The heroine of my book, Petra, zips around in her trusty 1916 Model T, navigating city streets and rural backroads with aplomb. Writing her adventures has immersed me in the peculiarities of early 20th-century road conditions, and I’ve come away in awe of the fearless women who braved America’s chaotic, unnumbered roads long before the interstate system.
Here are three particular challenges women encountered behind the wheel in 1919:
1. No Standardized Road Numbers or Reliable Guides:
If you’ve ever cursed your GPS, imagine navigating in 1919, when roads weren’t numbered and maps were often untrustworthy. National route numbers didn’t arrive until 1926, and even major roads went by local names or vague descriptions like “the road by the mill.” Guides like the Automobile Blue Book were helpful—when accurate. Printed annually (or less often during wartime), these manuals offered directions like “turn left at the red barn” or “avoid muddy sections,” hardly comforting on unmarked rural roads. Drivers often resorted to stopping for directions, relying on the goodwill (or mischief) of strangers.
2. Scarce and Unpredictable Fuel Options:
Forget gas stations on every corner—fueling up in 1919 required strategy and planning. Gasoline was often sold at general stores, hardware shops, or even pharmacies, and availability could be hit-or-miss. Drivers embarking on long trips packed spare cans of fuel in the trunk, especially in rural areas where towns were miles apart. A miscalculation or a closed shop could leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.
3. Social (and Literal) Roadblocks:
Female drivers faced more than mechanical and logistical hurdles; they endured condescension and outright hostility. Many men deemed cars “too complicated” for women, and a breakdown often meant fixing it alone, as roadside help wasn’t exactly eager to assist a “lady driver.” The criticism was relentless, but the women who took to the roads proved their mettle time and again, refusing to let outdated attitudes stall their independence.
Overcoming these challenges took more than driving skill—it took tenacity, resourcefulness, and grit. Petra’s adventures pay homage to those trailblazing women who showed that nothing—not the roads, nor society—could stop them.
Do you have a favorite story about early women drivers? Share it below—I’d love to hear!