Notes from Findlay’s Diary
Here how Day 1 of the ride looks like. I will eat where he ate and stop where he stopped. Finding the exact location of Kelly Springfield in 1916 took a long time, 2 trips to Atlanta, countless hours going through tax records, maps, newspapers and phone calls. With each critical waypoint, I have tried to find a minimum of 2 sources to support the claims of buildings, people, roads, bridges and any place he said he went.
Key Diary Description for Google Earth Route And Special Route Notes
Day 1 Wednesday June 8th, 2016 Montgomery, AL to Winder, GA (June 8th 1916)
Time – 05:20 Departed Montgomery
Statement – Leave from Huntingdon College.
Route Note – call Paul Meyers Dothan, AL
To verify the bridge is clear on the 1st.
Travel time = 1:40
Time – 07:00 passed thru Tuskegee, AL
Travel time = 00:40
Time – 07:40 Arrived in Auburn, AL Ate breakfast there.
Travel/breakfast time = 00:35
Time – 08:15 Arrived in Opelika, AL “Got a gal. of gas”
100% FOUND (way point)
CKF,“Just a little while before I got to West Point Ga. I got on the finest road you ever saw. Just smooth as a carpet and wide enough for three auto to run abreast. I noticed a strange thing I didn’t see a single track on it! I couldn’t quite get idea why such a fine road should be unused All-of-a-sudden as I came around I came to the end!! There happen to be a man plowing in a field by the road and I asked him why this good road stopped right here and how to get to West Point Ga. He said “That road aint finished yet. They run out of money and had to stop building it. You should have turned to the right 5 miles back, but you can take this wagon road thru the woods and it will bring you to West Point road”. I did as he said and was soon on the right road.”
Travel time = 1:25
Time – 09:40 Arrived in West Point, GA “Got a gal. of gas”
Travel time = 2:40
Time – 12:00 Arrived in Newnan, GA Ate lunch.
CKF, “About 20 miles from Altanta the road was being fixed, and that road was the biggest mess you ever saw! It was just like riding thru a plowed up field.”
Statement – That would be between Palmetto and Fairburn.
100% FOUND (way point)
CKF, “I came into College Park (about 10 miles from Altanta) The express train bound for Atlanta was standing at the station. We both pull out at the same time! (The road very good here to Atlanta). We stayed side-by-side!Well I keep up with that train for about 5 miles.”
Straight line distance College Park and Atlanta = 7.45 miles
TOTAL Travel/lunch time from MONTGOMERY to ATLANTA = 8:40
Time – 14:00 Arrived in the “Heart of Atlanta”
CKF, “Which makes a run of nine hours from Montgonery, Ala.”
100% FOUND (way point)
CKF, “I liked that “Kelly Springfield” tire and I knew they had a branch place here so I tried to find it. Atlanta Ga”
CKF, “for ONE whole hour at last I found it. and then after a long continueation of delays I at last got the new back tire on the wheel. It was untill 6:00pm that I was leaving Altanta.”
“Got a gal. of gas and gal of oil”
Time spent in Atlanta = 4:00
CKF, “I made a big sprint for winder Ga. Which is about 55.8 miles from atlanta.”
CKF’ “There were paved roads 10 miles out of Atlanta and after that was in fair shape.”
Statement – That would be between Scottsdale and Clarkston.
High Likelihood (way point)
CKF, “I came flying around a corner and came to the cross roads, It happen right where the roads cross there was a big and very bad sand bed, my light wasn’t burning very extra bright just then so I didn’t see it right away and went flying into it and down went me and the motor before I knew what happen! I got up, picked up my motor, nothing was hurt.
Now it happened that i was right in the middle of the crossroads so I saw four roads leading four diffrent way, they all were the same build and looked alike, now I didn’t know which one to take”
Time – 20:00 Arrived in Winder, GA
Travel time = 2:00
To give you an example of my dedication to recreating this route with the most authenticity possible….
CKF, “The end of the first day’s run. 250 miles”
Statement – My actual route mileage is 243.86
(91.5%) 223.43 Miles on roads that existed on or before 1916
(8.5%) 20.73 Miles on new roads
