DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, as best as I can give it to you. Four months after Charles Augustus Lindbergh pulled off the most famous solo flight in history — crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone — he touched down right here in West Texas. Not for long, mind you.
One hour and thirty-six minutes. But when you're Lucky Lindy, an hour and thirty-six minutes is plenty of time to bring a city to its knees. He'd been flying nearly nine hours out of Santa Fe before Kingsolving Field came into view — the very ground that would one day become the Abilene Zoo.
Thousands of West Texans were waiting for him. Thousands. Now, the Spirit of St.
Louis — that famous Ryan Monoplane — she didn't just park like any other aircraft. She was taxied into a fenced area and ringed by National Guard troops for protection. An escort plane landed later.
The whole operation had the feel of something historic, because it was. Heading up the parade into Abilene were seventy-one mayors. Seventy-one.
Plus what the marker describes only as 'countless officials,' which tells you everything you need to know about how much Abilene wanted a piece of this moment. Lindbergh himself was escorted by Mrs. Mildred Moody, Abilene native and wife of Governor Dan Moody, along with Mayor Thomas Edward Hayden and Chamber of Commerce president Charles William Bacon.
Now here's the detail I love most about this whole affair — somebody had rigged up a throne for the young pilot in an open Nash automobile. A throne. Lindbergh reportedly balked at it.
Just flat-out said no. He rode with Mrs. Moody through town to Federal lawn, and delivered a brief speech over loudspeakers.
What did he say? He praised the terrain. He praised the Texas weather.
He said this state had ideal conditions for developing civil and military aviation. Then he was escorted back to his plane, pointed the Spirit of St. Louis east, and flew two hours and forty-two minutes to his next stop in Fort Worth.
One hour and thirty-six minutes on the ground. And West Texas has never quite let go of it.
What the marker says
Four months after his record-setting trans-Atlantic solo flight, Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974) landed here for one hour and thirty-six minutes during a nationwide publicity tour. Touching down at Kingsolving Field (now the site of Abilene Zoo) after an almost nine-hour flight from Santa Fe, "Lucky Lindy" was given a hero's welcome by thousands of West Texans. His famous Ryan Monoplane, "Spirit of St. Louis," was taxied into a fenced area and surrounded by National Guard Troops for protection. An escort plane landed later. Heading a parade into Abilene were seventy-one mayors and countless officials. Lindbergh was escorted by Mrs. Mildred Moody (1897-1983), wife of Governor Dan Moody and an Abilene native; Mayor Thomas Edward Hayden (1891-1949); and Chamber of Commerce president Charles William Bacon (1871-1947). The young pilot reportedly balked at a "throne" rigged for him in an open Nash automobile, and rode with Mrs. Moody through the town to Federal lawn. Lindbergh delivered a brief speech over loud speakers praising the ideal terrain and weather in Texas for developing civil and military aviation. He was escorted back to this plane and flew two hours and forty-two minutes to his next stop in Fort Worth. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.