Chapter 5 THE AUTOMOBILE AGE BEGINS, 1890-1930 - Colorado ...

In January 1902, a Denver police court fined a driver for operating “his machine along the streets
of the city at a speed which endangered the lives of the pedestrians.” Clocked by a police officer
going 40 miles per hour on 16th Street, the judge fined the speeder $25 and costs (Hafen,
1931:5-6). Despite the occasional restriction, the automobile opened avenues to all elements of
society. By November 1902, the Denver Post commented: “Out of the 200 owners of machines
in town today about a dozen women only have had the courage to take their levers and their
destinies in their own hands, and face the world.” None of the women listed in the article owned
a vehicle in their own right (Hafen, 1931: 6).
Final
CDOT Historic Highway Context
5-10