Charles Frederick Page
Charles Frederick Page | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 1864 Louisiana, US |
| Died | November 18, 1937 (aged 72–73) |
| Occupation(s) | Timber contractor and inventor |
Charles Frederick Page (c. 1864 - November 18, 1937) was a timber contractor who designed and built a full-scale model of an airship.
Biography
Page was born into slavery in c. 1864,[1] in Rapides Parish or Caddo Parish Louisiana.[2] and he taught himself to read and write.[3]
Airship
Page was described as a deep thinker who both thought about many subjects but also attempted to execute many of his ideas.[4] His daughter stated that he was inspired by a "mosquito hawk" in the 1890s to build his own airship.[3] He designed his airship and filed a patent for it, which was registered as United States patent US817442A dated April 24, 1903.[5]
Page constructed a full-scale model of his design which he shipped to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 for display and as a competition entry, but the airship was stolen in transit and never recovered.[3] This discouraged him and he did not continue to work on his idea.[3] He was granted his patent his airship April 10, 1906[5] just beating the Wright Brothers patent that was granted May 22, 1906.[6] Both had filed patents in 1903 with the Wright Brothers being the first by a few weeks.[5][6] (The Wright Brothers' patent was for the design of the first airplane, whereas Charles Page's patent was for a type of airship. Airships - flying vehicles suspended by balloons - had already been invented long before.)
Career and volunteer work
Page worked as a contractor for the timber industry sourcing timber for specific requirements of other industries including railroad ties, telegraph poles and bridge beams.[3] He also set up a small cabinet making business.[3]
He helped to clear the ground of tree stumps for the Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville, Louisiana, then assisted the superintendent with landscaping.[3] Inspired by this he then worked to setup the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery also in Pineville and where he was buried.[3]
Death and legacy
Page died November 18, 1937, at his home in Alexandria, Louisiana.[4] He had married Ida A. Kelso in 1858 and they had eleven children.[4]
The Smithsonian had an exhibit on Page in the 1990s.[7]
A historical marker in his honor was unveiled in Pineville in 2024, the city where Page lived and made his invention.[8] Two models were also produced for display in the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.[8][9]
In 2024 the Louisiana State Museum hosted a display for Pages "tumultuous and trailblazing aviation journey" at its Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum branch.[10]
References
- ^ "Louisiana figures fly out of aviation history". The Times. 1 August 2020. p. A1. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ Miller, Robin (18 August 2024). "Black inventor Charles Frederick Page created airship in Louisiana before the Wright brothers". The Advocate. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Born a slave, Pineville man built an airship in 1890s". The Town Talk. 25 February 2024. p. A3. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Alexandria Colored Man Got Patent on Airplane". Weekly Town Talk. 4 December 1937. p. 8. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Air-ship patent US817442A". Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ a b Wright, Orville; Wright, Wilbur (22 May 1906). "Flying-machine". Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "The Town Talk Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". thetowntalk.com. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Pineville's airship inventor lands in exhibit at New Orleans airport". The Town Talk. 10 July 2024. p. A1. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "'Pioneer Skies' opens at New Orleans airport". Lincoln Parish Journal. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Pioneer Skies from Freedom to Flight: The Story of Airship Inventor Charles F. Page". louisianastatemuseum.org. Retrieved 18 May 2025.