KATHERINE STINSON IN CANADA Contributed by Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07      On July 9th, 1918 Katherine Stinson made the first air mail flight between Calgary, Alberta and Edmonton, Alberta. Shortly after she took off from the exhibition grounds in Calgary she was forced to make an emergency landing on my great grandparents, Hugh and Grace McDowell's farm just north of the present day Calgary Airport. She had a major fuel leak which stained some of the letters she was carrying. Enclosed are 4 pictures my grandmother Pearl McDowell took. It addition is a picture of Katherine getting ready to take off in Calgary and one of the replica.

"(1) Katherine waiting in the plane while the mechanic works on it. She is wearing a pearl necklace the emperor of Japan gave her." Photo by Pearl McDowell Text from Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07

 

"(2) A crowd has gathered with my Mother Grace , her sister Betty and their brother Bob sitting on the ground in the center. My grandfather Robert McDowell, Bowler hat with his hand behind his back, and to his right my great grandfather Hugh McDowell. stand off to the left of the children. We believe that the other two children on the ground are cousins." Photo by Pearl McDowell Text from Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07

 

"(3) Getting ready to leave. Katherine returned to the Calgary Exhibition grounds to start her journey over again, and completed it a few hours later." Photo by Pearl McDowell Text from Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07

 

" (4) My Great grandmother holding the wing." Photo by Pearl McDowell Text from Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07

 

"(5) Katherine getting ready to leave Calgary, before landing on my great grandparents farm." Photo & Text from Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07

 

"(6) The Air Museum in Edmonton, Alberta has made a replica of her plane, the Curtiss-Special (15 men, volunteering 20,000 hours and 4 years). They did a re-enactment of the flight on July 9, 2006. Not with the new plane as it doesn't fly. The last time Katherine was in Alberta was in 1959 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her flight." Photo & Text from Alan K. Spiller, 1-17-07

 

CURTISS-STINSON Moose Jaw Fair, Saskatchewan, August 14, 1918 Photograph by Samuel Albert (Bert) Nettleton. From the Nettleton Family Collection Contributed by Mary Nettleton Read

 

CURTISS-STINSON Moose Jaw Fair, Saskatchewan, August 14, 1918 Photograph by Samuel Albert (Bert) Nettleton. From the Nettleton Family Collection Contributed by Mary Nettleton Read

HISTORICAL NOTES via email from Mary Nettleton Read, 12-29-03 My grandfather's name was Samuel Albert (Bert) Nettleton. He was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1884 and came to Canada in 1903 with his parents, brother and sister to farm south of Moose Jaw in the Tilney district. He took many photos of life on the farm and of his family.      I have been looking through some notes from when I contacted the Moose Jaw Public Library about the photos. They checked back and found a record of Katherine landing at the Moose Jaw fair on August 14, 1918. One of the photos does have "1918?" penciled in on it.      The 1918 date would possibly relate the photo to the other 1918 photo on the website -- taken at Grant Park in May of 1918. Maybe Katherine was on a tour.      I have an obituary that was sent to me by the Moose Jaw Public Library about a death in May of 1927 of a Moose Jaw area pioneer, J.P. Keeler. One of his children is listed as Mrs. J. R. Stinson of Forest City, Arkansas. May be completely unrelated -- it is what they found when they entered the name Stinson in their newspaper index. I can send more of the details if necessary. Thanks, Ralph. These 2 small photos have proven to be a very interesting part of the collection! Mary Read Kelowna, B.C.

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