Pittsburg in Camp County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

The Ezekiel Airship

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 1, 2019

1. The Ezekiel Airship Marker

Inscription. Baptist minister and inventor Burrell Cannon (1848-1922) led some Pittsburg investors to establish the Ezekiel Airship Company and build a craft described in the biblical book of Ezekiel. The ship had large, fabric-covered wings powered by an engine that turned four sets of paddles. It was built in a nearby machine shop and was briefly airborne at this site late in 1902, a year before the Wright brothers first flew. Enroute to the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, the airship was destroyed by a storm. In 1913 a second model crashed, and the Rev. Cannon gave up the project.

Erected 1976 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 9794.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.

Location. 32° 59.551′ N, 94° 58.147′ W. Marker is in Pittsburg, Texas, in Camp County. It is at the intersection of Fulton Street and Market Street, on the left when traveling west on Fulton Street. Marker is mostly covered by bushes. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Market Street, Pittsburg TX 75686, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cotton Belt Depot (approx. 0.2 miles away); Shootout at the Pittsburg Depot

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of First Carnegie Library in Texas (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pittsburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); W. L. Garrett Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Saint Beulah Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Farmer's Feed and Seed Company (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Methodist Church of Pittsburg (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsburg.

Also see . . . Wikipedia article on the Ezekiel Airship. (Submitted on September 10, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

The Ezekiel Airship Marker amongst the bushes and area of machine shop. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 1, 2019

2. The Ezekiel Airship Marker amongst the bushes and area of machine shop.

Replica Ezekiel Airship image. Click for full size.

Photographed by CC BY-SA 4.0 Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Center and Museum.

3. Replica Ezekiel Airship

Replica located at the Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Center and Museum.

View from marker west on Fulton Street. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 1, 2019

4. View from marker west on Fulton Street.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 4,445 times since then and 293 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 10, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.