In the summer of 1916, the US was on the brink of entering WWI as two sisters left New York on a cross country motorcycle trip. The timing of this ride was no coincidence as the sisters were out to prove that women could handle the rigors of motorcycle riding well enough to be military dispatch riders. The lack of military service, was an argument used at the time to deny women the right to vote, so this ride not only supported the National Preparedness Movement, but also the Women's Suffrage Movement. The trip took just over two months and spanned 5,500 miles of rough terrain with the sisters eventually reaching Tijuana, Mexico.
Born in 1884 and 1889, Augusta and Adeline Van Buren were descended from the eight President of the United States, Martin Van Buren. As you would expect of a presidential family, the Van Buren's were wealthy and the two sisters were New York socialites. They must have caused quite a stir when they announced they were riding cross country on motorcycles.
Being rich and famous has it's advantages, one being that they could afford the top of the line motorcycle of their time. That being the Indian Model F priced at $275. It was powered by a 1000 cc Power Plus v-twin engine and rolled on a set of Firestone tires. The sisters also outfitted themselves in men's riding leathers and boots, something that seemed practical at the time, but would prove troublesome later down the road as they were arrested numerous times for wearing men's clothing.
They chose to leave on the 4th of July in 1916, which I am sure was a nod to the patriotic nature of their ride. Striking out due west from Sheepshead Bay, they rode through major cities like Buffalo, Akron, Chicago, and Omaha. This part of the trip was probably very pleasant. There were decent roads and plenty of places to stop for the night and pick up supplies. As the Rockies loomed in the distance, their real challenges began.
Riding through Denver, the sisters decided to ride to the top of Pike's Peak. They successfully completed the 14,109' climb on their motorcycles, becoming the first to summit the mountain on a motorized vehicle. That was the highlight of their trip through the Rockies and soon they were faced with miles of washed out muddy roads. At one point their motorcycles became so mired in the mud, that they were forced to walk to the nearest town and enlist the help of some local miners to free the motorcycles.
As the mountains gave was to the desert, the roads improved, but a wrong turn somewhere west of Salt Lake City left the sisters stranded without water. Coincidentally, it was another prospector that came to their aid, providing them with water and directions to Reno. From Reno they continued into California without incident and reached Los Angeles on September 8th. They also took a side trip down to Tijuana, Mexico, which had recently become a popular tourist destination thanks to the Panama-California Exposition of 1915.
I have found no record of how the sisters returned to New York, but I assume it was not via motorcycle. Nevertheless, they had crossed 5,500 miles on their motorcycles, providing ample proof that women could perform the role of dispatch riders. Upon their return home, Adeline applied to be a dispatch rider and was promptly rejected by the US military.
Although they were not able to fill the roles of dispatch riders during WWI, the sisters went on to have prosperous lives. Adeline earned her law degree and Augusta became a pilot and women's rights activist. One of their descendants retraced their route for the 90th Anniversary of the original trip. They plan to do a 100th Anniversary ride as well and more info can be found here: 100th Anniversary of the Van Buren Sister's Ride.
Being rich and famous has it's advantages, one being that they could afford the top of the line motorcycle of their time. That being the Indian Model F priced at $275. It was powered by a 1000 cc Power Plus v-twin engine and rolled on a set of Firestone tires. The sisters also outfitted themselves in men's riding leathers and boots, something that seemed practical at the time, but would prove troublesome later down the road as they were arrested numerous times for wearing men's clothing.
They chose to leave on the 4th of July in 1916, which I am sure was a nod to the patriotic nature of their ride. Striking out due west from Sheepshead Bay, they rode through major cities like Buffalo, Akron, Chicago, and Omaha. This part of the trip was probably very pleasant. There were decent roads and plenty of places to stop for the night and pick up supplies. As the Rockies loomed in the distance, their real challenges began.
Riding through Denver, the sisters decided to ride to the top of Pike's Peak. They successfully completed the 14,109' climb on their motorcycles, becoming the first to summit the mountain on a motorized vehicle. That was the highlight of their trip through the Rockies and soon they were faced with miles of washed out muddy roads. At one point their motorcycles became so mired in the mud, that they were forced to walk to the nearest town and enlist the help of some local miners to free the motorcycles.
As the mountains gave was to the desert, the roads improved, but a wrong turn somewhere west of Salt Lake City left the sisters stranded without water. Coincidentally, it was another prospector that came to their aid, providing them with water and directions to Reno. From Reno they continued into California without incident and reached Los Angeles on September 8th. They also took a side trip down to Tijuana, Mexico, which had recently become a popular tourist destination thanks to the Panama-California Exposition of 1915.
I have found no record of how the sisters returned to New York, but I assume it was not via motorcycle. Nevertheless, they had crossed 5,500 miles on their motorcycles, providing ample proof that women could perform the role of dispatch riders. Upon their return home, Adeline applied to be a dispatch rider and was promptly rejected by the US military.
Although they were not able to fill the roles of dispatch riders during WWI, the sisters went on to have prosperous lives. Adeline earned her law degree and Augusta became a pilot and women's rights activist. One of their descendants retraced their route for the 90th Anniversary of the original trip. They plan to do a 100th Anniversary ride as well and more info can be found here: 100th Anniversary of the Van Buren Sister's Ride.
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