This photo will give you a clue.............. recognize the man or the airplane?
On Monday, September 12, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis in Spokane at Parkwater Aviation Field (soon to become Felts Field) during his nationwide tour of 75 cities following his epic trans-Atlantic flight on May 21st. Dignitaries from the city, state and the military, as well as hundreds of ordinary admirers greeted him at the airport. Only the grandstand at the fairgrounds was large enough to accommodate the larger crowds waiting to honor him and hear his speech. The day's festivities culminated in a banquet at the Davenport Hotel.
According to a bit on www.historylink.org, The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, "before landing on that rainy afternoon, Lindbergh swooped so low over the old Interstate Fairgrounds (later Playfair Race Track) to greet the 20,000 awaiting his arrival that one could actually read Spirit of St. Louis on the aluminum cowling. When the little plane came into view, the welcoming committee at the field had to clear the runway of the surging crowd so that Lindbergh could land."
Read the entire 2-page essay at HistoryLink.org. I find these tidbits from Spokane's history most fascinating, don't you?
No comments:
Post a Comment