1909 Glidden Tour

Photo Courtesy Gerard Lacey Collection That's what it was -- a 5,000 lb. battleship -- a 1909 FWD Battleship to be exact.

The 1909 Glidden tourists were the first to travel west of Chicago. The 2,636 mile course was the longest and most rigorous to be undertaken up to this time. As a matter of comparison, the 1907 tour averaged 98 miles per day, the 1908 tour 132 miles per day, while the 1909 Gliddenites would average 180 miles per day. The increased strain on cars as well as drivers resulted in fewer participants. There were thirteen contestants for the Glidden Trophy at the start of this race; and of these, eight finished with a perfect score. One contestant remarked that the trouble with most Glidden Tours was that there weren't enough losers.

Road conditions were particularly tough on springs which were a source of chronic trouble. Many of the roads were deeply rutted, and vast tracks of sand were also encountered. The cars that were equipped with shock absorbers seemed to fare better than those not so equipped, and contestants suffered less fatigue. The dryness of the weather encountered also caused considerable trouble with wooden spoked wheels.