Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

Established in 1992, this park is used to commemorate the work of the Wright Brothers and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. Their work in the Miami Valley can be found out on display here. The entire neighborhood where the Wright Brothers had once lived was destroyed completely due to multiple factors like neglectful sanitation, riots, and a highway project. The idea for this museum-type park was created by historian Jerry Sharkey, who studied the Wright Brothers and their history.

The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, were brothers from Dayton, Ohio and are credited as the men who invented the first successful motor-operated airplane. Both brothers were born as two of seven children in total to the parents, Milton and Susan Wright. Wilbur himself was originally born in Indiana moving with the family to Ohio and Orville would be born later in the state. None of the children would have any middle names as the father wanted them to have very distinctive names. The brothers first became interested in making bicycles opening their own shop and developing their own brand. Then, they took an interest in aviation engineering becoming the first inventors ever to develop a motor-operated plane. They called it the Wright Flyer and invented it on December 17, 1903.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a poet born in Dayton and the son of parents who were enslaved in Kentucky. He was a short story writer ever since he was little and he had his first poems published in the Dayton newspaper. Dunbar became the first African-American poet to earn recognition and acceptance in the nation. He would even be featured on his own postage stamp in 1975. His style of writing was very colorful and conversational with a vibrant rhetorical structure.

This park commemorates the works of the Wright Brothers and Dunbar putting them on display. Historian Jerry Sharkey came up with the idea of creating such a park. He set out on a mission to preserve the history of the Wright Brothers and bought their last surviving bike shop for $10 grand. Sharkey also found the Aviation Trail, a group he created in order to help create his national park idea. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed the creation of the park into law after legislation was passed down in Congress. A visitor center would be constructed in 2003 in time for the centennial of the Wright Brothers’ first flight.

“Dayton Aviation Heritage,” National Park Service. Accessed June 17th 2021. https://www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm

“Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park,” National Park Foundation. Accessed June 17th 2021.