From Time to Thyme

By Paula Dunn

Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines

I was trying to come up with a topic for this week when I noticed the two biplanes flying over Noblesville and Cicero during the holiday weekend. They reminded me of an old newspaper article I’d run across a while back and filed away for an appropriate time.

I decided the biplanes were a sign that time had come.

One hundred and nine years ago this week, Noblesville residents — and probably many other Hamilton County people — were eagerly looking forward to June 13, 1914, the day the Noblesville Daily Ledger dubbed “Aeroplane Day,” when a “bird man” would show off his flying skills.

To fully appreciate what a Big Deal this was, you have to understand that, although airplanes had been around for a number of years, they were far from common. Most people in this county had never seen an airplane in person before.

The aerial performances were arranged by the businessmen of Noblesville’s Commercial Club and Henry B. Marks, a well-known and highly respected Chicago promoter. (A Rochester, Indiana, newspaper declared that Marks was “in a class by himself” because “he delivers the goods.”)

That summer Marks made the rounds of several central Indiana cities with his “driver” (they weren’t “pilots” yet,) pioneer aviator Alexander C. Beech. (It’s erroneously spelled “Beach” in some of the contemporary news stories.)

The program called for Beech to make two flights, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. During each 15 to 30-minute performance he would circle the town and execute a few breath-taking stunts.

But, that wasn’t all that was planned for Noblesville. In addition to the June 13th airshow, it was arranged that Marks would put on a huge fireworks display the night of July 5th.

Well, that was the plan anyway.

Two days before the airshow was to take place, Marks returned to Chicago due to the death of his mother. The Ledger announced that the show would be postponed, but I found no evidence Marks returned at any time that year.

Apparently, the fireworks display, scheduled for nearly a month later, was also canceled, although it’s not clear why. Marks had previously made a deal for aerial demonstrations and fireworks at Elwood on July 4th and those went on as planned, so the fireworks show could have taken place here.

Whatever happened, there must not have been bad feelings between Marks and the Commercial Club because Marks did return the following summer, although with a different pioneer aviator, Fred Hoover.

In 1915 the Noblesville merchants expanded the festivities, replacing “Aeroplane Day” with “Pleasure Week.” The week began Monday, July 5, with carnival rides around the courthouse square.

That night at the old fairgrounds, Marks put on the big fireworks show people had missed the previous year. Among the displays were reproductions of Niagara Falls and Old Glory. (“Every star and stripe stands out so beautifully, the effect of it blowing in the breeze is most wonderful . . .”)

Hoover’s performances were saved for the final three days of the celebration.

The thousands of people who piled into Noblesville to see the flying machine on the first day, Thursday, got to see “an unusually pretty flight” that evening. After taking off from a farm two miles east of Noblesville, the plane flew over the city, circled the courthouse, then returned to the farm.

Unfortunately, that was the only really good flight the airplane made. The other five were plagued either by mechanical trouble or “unfavorable” winds.

The week ended Saturday evening with more fireworks at the old fairgrounds. To make up for the airplane’s poor showing, Marks promised to add extra fireworks.

Although Marks’ carnival did well, the airplane demonstrations were a major disappointment, which probably explains why he never returned here.

– Paula Dunn’s From Time to Thyme column appears on Wednesdays in The Times. Contact her at [email protected]