Cable Car
Cable car was patented by Andrew Hallidie in 1871. San Francisco’s hilly terrain made transportation difficult for the horse-drawn carriages. Hallidie’s invention made life better for both people and horses. By 1920 most cities had changed to the cable car system. Children can learn more at: Cable Car.
First transcontinental telephone call by Bell and Watson occurred in 1915. The famous duo of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson made history again. Watson was in San Francisco, California, when Bell called him from New York, New York. President Woodrow Wilson and the mayors of both cities were also part of the call. Bell’s first call to Watson (who was in another room in the same building) was on March 10, 1876.
First United States mint was established in Philadelphia in 1792. It produced silver half-dismes and dismes (now spelled dimes). The mint is still active, and other mints are functioning in Denver and San Francisco. Children could visit the mint’s website, particularly the games section, at: usmint.gov/kids. Idea: Children could debate the idea of eliminating the production of the penny.
Ellen Church became the first woman flight attendant in 1930. The United Airlines employee flew from San Francisco, California, to Chicago, Illinois. The 20-hour flight stopped at numerous cities. Female flight attendants soon became more common, but they often had to help pilots, process luggage, and push airplanes into hangars. Children could read a GREAT article about Church and early Sky Girls at: Ellen Church.
John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt
Sierra Club was organized in 1892 in San Francisco, California. John Muir was the first president. Children could visit the group’s website at: http://www.sierraclub.org.