Wednesday, February 20, 2019–doors open at 6:30 p.m., speech at 7 p.m.
WACO Historical Society; Aviation Lecture Series
WACO Air Museum, 1865 South County Road 25A, Troy, Ohio 45373
Politically Incorrect: The Real Story of How Dayton
Lost the Wright Brother’s Bicycle Shop
Nick Engler, author, craftsman, pilot, archaeologist, and founder of the West Milton based Wright Brothers Aeroplane Comapany, will be the February guest speaker at the WACO Aviation Lecture Series. Many people have questioned why the Wright Brother’s original bicycle shop is no longer located in Dayton. On Wednesday evening, February 20th, at 7 pm, Nick will address this issue in a lecture entitled, “Politically Incorrect: The Real Story of How Dayton Lost the Wright Brother’s Bicycle Shop.” Doors will open to the public at 6:30 pm.
In 1934, Henry Ford negotiated the sale of the Wright brothers’ bicycle shop at 1127 West Third Street and their childhood home at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio. He transplanted these buildings, even some of the ground they stood on, to Dearborn, Michigan where they became part of the Edison Institute, later renamed Greenfield Village. This became an integral part of the Henry Ford Museum. Since then, Daytonians have mourned the loss of these historical treasures and wondered why their removal was allowed. Few realize the sale was accomplished with the collusion of Orville Wright, and that it was not an isolated event. It was an important battle in a much bigger war that pitted the Wright family against the most powerful historical authority in the nation. Nick exposes little-known facts about the sale and tells how Orville finally won the war.
Nick has written 53 books including the Workshop Companion series and Woodworking Wisdom. He regularly contributes to several magazines, including Aviation Historian. In 1997, he founded the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company, an educational organization that uses the story of the Wright brothers to inspire young people and interest them in science and technology. From 1999 to 2006, he involved young people in a program of “experimental archaeology” to build and fly all of the Wright brothers’ experimental airplanes to better understand the beginnings of aviation. For this, he has received both state and national awards for innovation in technology education. Currently, he is the webmaster of two educational
websites, www.workshopcompanion.com, which focuses on craftsmanship, and www.wright-brothers.org, which offers a biography of Wilbur and Orville Wright and the history of early aviation. He continues to build replicas and flight simulators of pioneer aircraft for museums all over the world. Nick has also volunteered time to WACO Learning Center’s Aviation Cadet Program and other museum and learning center programs.
All aviation lectures are free and open to the public;donations to WACO Air Museum are gladly accepted. Lectures are held in the Willis Wing of the WACO Air Museum at 1865 South County Road 25A in Troy, OH. Programs are scheduled to last one hour with questions to follow. For questions, please call 937-335-9226 or visit www.wacoairmuseum.org.