Sept. 11, 1924: Colonel John Coolidge, father of President Calvin Coolidge, inspects the Coolidge-Dawes van before the start of the now famous 1924 Coolidge-Dawes Lincoln Tour, a political parade from Coolidge's birthplace in Plymouth, Vt., to the Pacific Coast. More than 5 million people turned out to view the caravan as it traversed 6,500 miles. More than 100,000 automobiles participated in the motor escort.