Hide Article Text (OCR)
Military history made at obscure academyIn 1899, Royal Page Davidson made the papers again with his mysterious automobile gun carriage. Davidson was pursing the idea that speed was important in modern warfare. His original design was a light- frame, threewheeled machine operated by gasoline and armed with a Colt automatic gun.He eventually called his invention the Automobile Battery and created an automobile corps.Though Davidson’s armored car was not used by the U.S. military, it is interesting to note that the first tanks (created in 1914) were basically armoredSee DRETSKE on PAGE 2— - y -vLake County may seem an unusual place to develop ' modern military vehicles and I techniques, but there once was a military academy here. Though little known now. these were some of the accomplishments made at the Northwestern Military Academy of Highland Park (1888-1915).The academy was founded by Harland Page Davidson. T\vo of the academy’s more unusual accomplishments included a bicycle corps and the development of the first armored car.In 1897, Davidson’s son, Royal Page Davidson, developed a military bicycle corps, thinking that the bicycle would speed up the movement of troops. In June % — —of that year, he staged a crosscountry, 850-mile expedition to Washington, D.C., operating as a military foray as if traveling in enemy country. The trip took 15 days and was widely covered by newspapers along their route.When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, Davidson offered the U.S. government the services of the corps, but was politely declined.Diana DretskeLake C/runty Discovery MuseumRoyal Page Davidson with cadets and his first armored car design, circa 1899
Newspaper Details
Arlington Heights Daily Herald Suburban Chicago
Arlington Heights, Illinois, US
Sun, Jun 19, 2005
Page 315
Full Page
Clipped by
Wikimedia F.
California, DZ 19 Mar 2025
Other Publications Near Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights Daily Herald Suburban Chicago
Arlington Heights Herald
Daily Herald
Arlington Heights Day
Arlington Heights Sunday Herald
