It's a Bird, No it's an Airplane!

The first wing walker to perform daring stunts was 26 year old Ormer Locklear. Legend has it that he first climbed out onto the lower wings during his pilot training in the Army Air Service during World War I. Undaunted, Ormerjust climbed out of the cockpit onto the wings in flight whenever there was a mechanical issue and fixed the problem. On November 8, 1918, Locklear wowed the crowd at Barron Field, Texas with his dare devil wing walking stunts. Wing walking was seen as an extreme form of barnstorming, and wing walkers would constantly take up the challenge of outdoing one another. They themselves admitted (or rather proclaimed proudly) that the point of their trade was to make money on the audience's prospect of possibly watching someone die. Source:Wikipedia

August 1, 1919: Well we got up in the morning quite early. Weather not looking bad. It cleared off so at eight we started for Galena. Josie, Ruby & I put the car in Edgerton’s Garage. An awful crowd at the depot and the train was crowded. Had to stand. We had to walk away to get to the boat landing. Our first boat ride. My it was swell. The boat had four decks and lots of dancing. It was ten or after when the boat started. It was one oclock when we got to Dubuque and five when we got to Cassville. The boat started again at twenty-five to six. We walked up and down the main street of Cassville. Got back to the landing and started on the train by ten oclock. Eleven when we got to Galena. Hurried to the garage to get car and was charge seventy-five cents for storing the car. I asked last Tuesday and he said fifty cents. I got mad at the old fellow. Got home quarter to twelve. Dad and Ma was quite worried. Some folks didn’t go that we thought might go. Bernetta & Thelma were on.

Saturday we were quite bummy today. Ma & I picked blackberries in the forenoon. That evening we all went to town. Sunday we got nearly ready to go to church. Then It came to rain. Uncle Edd & Aunt Annie came down to dinner. Ruby & I went down to Weis’. Took Josephine’s veil that she left in the car. Monday Ruby & I picked a gallon and half blackberries. Ma made jelly out of them.

Tuesday we washed today. I also washed and ironed our Georgette waists. Wednesday saw the first airplane go over in the evening about a quarter after eight. Ruby and I were out on the lawn when we heard a noise. Thought it an automobile. Ruby went in the house. I looked up and down the road. Didn’t see anything. The noise seemed to come from over towards Studier’s. Then I looked up in the air and behold I saw a airplane. It was quite high. My, one glance and knocked on the window for Mother and Ruby. Then watched it a while. Telephoned Aunt Annie, then rang the bell for Dad. He was up in the corn field. It went nearly straight west then turned northward. Watched until it went down over the horizon. Causes some little excitement in the neighborhood. We ironed and also picked berries and put them up. Baked bread, cake and tarts and pie. If its nice tomorrow we expect to go to the Schapville picnic or the Soldiers’ doings. We asked Helen to go along.

Thursday, August 7, 1919: A lovly day. We started at a quarter to one for the picnic. Helen went along. A very large crowd there. Mostly relatives. Had our supper along. Started for home about a quarter to eight. Came home thro Schapville. Stopped at the cemetery to see Uncle Herman’s monument. A good many folks out there from around here.