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This is an article I found at the airport while browsing around the last few days.
Quote:
Clayton has the distinction of being the first town in the United States authorized by the Post Office Department as an airmail canceling office.
A Union County Fair was being held in Clayton. The committee in charge of entertainment evolved a scheme to have an airplane make flights from the fairgrounds to the post office; also to take passengers on the ground for a plane ride. In 1914 airplanes aroused avid curiosity. A temporary Post Office was set up. A special cancellation stamp, issued by the Post Office at Washington, was used for canceling stamps on letters and cards. On this stamp was engraved “First Aeroplane Post Office, September 10, 1914, Clayton, New Mexico.”
Everyone at the fairgrounds took advantage of the opportunity to mail postcards and letters – 1cent for postcards, 2 cents for letters. The pouch was dropped by plane on the site f the old Eklund residence directly South of the Pioneer Garage. The Post Office was in a building occupied by Myron Sachse and his Ideal Grocery Store.
The aviator of the plane were brought from El Paso. The plane was shipped by express in three crates. John and Wheeler Hill, owners of the Hill Brothers Transport Company, hauled the crates to the fairgrounds and assisted In putting the plane together. J. Floyd Smith owned the plane and couldn't get it off the ground. He concluded the altitude was too high so he souped up the gasoline and the plane rose 500 feet in the air.
The Clayton News of September 12, 1914, carried an ad for Smith guaranteeing two flights daily and inviting people to “come see the Flying Machine Fly.” Very few people in Union County had ever seen an aeroplane in flight and this was a chance to see demonstrated the “greatest invention of the age.”
Smith performed according to his word and carried much mail and many passengers. The New praised him saying “J. Floyd Smith, one of the finest aviators in the United States, gave the county people a wonderful flight exhibition during the fair which was highly appreciated by all who saw it. He gave two performances each day and carried the mail from the Fair Grounds to the Post office downtown to be mailed out every afternoon about 5 O'Clock. His machine resembles a big grasshopper and sailed through the air as light and graceful as a bird.”
This isnt on my website yet so its an "exclusive" to City Data hehe.
I do have pictures (four of em) of the plane and pilot too which I will put up over the next few days.
In the mean time these are two Russian jets the white is Tornado and not sure what the other one is. They have the race turbines on em and where on their way to the Reno races. We fueled em up. They will be back. Fantastic site to see and the feel as they where taking off.
To be honest Devin I have no idea why they are there.
I originally thought it was for drainage when I moved here but they just fill up with water.
If you came from the Boise City road (56/412) there is a sign to slow down to 15MPH for bumps, not sure about the other direction though.
If you came from the Boise City road (56/412) there is a sign to slow down to 15MPH for bumps, not sure about the other direction though.
I came in that way -- I guess I missed the sign. I slowed down some but not enough.
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A question
