Sewall K. Crocker

Sewall K. Crocker (April 7, 1883 -- April 22, 1913) was a former bicycle racer from Tacoma, Washington, who became the mechanic and co-driver who participated in the first cross-country automobile trip in 1903 with Horatio Nelson Jackson.[1]

Crocker was born in Walla Walla, Washington on April 7, 1883.[2] In addition to giving Jackson driving lessons, he also may have convinced Jackson to use a Winton vehicle for the trip. The drive from coast to coast was financed by Jackson, using about $8,000 of his wife's money after his own went missing on the road.

The duo travelled from San Francisco, California to New York City in about 63 days,[1] winning, but never collecting the fifty dollar wager. Crocker was primarily responsible for making the many necessary repairs of the vehicle during the trip.

After the race, Crocker attempted to capitalize on his fame by seeking sponsors for a round-the-world auto tour, but it never materialized. In 1913, his health failing, he died at the young age of 30, in his home state, Washington.

References

  1. 1 2 Western Field: The Sportsman's Magazine of the West, Volume 3 (1903), 564-65.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, entry for S. K. Crocker". Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com, LLC. December 2, 1910. (subscription required (help)).
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