Adeline and Augusta Van Buren were descendents of Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States of America, and not short of a few bob.
They were destined for the good life, and for each to be a good wife, but ‘Adie’ and ‘Gussie’ were having none of it. Women’s suffrage was at its height and with World War I looming for the US, they wanted to show that women could operate on the front line as despatch riders. The US army was (and remained) disinterested. Different times.
In 1916, the Van Burensembarked on 5,500 mile (8,800 km) transcontinental trip across the US from Brooklyn, New York City, heading first to Springfield, Massachusetts, to visit the Indian factory. From there they headed west on roads that roughly parallel what is now Interstate-80.
Originally planning to do the journey in a month, they ended up taking twice as long. Effie Hotchkiss has ridden her Harley-Davidson across the US the year before with her mother in a sidecar - this was the first time that solo female riders had taken up the challenge.
Outside of the cities, roads were often little more than dirt tracks or old trails. No plush BMW adventure bikes here - the ladies rode Indian Power Plus motorcycles, top of the range and $275 each, with just 8hp to show for their 1000cc and gas headlights for when it got dark.
On the journey they had to contend with a variety of hazards such as The Rocky Mountains, heavy rain, thick mud and policemen, who arrested them for the offence of wearing men’s clothing.
In Utah, the Van Burens got lost in the desert 100 miles west of Salt Lake City. A prospector saved the day by providing water and directions. On the way, the sisters also took a detour to become the first women to reach the summit of Pikes Peak (4,300m) with motorised vehicles
Adie and Gussie reached San Diego on the west coast in early September and ended their trip in Tijuana, Mexico.
