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Ewing in Holt County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

The Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers

 
 
Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2014
1. Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers Marker
Inscription.
Near here was the scene of some of Nebraska’s earliest experiments with flight in a heavier-than-air vehicle. Sometime before late 1907, Martin P. Savidge’s sons set out to construct a flying machine.

They began by studying hawks, then went on to build model gliders, then full size gliders, and finally a self-powered airplane. The first public demonstration was successfully held on Sunday, May 7, 1911.

Following this success, the brothers spent five years barnstorming throughout the Great Plains. Matt Savidge was among the first to develop a method of skywriting. During these five years, the brothers built and flew three different biplanes.

After a barnstorming tour through Texas, the brothers returned home in the spring of 1916 to make repairs and adjustments on their plane. During a test flight on June 17, 1916, the plane crashed, killing Matt Savidge.

After this tragedy, the family of the young fliers insisted that they give up their dangerous pastime. Thus ended one of the earliest chapters of Nebraska aviation history.
 
Erected by Ewing Betterment Club and Historical Land Mark Council. (Marker Number 76.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space
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. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.
 
Location. 42° 15.333′ N, 98° 20.638′ W. Marker is in Ewing, Nebraska, in Holt County. Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 275 and South Spruce Street, on the right when traveling south on U.S. 275. Marker is located in a pullout on the south side of Front Street (U.S. Highway 275). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ewing NE 68735, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. These Flags Fly (a few steps from this marker); Page School (approx. 10.7 miles away); Page Base Line (approx. 10.7 miles away).
 
Also see . . .
1. The Savidge Brothers.

The dream of flying was born early in the brothers. There was a large barn on the Savidge place, located eleven miles South and ½ West of Ewing. The haymow of this barn became the workshop for the brothers. The boys started with gliders, studying hawks in flight. They then built models, increasing them in size until they were in proportion to the weight of a cat. When the gliders were perfected so that they would land with a live cat without crashing, they enlarged their gliders to work with a man. (Submitted on March 3, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers Marker (<b><i>wide view</b></i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2014
2. Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers Marker (wide view)
 

2. Life Among the Savidges.

The seven Savidge brothers, George, John, Joe, Dave, Matt, Phillip, and Louis, grew up at the turn of the century just south of town, and had a reputation for equipping the family farm with all sorts of ingenious inventions. They launched their flying machine experiments with small gliders enlisting the farm cats as test subjects, then moved on to larger machines that they rolled down the barn roof and into the air with a brother aboard. (Submitted on March 3, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 
 
The Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, August 31, 2018
3. The Savidge Brothers, Aviation Pioneers Marker
Ewing's Savidge Brothers Welcome Banner image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2014
4. Ewing's Savidge Brothers Welcome Banner
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 621 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on March 3, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.   3. submitted on January 31, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.   4. submitted on March 3, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024