Weymouth High School - Campus / Reflector Yearbook (Weymouth, MA)

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Virginia, and, by 1852, it had reached Vandalia, Illinois. In addition to the excellence of its construction, the Cumberland Road was noteworthy because of the presence of bridges, replacing the old and inconvenient fords. In 1807, Robert F ulton's construction of the first successful steamboat in the world was tl1e supreme event in the history of water transportation. The steam- boat was used chiefly on the rivers, and, consequently, it did not help transporta- tion from east to west since all tl1e great rivers of this continent flow from north to south. This need for east-to-west transportation led to an era of canal build- ing. The first and probably tl1e best-known canal of this period is the Erie Canal. This was completed in 1825 between Lake Erie and the Hudson River. In 1869, tl1e Union and Central Pacific Railroads were joined by a mahogany tie bound with silver, and the last spike, a gold one, was driven. That year 08695 was the beginning of a great era for the railroads. Notable among the advances sponsored by the railroads and making for more efficient coast-to-coast travel are the penetration of the Continental Divide by the now-famous Moffat Tunnel and the bridging of the Mississippi River. The railroad was only a small factor in reducing the isolation of our western farmer. It remained for the automobile to make country living not only possible but desirable. But the coming of the automobile caused a demand for a satis- factory road system. As a result, the Federal Government in co-operation with state governments b11ilt from the Atlantic to the Pacific a great ribbon of white winding lllfflllgll eleven states-the 3,000 mile Lincoln Highway. For lllally years, IIICII had thought about flying. They couldgdo the SHIIIC things as fish and animals. Why not imitate birds? It remained for Orville and Wilbur Vvright to succeed in flying in 1903. They remained in the air approxi- 111ately one minute at Il height of 872 feet. This achievement, however small and insinificant in comparison with modern aviation accomplishments, was the first step in the forzuard and upward stride in the purpose of conquering the air. The greatest triumph of American engineering skill is the construction of the Panaina Canal. For this, a task which the French tried and failed, will the names of Coethals and Gorgas be ever written in the pages of American history. Thus, by gradual but forward development, transportation has come to be what it is. The prosperity of the human race has kept almost equal pace with transportation development, for, as Rudyard Kipling so tersely said Transporta- tion is civilization. Without transportation, a nation would die. The roads and railways are the arteries of a country, and the trahic that Hows along them is the blood stream that gives it life. U11til today, transportation has been on one plane. It was in constant con- tact with tl1e earth. We used to stand by a road or look down from an upper window to watch the traffic go by. Today, transportation has begun to take to the skies. Let us peer ahead into the future. Look up. Workmen fly from job to job. Passenger rockets travel to other planets. A trip from the United States to Europe in a rocket takes only one hour. Look about you. You do not see any smoky railroad yards. Trains use electricity instead of coal. There are few large land- ing fields for airplanes in the city, for the autogiro is used for air travel within 19

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ook down upon a busy street, and you will see a world in motion-people trucks, buses. In the distance, trains are speeding over the tracks and gliding into the station. Even now, an airplane whirrs across the sky. You are looking at transportation, to-day stirring chapter in the history ol the United States. For our history can be written in many ways-in politics, in art, in science-but equally as interesting, it can be written in the terms of travel and transportation. Let us turn back the pages of American history, and learn how our ancestors passed from covered wagons to trailer trucks, from canoe to steamboat: from stagecoaches to automobiles: from blazed trails to modern highways-always going forward with the purpose of bettering mankind by speedier and more comfortable methods of transportation. From earliest history, men have tended to wander. Quest for adventure has ever led them to travel. Desire for wealth has prompted them to seek means for marketing their goods. Eager longing for social contact demanded a more eilicient means of transportation. i The first method of travel was shoe-leather express , except that perhaps men had no shoes. Later, man learned to domesticate beasts of burden. The discovery of the wheel naturally was followed by the invention of wheeled vehicles-wagons, coaches, trains, automobiles. And so developed roads. However, it was not until 1775 that any concerted attempt was made by the Government to build a road as such. For more than a century, American pioneers had been occupied with the task of surviving, and transportation was of no im- mediate concern. But the old Indian trails did provide a route for travellers on loot and on horseback. With the outbreak of the Revolution, however, the need for roads was painfully obvious. In 1775, there were only three roads north and east from New York, and only one leading west from Philadelphia. General Washington found this lack of adequate roads as great a handicap in the conduct of his war as the lack of material supplies. .-Xt the time of Washington's inauguration, anyone really in a hurry went on horseback. But, with the advent of the nineteenth century came a new genera- lion that lived in the present and looked ahead into the future. Its members were eager to move forward with the purpose of bettering their country. Thus, it was natural that they demanded internal improvements, especially good roads and turnpikes, under Government aid. The result of this generation's demands for improvements in transportation facilities may be divided into three periods before the Civil War: turnpike and improved roadsg canals and improved riversg and railroads. Seventeen hundred and ninety-two marked the completion of the famous Lancaster Turnpike, the first scientihcally-built, hard-surfaced road in the United States. ' Shortly after this, the Federal Government came to realize the need for more and better roads, and, as a result, the National Road for, as it was more commonly known, the Cumberland Roadj was begun in 1811 southwest from Cumberland, Maryland. In 1818, it had been completed to Wheeling, West s lb I

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the country or from city to city. lt is difficult to predict the future of shipsg for, ever since primitive man hopped on a log and started the hrst water-transport vehicle, the ship has been the largest passenger-carrying unit in the world. Within the span of a lifetime, man has seen isolation banished by transporta- tion. The poor man can take his weary family out of the noisy city into the pure air and sunshine of the country. To the sick, far from help, the motor vehicle brings the doctor quickly. We have come a long way in the progress of transportation. Yet, we are just beginning to learn. We have the whole future before us. Mothers and fathers, no words can express our appreciation and gratitude for the opportunities you have given us. May we prove worthy of the sacrifices ou have made so that with all our educational advanta es we ma en'o a richer Y S Y J Y life. Mr. Pearson and members of the School Committee, we thank ou for the Y twelve ears of o ortunities which we have en 0 ed under our able su ervision. Y PP J Y Y P Mr. Whittle and teachers, we are deeply grateful for your understanding, patience, and kindness. May we pass on to others the best that you have given us. Classmates, as we learn our high school to-day for the greater school of life, let us ever keep in mind our inspiring motto. To-day, unusual conditions exist. There is an excess of material, an excess of money, and an excess of man-power. I'here is not enough work to do, and yet there is so much to be done. The frontiers opened by science will afford greater opportunities for employment and increase in cultural advantages. Every generation has serious problems. Our forefathers mastered theirs. Can we expect to do less? Certainly, when we look at the achievements of this country during the last one hundred and fifty years, with our hopes and courage high, let us go-forward with purpose. BG 25 'UQ5' BCBG 'img' inf' SS 2 0 i