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| A restored 1920’s biplane. |
It was the age of Lindbergh – a time when little boys glued newspaper clippings in notebooks to keep track of the great aviator’s life. I know this because we have Mr. Burl’s; it is a sweet memento from his childhood, and when I look at it, I can’t help but think that out of all the changes his generation witnessed, men taking to the air must have been the most amazing.
From the journals:
Since the days of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, airplanes have caused excitement. A person living in a rural community like Bath County seldom saw an airplane until the late twenties. Maybe once a year, a pilot flying an old biplane (two wings) would come here to pick up a few dollars. Those early planes were small with wooden frames covered with treated canvas.
Much excitement was generated by those flyers who hopped around from one locality to another. Occasionally, a daredevil pilot would drop down on one of the local pastures and offer rides for five dollars. Back then, five dollars would have been a small fortune. Not many locals were able to afford that fare, especially the younger people.
There were two spots around Owingsville on which those flyers were prone to land. “Shields’ Flat” was a nice level place and was adjacent to town. That land is now called Darnell Subdivision. “Horseman’s Bottom” was the other good spot and was then owned by Mr. Lennie Horseman.
Hope you enjoyed this post – Ginger
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| Charles Augustus Lindbergh, circa 1923. In 1927, Lindbergh set records on his flight from New York to Paris, and upon landing, “a crowd estimated at 150,000 spectators stormed the field, dragged Lindbergh out of the cockpit, and literally carried him around above their heads for nearly half an hour.” The kidnapping of Lindbergh’s child in 1932 grabbed the attention of the entire nation – it was dubbed “The Crime of the Century.” His controversial views on race, as well as his hesitancy regarding U.S. involvement in WWII, add a complicated layer to the story of this true American hero, making him a fascinating character to learn more about. |
From the Journals of William Burl Kincaid, Jr. 