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The Industrial Revolution |
Although beginning much earlier in Europe, industrialization did not really take off in the US until after the Civil War in the 1860s. The steam engine is one of the most significant inventions of the Industrial Revolution. The advances in production methods and materials, particularly steel, revolutionized the transpo... |
1789-01-01 00:00:00 |
George Washington's Presidency |
During George Washington’s presidency, the federal government began to take shape. Washington established the first cabinet including positions such as the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War. President Washington also oversaw the formation of the federal court system and the ratification of the Bill of Rights,... |
1789-01-01 00:00:00 |
US Constitution Ratified |
This document replaced the Articles of Confederation as the governing law of the United States of America. The Constitution set up three branches of government: the legislature, a bicameral law-making body that represents the different states, the judiciary, the court system, and the executive, comprising the president... |
1801-01-01 00:00:00 |
Thomas Jefferson's Presidency |
As the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson continued to explore the role of the federal and state governments. Jefferson limited the size of the government by reducing taxes and national debt, but increased its role by gaining the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 which doubled the size of the c... |
1810-01-01 00:00:00 |
Invention of the Bicycle |
Although the exact details of the invention of the bicycle are not known, bicycles were clearly in use in Europe by 1817. |
1812-06-18 00:00:00 |
War of 1812 |
In 1812, the United States under President James Madison, the United States declared war again the British. The causes of this declaration of war varied from the impressment of thousands of American sailors into the Royal Navy, British support for Native American groups that came in conflict with American settlers, and... |
1817-01-01 00:00:00 |
Draisienne Bicycle |
This bicycle was invented in 1817 by a French grounds keeper, Baron Karl Von Drais. It has no pedals. This one in particular is actually a compilation of different draisienne parts from different eras! |
1829-01-01 00:00:00 |
Andrew Jackson's Presidency |
Assuming the presidency in 1830, President Jackson, or his nickname “Old Hickory”, radically changed the role of the executive during his two terms. Jackson destroyed the national banking system, instituted the Indian Removal Act of 1830 which forcibly removed Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River to th... |
1848-01-24 00:00:00 |
Gold Rush |
The Gold Rush, when settlers found gold in several western states causing many Americans to move out west and try their luck, started as early as 1848 in California, and lasted until 1861 in Colorado. The promise of gold was one of the most significant factors in large westward population shifts during the 19th Century... |
1861-01-01 00:00:00 |
Abraham Lincoln's Presidency |
During Lincoln’s presidency, the Civil War consumed all but six weeks. Lincoln successfully controlled the revolutionary forces unleashed by his election and southern secession, maintained the democratic principles of the United States, and gained a military victory with the Union finally winning the Civil War in 1865.... |
1861-04-12 00:00:00 |
United States Civil War |
A complex and bloody military conflict, the Civil War in the United States began due to a variety of reasons including issues of slavery, the election of Abraham Lincoln, and the existing sectionalism between the North and the South during this point in time. Once the southern states seceded from the Union and formed t... |
1862-05-20 00:00:00 |
The Homestead Act |
This law, signed by Abraham Lincoln, gave Americans 160 acres of public land, but required them to live on the land for five years before they officially owned it and show evidence of improvement. This legislation incentivized Western migration. |
1863-01-01 00:00:00 |
The era of Reconstruction, the building back of the United States after the turmoil of the Civil War, contained two phases. The first phase, from 1863-1865, included moderate Reconstruction goals through President Lincoln and Vice President Andrew Johnson designed to bring the South back to normal as quickly as possibl... |
1869-01-01 00:00:00 |
First Transcontinental Railroad completed |
In 1869, the Western, Central Pacific Railroad and the Eastern, Union Pacific met at Promontory Point Utah, joining these two major rail lines and creating, for the first time, a direct route from coast-to-coast. The completion of this railroad brought the American West firmly into the Union and made it easier for good... |
1873-01-01 00:00:00 |
First Cable-Powered Public Transportation Line |
The first cable-powered trolley was built in San Francisco, a city which is still known for its network of streetcars. Though cable-powered trolley cars were costly to maintain and required attention and physical strength to operate, they allowed for the creation of mass transit systems in many systems across the world... |
1880-01-01 00:00:00 |
Horse-Drawn Hearse |
This hearse was used in Iowa until 1945. This type of hearse was usually used for adults. The carriage can be drawn by one or two horses. |
1882-01-01 00:00:00 |
Prairie Schooner |
A precursor to cars, these were used by pioneers during the population movement from the east coast out to the unpopulated parts of the Western United States. |
1885-01-01 00:00:00 |
English Road Coach (Holland & Holland) |
Shipped from Cheltenham, England in 1960 to the United States, this private 18 passenger coach was used between Cheltenham and London. 4-5 horses pulled this coach. It is different from public road coaches because there is no metal "cage" on top of the carriage to strap luggage too, at least not heavy luggage; more lik... |
1887-01-01 00:00:00 |
Interstate Commerce Commission |
The United States federal government created a commission to severely curb and regulate the railroad industry which had developed a reputation for corruption. With goals of ensuring fair rates, ending rate discrimination, and overall regulation, the ICC began with little means to enforce any new rules and became furthe... |
1888-01-01 00:00:00 |
Denver Cable Car |
Cable Cars allowed for the first major form of public transportation in the United States. These were a driving force in creating the first circles of suburbs in cities throughout the US (including Denver). They became popular because they could be placed on streets and could make the same tight turns as cars. |
1890-01-01 00:00:00 |
The "Bicycle Boom" |
Bicycles began to outnumber horses for the first time as the most popular form of private transportation. In 1896 there were approximately four million bicycles in use in the US. |
1890-01-01 00:00:00 |
Brewster Omnibus |
The Brewster Carriage Company was started in 1810 by James Brewster. Brewster gained a reputation for fine built carriages and by 1827 had branches in New Haven and Bridgeport as well as New York City. This carriage was used to ferry people to the opera from the hotel and back. It was also used to transport passengers ... |
1890-01-01 00:00:00 |
Surrey Carriage |
A Surrey is a popular American four-wheeled carriage of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name Surrey comes from the county in Southern England where they were first built. |
1897-01-01 00:00:00 |
The First American Subway Line |
The Boston Elevated Railway Co. established the United States' first electric underground street railway line in Boston in 1897. The Tremont Street Subway (pictured) is the oldest subway tunnel in North America. |
1897-01-01 13:06:13 |
Forney Locomotive 040-T |
This train was patented by Matthias Forney, a 3rd cousin of museum founder JD Forney. They were often used on elevated railways. This one carried both passengers and freight in the Denver Area. Called “Little Giants” with 500 in service at the turn of the century. |
1899-01-01 00:00:00 |
Columbia "Model 59" Bicycle |
This bicycle was built by the Pope Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut. This chainless drive bicycle makes use of a driveshaft. Wooden rims, cork handle grips, and a leather seat are also features on this bicycle. |
1900-01-01 00:00:00 |
Moon Brothers Doctor's Buggy |
This carriage was built in St. Louis, Missouri by the Moon Brothers Carriage Company. These lightweight buggies made house calls easier for the doctor (and the horse too). |
1901-01-01 00:00:00 |
Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency |
An icon of the Progressive Era in the United States, President Theodore Roosevelt focused his domestic policy on trust busting and successfully dissolved 44 monopolies. His “Square Deal” legislation regulated the railroad and food industries in order to create fairness between the average American customer and business... |
1902-01-01 12:55:06 |
Illinois Sesquicentennial PB-1 |
This train was built by Pullman with a wood-bodied parlor-lounge-observation car. In 1967 it was sold to Sol Polk of the Polk Brothers in Illinois and he and his brothers retrofitted the car as a luxury dining car with all of the amenities available at the time. |
1903-01-01 00:00:00 |
Oldsmobile Model "R" Runabout |
Although the invention of the assembly-line and mass production of the automobile is generally associated with Henry Ford, this “curved dash” Oldsmobile was actually the first mass-produced car in America, built with interchangeable parts, a full decade before Ford’s assembly line. |
1903-12-17 00:00:00 |
Wrights Demonstrate Airplane |
The Wright Brothers made history when Orville Wright became the first person to take flight in the airplane that they built at Kitty Hawk. Though not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, their invention of aircraft controls that made fixed-wing flight possible allowed for human flight. |
1904-01-01 00:00:00 |
Denver Streetcar |
This streetcar replaced the cable car on the streets of downtown Denver and was in use until 1946. This car was run by a conductor and a motorman. This car also has vintage advertisements displayed at the top of the car. |
1904-01-01 00:00:00 |
Knox Tudor Surrey |
This open “runabout” body has plush leather seats and tiller steering. With an air cooled engine, the motor is neatly attached to the undercarriage under the front seat. The door in the back is for access to the passenger seating area. |
1905-01-01 00:00:00 |
Franklin Type "A" Runabout |
The 1905 Franklin was marketed as a luxury car, and came in six different models. It was praised for its high speeds, and strong racing performance. |
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