ARTHUR PRATT WARNER 1870-1957 AKA Arthur P. Warner

Arthur P. Warner Collection of K.O. Ecklund, 10-7-08

 

ARTHUR P. WARNER MEMORIAL      A large memorial bronze plaque was delivered to Mid-West Regional Chairman, William A. Denehie, which was placed on a monument erected to receive it at Beloit, Wisconsin, honoring Early Bird Arthur P. Warner. It bears the following inscription:   BELOIT WISCONSIN AVIATION MEMORIAL Commemorating the making of early aviation history in 1909, Early Bird ARTHUR P. WARNER of this city, purchased, assembled and taught himself to fly a Curtiss Pusher Aeroplane at Turtle Ridge on neaby Highway 15.   Awarded by THE EARLY BIRDS OF AVIATION an organization of pioneers in Aeronautics who flew solo before December 17th, 1916. Dedicated, 1963.        Bill Denehie is now working on a plaque project honoring General Frank P. Lahm. It is understood that the airport at Mansfield, Ohio, is to be renamed LAHM FIELD and that the plaque is to be suitable mounted on the Administration Building. From The Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP, December, 1964, Number 71

 

WARNER INSTRUMENT CO.      The Warner Instrument Co. of Beloit, Wis., founded in 1904, became the largest speedometer manufacturer after World War I. Speedometers were available as standard equipment as early as 1908, if the customer could afford such a luxury. A brass drum-type speedometer on the Model 18 Packard was mounted in front of the "gear change" and outside the driving compartment.   Editor's Note: This anecdote comes from Transport Topics, Trucking's Electronic Newspaper. The article offers many details of the development of the speedometer, including Arthur Warners involvement.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search the net for "Arthur P. Warner" +aviation, using Google, (10-9-08)you will find about 8 links. Among the most helpful are the following:

WISCONSIN AVIATION HALL OF FAME      This website offers a number of interesting features including; Who We Are, What's New, Hall of Fame, Nominations and Forward in Flight, the History of Aviation in Wisconsin, a book which may be purchased in their "Shop.". To see a listing of all of the aviators who are honored in the "Hall of Fame," just click on: Hall of Fame      You will find that Arthur P. Warner was inducted in the year 2000, Pioneer. You can read his biography by clicking on his name

 

Arthur P. Warner from Warner Electric LLC via Wikipedia

 

ARTHUR PRATT WARNER      This article on the Wikipedia website offers a nice biography of him and a beautiful picture of him in his older years. You can access it by clicking on the title

 

Arthur P. Warner, pioneer aviator, inventor, and industrialist, died March 22, 1957 at his home in Beloit, Wisconsin at the age of 86. At the time of his death he was Chairman of the Board of Warner-Patterson Company, Chicago, manufacturers of automobile parts. He held over 100 patents on his inventions.A.P. Warner learned to fly in 1909. The plane was sold to him in sections and was assebmeld by him prior to the flight. This was the third airplane built by Glenn Curtiss.      Following a limited early education in electric engineering, he engaged in creative invention. His first major creation was a dynamo, but his more notable inventions later were the first magnetic speedometer for automobiles, the electric brake, and many other instruments and devices.      He formed the Warner Instrument Company in 1904, and this firm became the Stewart-Warner Company later on. He was also affiliated with several other electrical manufacturers. He became president of the Warner-Patterson Company and in 1955 was made chariman of the board. From The Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP June, 1957, Number 57

 

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