Grand Forks Fair in 1910

 

The 1910 Grand Forks Fair brought a series of firsts.  Archibald Hoxsey became the first man to fly an airplane in the state of North Dakota.  The event captured the attention of the entire region.  People who had seen ox carts, steamboats, and railroads, now saw a person fly in the air.  It was almost impossible to comprehend for many people.  The thrill of the moment was captured in the daily newspaper headlines, which featured the daily flights at the fair.  For a new generation, it also brought promise.  One Grand Forks man, Thomas McGoey, watched the flights and likely dreamed about being at the controls.  McGoey and his team were already making the connections to make this dream a reality.  The 1910 Grand Forks Fair changed flying from a far distant dream to a reality for a new generation.  Hoxsey even shocked the locals by taking up a Grand Forks man on one of his flights.  This went even further to cement the idea that flying could reach out and touch anyone.  Archibald Hoxsey was killed later the same year in a crash in California.