13 automobiles lined up for a run to Lake Minnetonka. Photo: Courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society via the American Swedish Institute
There were only 13 cars in Minneapolis on Aug. 11, 1900, and all of them raced from City Hall to Wayzata.
Flashback: The car owners did the 12-mile race to demonstrate to Hennepin County commissioners the need for better roads, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.
Harry Wilcox won with a time of 42 minutes.
Stunning stat: With construction snarling traffic on I-394 and Highway 55 this summer, Google Maps estimates it could take up to 40 minutes to make the same drive during rush hour this afternoon.
Flashback: Over the next 54 years, the automobile industry got what it wanted. As the county built and improved roads, crews tore out or paved over all 523 miles of Twin Cities streetcar tracks.
