The Conquest of the Air
In commemoration of the conquest of the air…
Excerpt from the inscription on the monument atop Big Kill Devil Hill
From its establishment as a national monument in 1927 to the First Flight Centennial of 2003, the local people of the Outer Banks have shown “dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith” in honoring and recognizing the first flight of the Wright brothers.
The Kill Devil Hills Memorial Association, later to become the First Flight Society, took the lead in organizing the 25th-anniversary celebration held in 1928.
The event featured the unveiling of the first flight marker and the laying of the cornerstone for the monument – two of the most prominent features at Wright Brothers National Memorial. For the first time, the location of the first flight received as much attention as the flight itself. Orville Wright, Amelia Earhart, and more than 3,000 people from the area participated in the event. Ironically, to attend they traveled by almost every means but air.
Over the year local citizens, the First Flight Society, and people from all over the state of North Carolina have continued to proved the grass roots support necessary to host annual commemorative events. With their help, the reconstructed camp buildings were opened during the 50th-anniversary celebration. The First Flight Airstrip opened during the 60th anniversary and the “First Flight” sculpture, a gift from the people of North Carolina, was dedicated during the 100th anniversary celebration.
Marker is on Wright Brothers National Monument Road, on the right when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
