slgwv's photos with the keyword: 1908

Winner of the 1908 New York to Paris automobile race. The route went across the US to San Francisco, across the Pacific (on a ship!) to Japan, then across Russia, more or less along the route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. The car was restored by William Harrah in 1964, using input from one of the original crewmembers George Schuster, then in his 90s. Schuster was able to confirm it was the original car by recognizing repairs he'd made on the trip. The race was the very loose historical inspiration for the 1965 comedy _The Great Race_. The victory of the Flyer, the only American entry, spurred the embryonic American automotive industry--and the rest, as they say, is history. The insets show another view and a close-up of the interpretive sign. National Automobile Museum (Harrah Collection), Reno, Nevada.

Upper photo is from 1908(!), from the Helen J. Stewart collection (#104-0220) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the lower photo is by me, on 15 April 2011. Both photos are looking roughly west. Helen J. Stewart was a Las Vegas pioneer, and quite a lady. Here's a link to her bio: www.1st100.com/part1/stewart.html Not too many changes; just the pavement and parking for the Willow Spring picnic area. Good thing the Red Rock area was protected years ago, or there'd be McMansions carved out of those hills!