In 1909, it took two days for a car to get from Washington to Richmond
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/in-1909-it-took-two-days-for-a-car-to-get-from-washington-to-richmond/2019/02/23/8022f384-35ec-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html [www.washingtonpost.com]
2019-02-24 19:24
It soldiered on for a few more miles, then broke down while crossing Jonas Ford in Brandy Station, six miles north of Culpeper. Today, there is a Walmart Supercenter not far from where The Post car gave out, but back then, there wasn’t. The car was towed to Culpeper by a team of horses.
The Post telegraphed Washington for a new car while the Times-Dispatch vehicle continued on to Orange for the night. On Wednesday, The Post’s replacement vehicle arrived. It traveled a quarter-mile before it too broke down. The Post’s good-roads crew would arrive in Richmond on Thursday morning by train.