Harriet White Fisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harriet White Fisher |
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| Born | March 31, 1861 Crawford County, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | June 25, 1939 (aged 78) |
| Achievements | First woman to circle globe in a Locomobile |
Harriet White Fisher Andrew (1861–1939) was an amazing American woman. She became famous for being the first woman to travel all the way around the world in a Locomobile car!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Harriet White was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania on March 31, 1861. Her parents were Oscar A. White and Hannah Fisher. She went to school at The Young Women's Classical Seminary in Cleveland Ohio.
Harriet was known for helping others. For example, during the terrible Johnstown Flood, she took care of people who were hurt or lost their homes. A famous Chinese diplomat, Wu Tingfang, even called Mrs. Harriet White Fisher "The most wonderful woman in America."
A Serious Accident
On October 8, 1902, Harriet was in a very serious train accident. Two Pennsylvania Railroad passenger trains crashed in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Harriet Fisher was badly hurt. She had broken hips, a spinal injury, and other internal injuries. She had to stay in the hospital for eight weeks to recover.
Leading a Steel Business
After her first husband passed away, Harriet Fisher took charge of his company, Eagle Steel Works. This company, later called Fisher & Norris Anvil Works, was located in Trenton, New Jersey.
Harriet was the only woman member of the National Association of Manufacturers, a group for business leaders. She once explained how she learned the steel business in The Washington Post in 1911: "I liked machines even when I was a child," Mrs. Fisher said. "But it was my husband's sickness that made me join the Eagle Works. I started as the 'boss,' but I soon realized I needed to know more than my workers to earn their respect."
She decided to learn everything from the ground up. "I became a regular apprentice," she explained. "I learned how to harden steel, shape anvils, make vises, and even build rails. I took a full course in every part of the business, from melting iron to bidding for big jobs. By the end, I truly loved working with iron and steel, the sound of the machines, and the forge."
Harriet was very successful. In 1906, her wealth was reported to be $2,000,000. She even won bids for parts of the Panama Canal equipment, earning a lot of money from those projects.
Driving Around the World
Harriet Fisher became famous for being the first woman to drive around the world in a car. Her car was a four-seat Locomobile built in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It had a 40-horsepower engine and no special equipment.
She planned her amazing journey with a relative named Harold Fisher Brooks, a chef named Albert, and a maid. She also brought along her pets: a monkey, a Bull Terrier, and a Pug dog!
Their plan was to ship the car to England, then drive to her villa in Italy at Lake Como. From there, they would continue through Egypt, India, Japan, and finally return to the United States.
A farewell party was held in July 1909. The travelers began their adventure on July 19, 1909. By November 1909, they had reached Lake Como. A newspaper later reported that Fisher and her group had completed their trip to Japan and were back in San Francisco, California. She finally arrived in Tarrytown, New York on August 16, 1910, completing her incredible journey around the world. Harriet Fisher even wrote a book about her adventure called A Woman's World Tour in A Motor.
Personal Life
Harriet's first known marriage was to Clark Fisher. They got married in London, England on July 20, 1898. News reports at the time said she was a widow named Mrs. White before this marriage. Clark Fisher died in 1903.
She married again on April 27, 1912, to Silvano Alfredo Andrew. He was an officer in the Argentine Navy. Their wedding in Manhattan was a quiet ceremony. This was because Silvano's brother, Edgard Andrew, had sadly died on the Titanic just a few days before.
Harriet Fisher also had strong opinions about women's rights. She was an anti-suffragist, meaning she was against giving women the right to vote. She even spoke out against women's suffrage in New Jersey in 1913.
See also
In Spanish: Harriet White Fisher Andrew para niños
