Several generations of people in Fairfield and Bridgeport have grown up with the story of Gustave Whitehead's early flight. Last week, Jane's All About Airplanes' announcement that Whitehead should be credited with having flown in 1901 puts an authoritative stamp on an achievement that up to now has been a matter of local pride, but lacked recognition by most aviation historians.
This is an important story for Fairfield, Bridgeport, and Stratford, as well as for Connecticut and the nation - and an exciting development for all those who have worked over the years to document Whitehead's claim.
The Fairfield Museum is proud to house the William O'Dwyer Gustave Whitehead Research Collection, which contains photographs, newspaper articles, and correspondence about Whitehead's flights compiled by Fairfield resident William O'Dwyer. The museum's research library also holds hard-to-find copies of William O'Dwyer and Stella Randolph's book History By Contract, which presents their in-depth research on Whitehead's flights.
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