Jeanette Lindstrom was one of America’s first female racing drivers. She was also the first woman in Chicago to earn her driving license, aged only thirteen.
In September 1900, she took part in the International Automobile Meeting in Chicago, held at the Washington Park speedway. She raced a Lindstrom electric car against Miss MA Ryan over two miles, winning by half a mile. Her time was 5:56s.
Miss Ryan challenged her to a rematch the day afterwards, which was thrown open to any other women drivers in electric cars, but it is unclear whether this happened. Some reports suggest that Miss Ryan won.
According to some newspaper reports, Jeanette learned to drive when she was eleven. At the end of October 1900, she was certified by the city electrician to drive in public, having passed an exam on the workings of an electric car. There was no practical test. Other sources claim she had only been driving for a few months prior to this.
Jeanette’s motoring fortunes were linked to those of her father, Charles, who was an inventor and engineer who founded the Hewitt-Lindstrom electric car company with John Hewitt. Only one model of car was ever produced and this “high-geared runabout” was the car raced by Jeanette. Production ceased in 1901 and the company folded in 1902.
Jeanette disappeared from public life after this.
(Image from The Western News)