Hammondsport in Steuben County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

1908 An Astonishing Sight

The Glenn H. Curtiss Heritage Trail

An Astonishing Sight Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 27, 2013

1. An Astonishing Sight Marker

Inscription. 1908
When Glenn Curtiss flew the June Bug here in Pleasant Valley on July 4, 1908, he made American aviation history.
With Curtiss at the controls, the June Bug rose into the air, leveled off at a height of about 40 feet, and flew east toward Keuka Lake for almost a mile. He passed directly overhead and landed near the farthest edge of the tree line that is just visible in the distance. It was the first publicly announced and witnessed flight of a powered aircraft in the United States, conducted in front of an audience of prominent newspaper reporters and a crowd of nearly 1000 spectators. The flight won Curtiss the Scientific American Trophy.
The June Bug flight was the crowning achievement of Curtiss's work with his associates from the Aerial Experimentation Association, (AEA) including famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell. During the spring and summer of 1908, they used this area - then known as Stony Brook Farm -- for short test flights of the new aircraft designs the AEA was developing, making their takeoffs from the farms nearby oval horse racing track.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Heritage Trail
Beginning as a self-taught

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bicycle mechanic, Glenn Curtiss went on to achieve national prominence as a pioneer aviator, the founder of the American aircraft industry, and the father of U.S. Naval Aviation. The Curtiss Heritage Trail celebrates the pioneering accomplishments of Hammondsport's most famous native son.

Erected 2011 by the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1795.

Location. 42° 23.939′ N, 77° 15.079′ W. Marker is in Hammondsport, New York, in Steuben County. It can be reached from Pleasant Valley Road. The marker is at the far edge of the parking area opposite the Great Western Winery (also known as the Pleasant Valley Wine Company) Visitor Center Entrance. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hammondsport NY 14840, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Western New York,

and in the Southern Tier.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally,

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 27, 2013

2. An Astonishing Sight Marker

it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Glenn Curtiss (approx. 0.2 miles away); 1878-1930 Larger Than Life (approx. half a mile away); Glenn Hammond Curtiss (approx. 0.6 miles away); Pleasant Valley War Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); Pleasant Valley (approx. 0.7 miles away); Cradle of Aviation (approx. one mile away); Hammondsport, New York (approx. one mile away); Glenn H. Curtiss (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hammondsport.

More about this marker. The Glenn H. Curtiss Heritage Trail, which marks historic sites in and around Hammondsport, was completed in 2011. According to a news release from the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, which sponsored the two-year project, the trail features informational plaques at sites of historical significance, all relating

An Astonishing Sight Marker Detail image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, October 27, 2013

3. An Astonishing Sight Marker Detail

Curtis aboard the June Bug, and the Scientific American Trophy,

to the accomplishments of Curtiss, the Hammondsport native and aviation pioneer.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.

Also see . . .
1. June Bug. Engines of Our Ingenuity website entry (Submitted on December 26, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. Museum website homepage (Submitted on November 10, 2013, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.)

3. The Pleasant Valley Wine Company. Winery website homepage (Submitted on November 10, 2013, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.)

Additional keywords. flying machine

Glenn Curtiss at the Controls of the <i>June Bug</i> July 4, 1908 image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

4. Glenn Curtiss at the Controls of the June Bug July 4, 1908

Glenn H. Curtiss 1878 -1930 image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

5. Glenn H. Curtiss 1878 -1930

Credits. This page was last revised on December 26, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2013, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. This page has been viewed 1,210 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 10, 2013, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.