On this day in 1914, Erwin G. Baker, of Indianapolis, set off from in front of the city library in San Diego on an Indian motorcycle on his way to New York to break the record for a transcontinental motorcycle ride.
Baker’s route carried him through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York States.
He arrived in New York on May 15, having traveled 3362 miles on his motorcycle in 11 days, 11 hours and 10 minutes and lopping nine days off the previous record of 20 days, 9 hours and 1 minute.
A New York reporter tagged him with the nickname “Cannon Ball.”
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Before the race, the Union reported that Baker’s was such an enthusiastic motorist that his honeymoon the previous December had included an 18-day road trip from Indianapolis to Phoenix with his new bride.
From The San Diego Union, Monday, May 4, 1914:
BAKER SPEEDING ON MOTORCYCLE TO NEW YORK
Started From San Diego Sunday Morning in attempt To Establish Record.
At 9 o’clock Sunday morning Erwin G. Baker, of Indianapolis, got away on his record ride to New York City, on his Indian motorcycle. Slight rain in early morning worried the motorcycle officials in charge of the start of this long distance event, but Baker was not at all discouraged, and would have started in heavy rain, as he said there were so much worse conditions to be met later that rain would not stop him where the roads were as good as they ae in San Diego county.
Monday, May 4, 1914
(The San Diego Union)
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Baker was confident he would reach Yuma by late afternoon, as he had just come all the way from Phoenix over the route and was going to ride carefully or, as he expressed it, “play safe.”
The Pickwick Theatre camera man made motion pictures of the start, which are to be shown at the Pickwick in a few days, and then will be shown all over the county by the Indian motorcycle makers.
The officials of the Federation of American Motorcyclists in charge of the start, which was from in front of the city library in E street, were: Referee, Chas. E. Osborn; starter, Charles Fuller Gates, former state referee; clerk of the course, Harry Weitzell; judges, Raymond E. Smith, John Long and Arthur Holmes; timers, C.A. Sheppard and Roscoe Porter.
The present record for the transcontinental trip on a motorcycle is 20 days, 9 hours and 1 minute made by Volney Davis, in July 1911, on an Indian motorcycle, and Erwin G. Baker hopes to cut the record to 17 days or better, because the route across from San Diego is better, he thinks, than from San Francisco.
A big map of the route is mounted on the south wall of the store of C.A. Sheppard, on Fifth street, and this will show the location of Baker each day.
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Sunday, May 3, 1914
(The San Diego Union)
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From the Archives: First Cannon Ball Run? - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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