A photograph taken on 10 September 1913 of the first airplane (or aeroplane) to land at Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The photo appeared in the Souvenir Book for the Millersburg Sesquicentennial Celebration, published in 1957. For availability of copies of this book, contact the Millersburg Historical Society.
Along with the photo, the following explanation was given:
AEROPLANES. September 19.913. was a red-letter day in Millersburg. Public school classes were dismissed, and the wheels of industry stopped long enough for the people to see for the first time an aeroplane fly over Millersburg, land, and take off.
The plane was owned and piloted by Walter E. Johnston of Bath, New York, and was shipped by express to Elizabethville, where it was assembled by Mr. Johnson and his mechanic, Earl Beers, in the presence of 500 people. It was a Thomas bi-plane, “weighed 1050 pounds, with operator in position,” had a wing spread of 43 1/2 feet with a depth of 5 1/2 feet and a 4 cylinder 100 horsepower engine made in Austria. The wings were covered with a linen-like fabric impregnated with aluminum. Johnston flew the plane from Elizabethville to Gratz where it made daily flights during the Gratz Fair. Guy L. Heckert of this place, made arrangements for Johnston to fly the plane to Millersburg where it landed in the field across North Street from the present high school building. The field was identified by the pilot by long rolls of white paper which were placed in it. The pilot sat very much exposed amidst the gear, and the mechanic sat on the edge of the wing.
Pilot Johnston, who made his first flight on September 9, 1909, his 21st birthday, held the country’s altitude record in an aeroplane of 13,987 feet, and the American duration record of 3 hours and 51 minutes.
Mr. Heckert raised a purse of $79.69 which was given to the pilot for making the trip to Millersburg. From here he flew to Lykens creating there the same interest which he had created in Elizabethville, Gratz and Millersburg.
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Note: In most other sources, Walter E. Johnston is referred to as Walter E. Johnson.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.