Lincoln Beachey Flying MachineÂ
by Pat Sides
The man seated in the “flying machine†is Lincoln Beachey, the pioneer aviator who visited Evansville in 1912. The occasion was the second annual aviation show held at the Tri-State Fairgrounds (which was later developed into Akin Park).
Beachey is pictured (left background) as he is being sworn in on June 6 as a mail carrier for the United States Post Office, which afforded local residents the opportunity to have mail delivered by air for the first time.Â
Although not visible in this picture, the fairground had a huge grandstand capable of seating the thousands of spectators who witnessed the death-defying aerial stunts that had transformed Beachey into an international sensation.
