the car industry. Now cars are just eccentric toys that are barely used in towns due to being short distance traveling vehicles
• With cars failing, rail companies take over the monopoly on transportation
• Mussolini makes the trains arrive in time
• Totalitarian global train empire
This is Cody, from alternate history hub
The better timeline
@Moose elk ew, with fascists and cyclists? Nah
@Moose elkbased
I like how this starts out semi-realistic and then devolves into madness
I'm so Glad he lived until the 50's he got to see his dream not only of crossing the country in a car but to see the first transcontinental highway, the birth of the modern highway, the assembly line, and the growth of the modern car culture. seeing cars go from just a decoration and status symbol for the rich to being a vital part of the country and seeing his vision of every household in America having a car, with automobiles becoming the Primary transport of choice for the country. Man it must have filled him with so much pride to make a prediction so outlandish becoming so true maybe even truer than the first thought God bless that man.
It’s wouldn’t be the primary transport of choice if we actually funded more buses, high speed rail, and more subway systems where applicable. The car is the main choice because we don’t have another choice. Even owning a car in cities I’ve lived in I use public transit more when I live in areas that it’s efficient and useful. *The US was built for cars which made cars more central not the other way around.
@Z G That isn't accurate. The US was built along rail lines. The rails were ripped up for the cars. The big American cities everyone loves (NYC, LA, etc.) were bulldozed for the car.
@R Hamlet car manufacturers bribed for this once they got going, what better way to make sure everyone buys your cars than forcing them to own one?
@Face palm "what better way to make sure everyone buys your cars than forcing them to own one?"
Getting the government to force them indirectly so people don't even realize it
Moments like this in American history are fascinating because it defines what the American spirit is supposed to be. Doing something for the sake of doing and because you're passionate about it. Funny how some of the best stories can stem from something so small, like a bet.
a small bet, and a lot, and I mean alot of money
more money then id make in years
He chose to cross the country. Not because it was easy, but because it was hard. And also for bragging rights. And a cool story. And he got a kick-ass dog out of it.
The editing is hilarious, and befits what a wild character this guy was. Props to the mechanic too. "Want a mascot?" "Yes."
😅
"qualifications?"
"Woof"
"You're hired."
You mean props to the rich guy for funding the repairmans achievement. Sounds like the repair guy deserves most of the credit.
@Luvenstein i mean, its not like horatio didnt put in a lot of genuine effort into this
@Bobamer if rich guy was the primary driver he gets half the credit imo. If he paid the mechanic to do the repairs and the driving then it's the mechanics accomplishment. I don't know how much effort beyond footing the bill he did. The video and OPs comment put most of the credit on the rich guy, which was my issue. The mechanic deserves as much credit as the rich guy, if not more.
This has got to be the most American story there is in American history, also kinda inspirational, he just did this for fun lol
For Horatio to prove his message.
It's quite ironic that he was born in canada lol
@Jose Augusto De Almeida Gomes It's not a place of birth, it's a state of mind
@literallyanidiot2880 I thought that was New York lmao
@Jose Augusto De Almeida Gomes I mean yes that too
I particularly love the story of Louis Bleriot. He was a french plane builder and in 1911 flown over the english channel. He crush landed on the English cost and said: "Well the important thing is that I made it!"
I've seen one of his original planes fly at Old Warden aerodrome (Shuttleworth collection) in the UK. Well worth seeing if you are ever in the UK. It is the oldest airworthy aircraft in the world.
Love the dog part.
👍
Good
Nice
Very good
Hi
While I admire the ambition of Horatio, I find corcker to be even more amazing. 22 years old and good enough of a mechanic to get a car across the continent without a steady supply line. Repairing it in the middle of nowhere. I would love to know how often he actually had to do major repairs on the car. A shame that he died so young.
So no one's going to talk about how people were trying to beat Horatio's 63 day trip. Wouldn't he have technically caused the formation of a speedrunning community around cross country driving
The original cannonball run.
Forget DOOM, this is THE original speedrun
The first ever speed run fr💀
Imagine being the CEO of Packard. You meticulously plan a cross country trip, for months. Only to have 2 random guys beat you to it.
Imagine being the CEO of Winton. Your rival is about to claim the title of first cross-country road trip, and then two random guys beat them to it in YOUR car just for fun, and even deny your sponsorship.
@Hydromancer LMAO yeah that'd suck. But hey, at least your brand is in there somewhere.
And a dog 😊
@Hydromancer actually that was even more impresive. The other company planned everything and still came second. Those 2 dudes refused assistance, said "LMAO, YOLO" and did it by themselves
Yeah, how do you think Alex Roy felt?
I love "wholesome" yet riveting stories like this. Definitely filmworthy and we all could take inspiration from Horatio Nelson Jackson.
It's truly amazing that this first trip took 63 days, and the current record to get between New York and Los Angeles sits at less than 26 hours.
wait what how fast was that guy speeding down the interstate 💀
i mean if they want to make it more fun they can try it with older vehicles instead of the top of the line ones....just a thought
@Asdfit was during Covid, IIRC. But it’s part of a race called the cannonball run. It’s really fascinating.
This guy also has the Distinguished Service Cross (Second highest military decoration for soldiers in the US army) And the Legion of Honour (Highest French order of merit, both military and civil). Absolutely insane.
Now I wanna know his war stories, earning those metals while living to receive them is no small thing, especially in The Great War and as someone past their prime.
@RipOffProductionsLLC If I had a penny for every time someone mispells medals as metals in yt I would be a millionare.
Horatio and company was running on just faith and vibes lmao, what a legend
I'm sure Bud helped their sanity
Two men, a dog and a car. Now that's a story.
So much of human achievement is based on proving someone else wrong. Spite is a great motivator.
Oh yeah, it is.
The way this real story is uncannily similar to "travel around the world in 80 days" is actually amazing. At first, I Verne had been inspired by this, but then i remembered it came before it
It also reminds me of Jules Verne's From the earth to the Moon book as well. Random Americans deciding to do something crazy on a whim? Check. Americans somehow achieving said crazy thing? Check.
Really makes you think that perhaps the idea that America being team Earth's "Hold my beer," member isn't just a recent creation.
@Random Introverted Spider and even the actual moon missions had that sense of working against all the odds considering how unwieldy space travel was at the time
The fact Horatio called his wife "Swipes" is the cutest thing.
Best part of the journey is that upon reaching the very end (the threshold of Jackson's garage) the Vermont's drive chain snapped. It was one of the few original parts never replaced during the entire journey.
One time my truck broke down 80 miles from the nearest city in the Utah desert, and I had to wait until 2 am for a tow truck that cost me $400 to tow to SLC. I thought that was a massive inconvenience, but this video really puts things in perspective lol. Just being able to call on my cell phone from almost anywhere to get help is a blessing compared to 100 years ago where there was a significant chance you would just die if your car broke down far from a city.
The biggest form of "It's not about the money, it's about sending a message"
Beat me to it😂
It's about the Mets baby
Drew
Beautiful and perfectly said
I'm more impressed that Oldsmobile called themselves Oldsmobile, even when they were clearly Newmobile
I can't believe Horatio managed to navigate the Illinois Lava Caves. what an american hero
Considering all the media recreations of this story- particularly in anime, oddly enough- it's a shame this is the first time I've every heard of the real story. Then again, what a wonderful video to learn it in. Thanks for making this, and I hope you make more like this!
in anime?
@Big Boss Appare-ranman is about that and, iirc, the next season of jojo's bizarre adventure is steel ball run which is basically that as well
In a world so full of darkness its really nice there's still stories like this of human ingenuity and determination to discover.
Really wholesome and beautiful
They have to be, hands down, two of the most determined people of his time. They're legends, and I'm so glad you shared the story. Thanks, History Bros.
“Year and a half of a worker’s salary”
Damn… I’m no different than folks in 1903
I had to actually think about this. A new corolla is about half of the average American's salary per year. Cars got cheaper, by about half, and only at the low end.
@Justowner average cost of a new car in America is currently $48,000. I know he said the "year and a half of an average worker's salary" referring to low end cars, but if you define worker as working class and not average American salary, we're probably pretty close to an low-average car costing a year's working class salary.
How this story never got made into an Oscar-nominated biopic we'll never know
Owen Wilson as the car.
Imma send this to Warner bros
Directors: Christopher Nolan
Horatio: Henry Cavill
Crocker: Tom Holand
Bud: Random Dog we found on set
The guy Horatio betted against: Cillian Murphy
I remember seeing a documentary on this story a long while back and thought the same thing. The ending scene would be him pushing the car into a barn and walking away with the camera zooming into that one part that hadn't broken over the course of the journey and showing it snap.
@Rowdy Eggplaad I vote the dog to be Danny Devito
I love how this channel has basically become “cool history facts with an occasional twist” and I love it
Guys at the club: cars are a fad
Horatio: *casually becomes the spark for car centered infrastructure in America*
That’s honestly a really incredible story. These guys started this whole adventure on a bet, just got up and drove across the whole country in n age when the car was an unstable rarity, and ended up as heroes basically, the first people to cross the country in a car. You have to respect that.
Ah yes, Horatio, the primordial car guy, then the car gods let him reincarnate into Horacio Pagani
Fun fact the Car in Germany had the same story on how it became popular.the Wife of Karl Benz took his Car and made a roadtrip and on the Way she bought Washing Alcohol, all the Washing Alcohol. It was weird seeing a car on the road but a car driven by a woman was something else. I love this story so much.
This story needs to be made into a movie.
An ambitious premise, dynamic characters, interesting sights, drama, competition, history, themes relating to man vs nature, perseverance, greed and so much more!
Please Hollywood, this story is just BEGGING for an adaptation! 😩
Let's not forget the Disneyesque sidekick dog
I can easily see either Ben Affleck or Christopher Nolan directing.
I can see it as a comedy movie
Ken Burns did a documentary of it: Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (2003)
More like a comedy
This is amazing. I really don't know how this has never been made into a movie, as it was a harsh, epic adventure they went on and how pioneering it was at the time. I love that someone just gave him a dog for a mascot and how this basically turned into a race that never was meant to be one. I had a 1st cousin 4x removed who was born in the early 1870s and he had one of the very first (if not the first) vehicles in the town he grew up in, which was a big deal at the time. As the town was on the coast, he started off in his early 20s making some money in merchandise which he bought and sold items coming to and from ships the local dock. Then by the 1910s he had used that money to open a bicycle shop and became a bicycle repairer and motor engineer/mechanic with a motor car and became well liked in the area for him and his sons mechanic skills among other things.
This is truly one of the most special moments in American History, and if this never was done then Roadtrip movies wouldn't nearly be as much of a cliche. And honestly, that's awesome. And the story got even better when the dog got involved, so wholesome and awesome.
Those last words caught me off guard and made me tear up a bit. What a man he was. Ps. the editing made me laugh out loud throughout the whole video. Great job AHH!
During WW1, Horatio personally contacted former President Roosevelt to be put on active duty orders, as he had been originally considered too old for active service. He served as a surgeon during the war, was wounded, and was awarded several medals. What a Chad.
I'm very glad you brought this story to our collective attention, Cody and Tyler, and I cannot wait to see what other stories out of history you bring us!
"It's a dog named Bud on an automobile Horatio, funniest thing you'll ever see"
- Some legend in Idaho, 1903
I can't believe I hadn't heard of this before. This story is incredible.
sounds so much like Around the World in 80 days but IRL
Why do I imagine at some point after the successful journey Horatio went back to that social club and a bunch of rich dudes in top hats, monocles, and neatly quaffed beards heartily patted him on the back while declaring “Good show, Sir!! Very good show! Well done, my good chap.”
The Lincoln Highway is really interesting. The way it was created was that they used funds to create "seed miles" of road, and then municipal (and probably county) governments would see how convenient these roads were and fund the rest themselves. It also incorporated a lot of pre-existing roads, so it was very twisty and turny. Not at all like what modern people think of highways. A lot of it was dirt roads, too.
Yep, it ultimately became a business venture rather than a public works project. Hell, the thing basically built my hometown.
Horatio seems like one of those people who just kind of manifest all resources, time, luck, skills and ability needed to do whatever they want, then just kind of... does it.
Please make more of these. I love Tyler’s edits and these kind of stories in general.
I find it funny that after this historic achievement, it basically became a speed running challenge. I guess we’re more similar to our ancestors than I thought.
Ug bunga: Arm hurt from hitting rock with rock. Me need more strong. Tree strong. Next sun I use tree arm to hold my rock when hitting other rock. But how Ug make tree arm right shape...
Guna Bun (already sharpening favorite rock-hitting rock): Tree arm go fall, any percent
Things like this prove how we aren't in a simulation - at some point in history some person would have figured out how to glitch himself into a tree, and due to code manipulation make himself have two thousand wheels of cheese.
Cannonball!
You mean race?
@Xfier246 I, in fact, did not
This was such a wild story and I loved the different style that was used, it really complimented it well.
Really enjoyed this! I think it would be great if we got more of these. You have a great way of storytelling and made this random fact enthralling to listen to
this guy took the phrase "aight bet" to a whole another level
Stories like this are great because of their odd but niche nature. I'd watch opening day if they made a period piece/buddy comedy out of this, especially if half the punchlines are just the car going hilariously slow
With a name like Horatio Nelson, you're basically mandated to go on some daring escapade. And most of the sailing feats had been taken.
I'm convinced that anyone named Horatio, is instantly a badass, who's will will be imposed upon the world. This guy is a legend, to me, he just did what we believed in.
Horatio is Captain Crunch's first name 👀
@Joseph Rutkin Yet, more proof.
Make Horatio great again
This dude just proved a point, and went home with his supportive wife and fought in WWI. An absolute chad
It's not EXACTLY Horatio, but Horacio Pagani is one of the most passionate men I know. His cars are some of the most "form equaling function" cars in the world. Badass.
15:51 i'm so happy Bud got the representation in the national media he deserved
cody, this video dropped a few hours before my fathers funeral and it was really nice to watch with my gearhead uncles waiting for everyone else to show up that morning.
thanks cody. this created a postive memory during a very bad day. you are the man.
It's such a crying shame that no one give their children names as awe-inspiring as Horatio Nelson Jackson anymore.
This should be made into a movie, also Googled the record for fastest time drove from coast to coast and I guess someone did it in 25 hours 39 minutes. Crazy how far we've come.
I feel like the title of this undersells how cool the story is. A man was the first to ride a car across America and he did it for fun (and a $50 bet)
“They then adopted a goggle wearing dog as their road trip companion and mascot.”
Gentlemen, at first, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention
based profile picture
Same doggo best part of it all
As much as I love "what if"s, I do love me some real history more. Keep it coming! Well done younger brother Tyler.
That was an incredible story, I've seen the Vermont in the Smithsonian before too, its in great condition. Didn't know the guy driving it was trying to win a bet for $50!
Hearing this, Horatio is, for all intensive purposes, a friggin gigachad, man!
This is timely. A couple months ago I watched Noah Caldwell-Gervais' Lincoln Highway travelogue, and Horatio had a cameo in that tale.
Love the dog part.
Horatio: Shoot, I left my jacket. Gonna go back and get it.
Crocker: Did ya get ya jacket back?
Horacio: Even better, I got us a dog.
Crocker: …Okay let’s just finish this.
...What? Its an absolute win
ok
I'd love to see this story done as a miniseries with a bit of cheekiness...first time I heard it the only thing that hadn't broken on the Winton was it's chain and that snapped pulling into the estate driveway after the trip.
I’ve never seen a man before that more strongly embodies being the worlds protagonist more than Horacio Jackson.
I had 2 somewhat psychotic ideas for one of these.
1. What if the Pirate Republic of Nassau didn't fall/fail?
2. What if Zheng Yi Sao/Ching Shih and her Armada were around early enough in history for said Pirate Republic in Nassau and got involved in it somehow?
You should do a video about the first two guys to row across the Atlantic Ocean, also on a bet.
This was a man of determination. Mad respect
This man was the embodiment of being optimistic
Hey Ya
I have complete respect for a man who wants to break new ground because he wants adventure.
what an inspiring story, i admire the enthusiasm of the people in america at that time
Love this. Something wonderfully bonkers, ill-prepared & low key. Much Wallace & Gromit vibes. Full movie please! 😁
you just got to love this guy's energy, having the biggest (i told you so) energy i have ever seen
Horatio and Crocker was a Power Duo with complementary mindsets, Horatio with the "Fuck It" mindset and Crocker with the "Why Not" mindset
Using a blacksmith to repair your car is WILD.
sounds like something from a steampunk story.
Steel is steel.
That's like a level 4 or 5 civilization in Elder Scrolls coda lore
Welcome to 1903, stranger.
A blacksmith helping repair a car is like learning that one of your teammates in a Destiny raid is 65
The goggles-wearing dog alone means it HAS TO be made into a movie!
Horatio probably was the first car guy in the world and the first one to do a car version of "The Run" race
This is the "Around the World in Eighty Days" sequel we never asked for but humbly receive anyway. Someone should make a historical fiction retelling of this. Maybe someone already has.
What an incredible story, I love it!
More likely thanks to these 2 guys and dog, we don't depend on railroads and public transport as Europe.
I heard a story about two 13 year old boys who drove cross country in a model t. Their parents were proud of them and so was everyone else. Newspapers wrote about them and how adventerous they were. Times change.
“Things are kinda rough right now, but once we get to the next town I am sure it will get easier.”
That's the quote of my life.
"It never got easier"
What a wild little tale I've never heard of and is neat to know now! Kinda glad this little story ended well.
I liked everything about this , the story, the puns,the jokes, the cartoon character design, the vibrations, everything thing. U the champ
Wow what a story. They should make a movie out of this if they haven't already
If you guys didn’t know there’s a very well made movie and book narrated by Tom Hanks on PBS I want to say, and I remember my grandma showing it to me as a little boy and this story always captured my imagination. The part where they pickup the dog and give him goggles would crack me up!
This man truly is a legend more should know about.
across America in 90 days sounds like good name for a book and it was worth it for fifty bucks
Hell yeah!
man, imagine if the race was organized by the president of the united states or something?
Written by Vules Jerne
like around the world in 80 day'?
@t84t748748t6 basically
This is the ultimate "Hold me Beer" moment, and it's stories like this that makes me love the information age, I don't think I would've heard this story if not for the Internet, and Clip-Share.
I appreciate the edits where you had the cars slowly vibrating on scenic landscapes lmao. Easily my favorite part
hahaha god this guy is the best spent 8000 dollars on a dangerous and hard journey and even refusing sponsorship and the help that would come with it just to win a argument what a legend
Never underestimate how far a man will go to prove a point.
This madness needs to be series or a historic movie. Its got everything a half crazed MC a plucky young sidekick and dog mascot.
The tiny, shaky png of the car is just so charming and makes this way more fun than it would otherwise.
It's pretty accurate of what riding in those old cars is like.
@Enderborn272 Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
1903 was an endeavourous time when a guy drove a car from coast to coast in under 90 days, and then two brothers flew a plane for 12 seconds.
Hey Cody, i know it is a bit out of your field, but there's a similar story about 3 brazilians mapping the very first Transamerica route, with a ford T... in an era where half of south america didn't even have a dirt road.
It's interesting knowing the first crossing took 63 days & they first thought it would take 90 when nowadays the current record for LA to NYC is only 25 hours 39 minutes.
This is awesome! I bet the idea came from Around The World in Eighty Days. And Horatio certainly bears some similarities to Phineas!