Two items concerning an aviation contest: a TLS signed "Orville Wright," one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, October 30, 1928, in full: "I am enclosing herewith the release forms from the Dallas Trust and Savings Bank for the Easterwood prize"; and document referenced, signed as chairman of the contest committee, "Orville Wright," one page, 8.5 x 14, October 29, 1928, in part: "W. E. Easterwood, Jr…trusted…a prize in the sum of $25,000.00 to be given to the first aviator making a successful flight from Dallas, Texas, to Hong Kong, China, or vice versa, by airplane within a period of three hundred hours without making more than three stops in said flight, said flight to be made at any time between the first day of August, 1927 and midnight of September 15, 1928." Includes two additional unsigned documents, one explaining the terms of the contest and another for a similar contest in 1930. In overall fine condition.
Following his service in World War I, Colonel William Edward Easterwood adopted Dallas as his hometown and became the city's official greeter—and unofficial 'goodwill ambassador'—using his wealth and charm to turn a spotlight on his city. An aviation enthusiast and member of the NAA himself, he began offering prizes for record flights to or from Dallas: Rome to Dallas, Dallas to Hong Kong, and the first one-stop flight from Paris to New York to Dallas (completed in 1930 by the French Flyers Coste and Bellonte). Unfortunately, only the Paris-Dallas flight was achieved, leaving the other prize money unclaimed. Confirming that "there has been no successful contestant," Orville returns the $25,000 to the Texas spokesman. An interesting set of papers highlighting the adventurous spirit of early American aviation.
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