To Prove Their Patriotism – The Brave First Women to Motorcycle Across America Nov 8, 2018 Ian Harvey

[DaveM]

This is a nice story about those times.

In 1916, the United States was on the verge of entering World War One, and citizens around the country were preparing to further the war effort.
Two of those citizens were Adeline and Augusta Van Buren.
The sisters were descendants of President Martin Van Buren, and they felt a keen desire to show their patriotism.

Martin Van Buren
Adeline and Augusta were society women, used to a life of privilege and comfort, when the onset of war caused them to enter a whole new world.
According to Road and Track, Addie and Gussie (as they liked to be called) may have been society ladies, but they had some fairly unorthodox and athletic interests for women of their time.

Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, first women to ride across the USA by motorcycle.

Read the full story here - To Prove Their Patriotism - The Brave First Women to Motorcycle Across America

 

[Rocky]

According to my research, Effie Hotchkiss and her mother were the first women to ride across the USA in 1915 in a H-D sidecar rig.

 

[DaveM]

According to my research, Effie Hotchkiss and her mother were the first women to ride across the USA in 1915 in a H-D sidecar rig.

This is what I also thought and was wondering if anyone else had the same idea.

 

[Greyfell]

According to my research, Effie Hotchkiss and her mother were the first women to ride across the USA in 1915 in a H-D sidecar rig.

While that is true, Rocky, it is a case of Effie's mother was the passenger, not a rider. The Van Buren sisters were both riders, and their "reason" was a little different. The Hotchkiss's were the first pair of women, and the Van Buren's were the first pair of woman riders. I bet they also drew a little more attention, because they were riding for patriotism.