James Franklin Duryea – Springfield, MA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

On September 22, 1893, the folks of Springfield Massachusetts saw an unusual sight: Frank Duryea rambling around the city’s streets on a gasoline-powered “horseless carriage.” This is considered to be the first successful operation of such a vehicle designed and constructed entirely in the United States.

The Duryea brothers came to Springfield from their home state of Illinois via Washington, DC. They were in the bicycle business but developed an interest in the internal combustion engine after seeing a demonstration at the Ohio State Fair in 1886. Although the original design was Charles’, Frank made many practical improvements after the brothers parted ways in 1894.

J. Frank Duryea was involved in a number of automotive “firsts.” He drove an improved version of the car to victory in the first official automobile race ever held in America: a 54-mile course through the streets of Chicago in November 1895. The Duryea’s car defeated several European imports averaging over 5 miles per hour in a snowstorm.

The Duryea brothers sold thirteen copies of their winning design making them the first automobile manufacturer in the United States. ConnecticutHistory.org notes that Frank Duryea drove his motor carriage into Hartford in 1894 making it the first car to be driven in that state. And on a negative note, Henry Wells, who purchased one of the original thirteen Duryeas, struck a bicyclist in New York City in 1896 causing a broken leg. Wells spent the night in jail as a result of this first ever automobile accident in the U.S.

As the popularity of automobiles increased, the Duryea brothers began to acquire some notoriety. But a dispute arose between the brothers as to who should get the most credit for their early successes. Charles claimed the design was all his while Frank said the design would not have worked without his modifications. In the 1940s, the Smithsonian (who own the original 1893 Duryea but never display it) decided that both deserve credit, but Charles’ tombstone claims he was the sole inventor while Frank’s states that he was only the co-inventor.
(Sources: thoughtco.com, Britannica.)

Description: See Long Description above. Date of birth: 10/08/1869 Date of death: 02/15/1967 Area of notoriety: Science/Technology Marker Type: Horizontal Marker Setting: Outdoor Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link] Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Not listed

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