Near Streator in LaSalle County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

100th Anniversary of the First Transcontinental Flight

October 9, 2011

Vin Fiz Landing Site Marker image. Click for full size.

1. Vin Fiz Landing Site Marker

Inscription. One of the first great aviation events in Illinois was the arrival of a flying contraption known as the Vin Fiz Flyer, which landed in Streator on October 9, 1911 as part of the first transcontinental flight across the United States.

A large crowd gathered at the race track (presently Anderson Fields Golf Course) in Streator, to witness this amazing feat, while hundreds watched from their homes. School children were allowed out of class to cheer the daring aviator as he flew over.

The pilot, Calbraith "Cal" Perry Rodgers, purchased a Wright Brothers Model Ex Pusher Biplane to attempt this flight from Sheepshead Bay, New York to Long Beach California with only 90 minutes training by the Wright Brothers! After crashing numerous times, he finally completed the journey.

Erected 2011 by City of Streator Tourism.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. A significant historical date for this entry is October 9, 1911.

Location. 41° 8.721′ N, 88° 50.134′ W. Marker is near Streator, Illinois, in LaSalle County. Marker is on North Bloomington Street (Illinois Route 23) 0.1 miles north of Northpoint Drive, on the right when traveling north. Located near parking lot of the Anderson Fields Golf Course. Touch for map. Marker

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is at or near this postal address: 2100 North Bloomington Street, Streator IL 61364, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Streator's Stargazer (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Clyde William Tombaugh (about 800 feet away); Colonel Ralph Plumb (approx. 1.6 miles away); Streator Civil War Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); American Heroes Mural (approx. 1.6 miles away); Dedicated to the Soldiers, Sailors, and Patriots of the American Revolutionary War (approx. 1.6 miles away); World War II (approx. 1.6 miles away); George "Honey Boy" Evans (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Streator.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2020. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2020. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 35 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on February 5, 2020. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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