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Random Fact – Erie Canal

Anyone familiar with “Clinton’s Ditch?” In 1825, the Erie Canal – nicknamed for its creator, Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York – provided a vital connection from the Hudson River across New York state to Lake Erie. At first, most people thought the idea was absurd and potentially disastrous. But on this day, the first vessel to traverse the Erie Canal – the Seneca Chief – arrived in New York City. The trip from Buffalo took nine days, a vast improvement over the weeks of grueling overland travel it took before “Clinton’s Ditch” was built.

Random Fact – Abraham Lincoln

After Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, he wrote to Vice President Hannibal Hamlin, suggesting that it might be a good idea if they met. They had been elected together without ever meeting each other!

Random Fact – Weather

This is the day when, in 1870, the United States Weather Bureau made its first observations. It was not called the Weather Bureau back then because it was part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In the beginning, reports were telegraphed from 24 locations around the U.S. and the first national weather report was born.

Random Fact – Automobile

The first U.S. patent for an automobile was issued on this date, in 1895, to George B. Selden. Selden had actually invented the automobile much earlier than his rival, Henry Ford. Selden held off filing his patent while he tried to find backers and had not gotten either the money or the patent when other people started building automobiles. His patent did garner funding from a few manufacturers, but Henry Ford refused to pay him, claiming that his Model T was not based on Selden’s design.