Lexington, Nebraska, October 12, 2026: Midday on June 9th, 1903, George A. Wyman rode his single-cylinder "California" brand motorcycle into Lexington. He had spent the night and departed from Maxwell that morning. In his own words, "...After an hour on it, the mud began to be so thick that riding was impossible, and I then returned to the railroad and stuck to it until I reached Lexington, where I had dinner. When I emerged from the dining room, it was raining so hard that it would have been folly to have attempted to ride. My batteries required attention, and by chance I met J.S. Bancroft, who has the most complete bicycle and automobile repairing station that I saw between Cheyenne and Omaha. Mr. Bancroft stopped when he saw me at work on the batteries and invited me to his store. He is a motor bicycle rider, using a 2 1/2-horsepower Columbia." Bancroft provided Wyman with some much needed assistance on the repair of his machine, allowing Wyman to continue on to Kearney, where he spent the night. After 50 grueling days, Wyman would eventually ride into New York City, New York, and become the first person to complete a trans-continent trip of North America using a gasoline powered vehicle. He would precede the first trans-continent automobile crossing by nearly 3 weeks. Unfortunately today, Wyman, although first, is an oft forgotten part of American transportation history.
The George A. Wyman Memorial Project (https://wymanmemorialproject.blogspot.com) is dedicated to keeping the memory of Wyman and his historic 1903 trans-continent trip alive. Working with communities, organizations, businesses, and individuals, they are marking points along Wyman's historic route with Waypoint signs, commemorative bronze plaques, and Journey posters. Bringing the history of Wyman and his trip to the communities noted in his detailed trip journal.
In Lexington, the Wyman Project has worked closely with Cheri Bergman, Exhibits & Design Curator, at the Dawson County Historical Museum to bring the story of George Wyman and local resident J.S. Bancroft to the local community. The Wyman Waypoint sign and bronze memorial plaque have been sponsored by Cynthia and David Park, members of the Santa Fe Trail Chapter, Antique Motorcycle Club of America, in memory of George V. Harman, Sr., Cynthia's father.
On Sunday, November 8th, 2026, the Dawson County Historical Museum invites you to attend the dedication of the George A. Wyman Waypoint for Lexington. The dedication will be held at the Dawson County Historical Museum, 805 Taft St., Lexington, NE. Come and learn about the new Wyman Waypoint in Lexington, Wyman's time in Lexington, and details of his historic trans-continent trip.
Contact: David Hoover, Waypoint Coordinator, The George A. Wyman Memorial Project, Inc., ULH40@aol.com (816)506-4666
