Into the World of Aviation

Into the World of Aviation. , The American aviation industry had its beginnings in the Curtiss factory once located on this site. , , On this hillside stood the family home where Glenn and Lena Curtiss moved after their marriage in 1898. Curtiss built a small factory behind the home in 1904 for his growing bicycle and motorcycle business. , , Over the next several years Curtiss shifted his focus to aviation. He designed and built lightweight engines for dirigibles and developed experimental airplanes, collaborating with aviation pioneers Thomas Baldwin and Alexander Graham Bell, who moved their aerial operations to Hammondsport in order to work with Curtiss. , , Glenn soon made good on the commercial potential of his venture into flight. In 1909 Curtiss began producing powered aircraft for sale. What started as a small motorcycle factory soon became a center of the American aviation industry. The number of workers employed at this site grew along with Curtiss's company, reaching nearly 3000 in 1918. , , The Glenn H. Curtiss Heritage Trail , Beginning as a self-taught bicycle mechanic, Curtiss The Curtiss Heritage Trail celebrates the went on to achieve national prominence as a pioneer pioneering accomplishments of Hammondsport aviator, the founder of the American aircraft industry, most famous native son. and the father of U.S. Naval Aviation. , , The Curtiss Heritage Trail celebrates the pioneering accomplishments of Hammondsport’s most famous native son.