In 1870, a wealthy American millionaire traveled around the world in 80 days — not counting a two-month stopover in France to hobnob with the revolutionaries of the Paris Commune. His name was George Francis Train, an eccentric and vastly wealthy entrepreneur who amassed a purported $30 million fortune (in mid-19th century dollars!) in shipping and rail. He was obsessed with transportation, from urban tram systems to clipper ships to the Union Pacific Railroad. He was the Elon Musk of the Gilded Age — and left his mark on the Pacific Northwest.
French author Jules Verne wrote a novel that is said to have been inspired by Train’s travels. Around the World in 80 Days (1873) became a classic, and its latest incarnation is as a new series on PBS’ Masterpiece Theater. It stars David Tennant as the story’s protagonist, wealthy English oddball Phileas Fogg, who bets he can journey around the world in record time. (Tennant is used to playing eccentric travelers; he was once the galaxy-hopping Dr Who.)
The success of Verne’s book stimulated late 19th century interest in global travel, speed and new transportation technologies — which suited Train’s interests in a brisk global trade system. If today’s megabillionaires have eyes on space travel, Train’s vision was solidly terrestrial, but no less ambitious for its time.
The book also inspired adventurers to try and best Train’s original 80-day record. Most famous was the 1889 jaunt of American journalist Nellie Bly. Sponsored by the New York World newspaper, Bly raced around the world (heading east) in a mere 72 days. She completed her trip in January of 1890, beating a simultaneous female competitor by nearly a week.