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First airplane in Smith Center flown by world-famous pilot |
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BY LINDA BAETZ
Smith County Pioneer Cromwell Dixon was known in the nespaperes as "America's Boy Aeronaut". With imagination, ingenuity and the courage to stick to his dreams, Cromwell succeeded in flying his own airship, the Sky-Cycle. In 1911 Cromwell received his aviator's license, he was the youngest pilot to do so at the age of 19. |
He was the 43 pilot in the United States to receive a license. Also in 1911, Smith Center,
Kans. was celebrating its 40th year of being an established twon. During the celebration at the Smith County Fair,
Cromwell was hired as entertainment in his aeroplane. Some of the information in this article was obtained in research by Mary Lattin |
of Hays and landowner in South County. She brought this story to the
attention of the Pioneer. With the 150th anniversary of Kansas, this story denotes Smith County Kansas
history with the fair in the article being in honor of Smith Center having been founded 40 years. -Continued on page 2 |
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