The 4th annual Catskill Conquest Rally commemorates the 1903 Automobile Endurance Run will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2020.
The Rally is a celebration of the experience of automobiling and the birth of publicly funded roadbuilding. It is also a celebration of the gorgeous scenery and communities along the historic route that includes the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway along 52 miles of NYS Rte 28.
The event is open to all vehicles. We have had vintage pick-up trucks, modern and vintage sports cars, true classics from 1913 on and also Teslas. I say, “If you love your car, come and drive it on this route!”
In October 1903 the sole woman to complete the run, Edith Riker, was quoted as saying, “It is glorious, I think, to fly through the country night or day at a railroad speed over all sorts of roads.” That brought home to me that this was indeed the birth of the experience of automobiling. We take our Good Roads for granted and this project has raised my consciouness about the effort and investment it took to get us here and an appreciation for smooth pavement.
As the route follows the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway from Mount Tremper to Andes, in 2020 we have made some changes that include jaunts on some of my favorite roads branching off the historic route beyond Andes to our western terminous at Unadilla House. We will miss the Cauliflower Festival this year, due to COVID-19, but added a stop at Polar Bear Homemade Ice Cream and More in North Franklin and a crossing of Fitch’s Covered Bridge in Delhi. We stop at the Franklin Railroad and Community Museum and the Delaware County Historical Association where facilities are available. We’ll practice social distancing and mask wearing. We are grateful for the support of Ulster and Delaware Counties and our sponsors: Hagerty Insurance, The Emerson Resort, the Catskill Center and more.
There is still time to enter. Visit www.1903autorun.com for information.
I can be reached at 845-657-6982 and at [email protected].