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[[preprinted]]
KERN COUNTY MUSEUM
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
3801 Chester Avenue

TRUSTEES
O.R.KAMPRATH, President
R.W.LOUDON, Vice-president
GLENDON J.RODGERS, Secretary
LAWRENCE BANDEROB
J.PERRY BRITE
EMRIE L.HARMAN
O.L.JONES
RALPH F.KREISER
MRS.BOARDLEY A.LOGUE
R.W.LOUDON
A.CLAUDE NEILSON
H.D.WEST
HARRY A.WILKINSON
MISS ELEANOR WILSON

EXECUTIVE BOARD
O.R.KAMPRATH, President
R.W.LOUDON, Vice-President
GLENDON J.RODGERS, Secretary
EMRIE L.HARMAN
RALPH F.KREISER
F.F.LATTA, Director of Museum
RICHARD BAILEY, Assistant Director
[[/preprinted]]

Dear Early Birders:

First I must explain that when I began work on recording the history of aeronautics I expected to confine myself to the San Joaquin Valley of California. I supposed that the complete stories of most of you Early Birds had already been recorded. But as I worked with Frank and Henry Bryant, Joe Cato, Bob Fowler, Fred Parker and others I found that in most instances little more than an outline was recorded, about what would be needed in an obituary.  The actual story of how you became interested in flight, how you built and flew your first glider or plane and, for many of you, your experience as balloon, parachute and dirigible pioneers had not been recorded at all.  In two interviews with Frank Bryant I made more than a hundred pages of notes and had really only begun. He will furnish hundreds of details concerning the early work in all of the above fields, for he began as a hot-air balloon and parachute man, flew the old Beachy and Baldwin dirigible, practiced with a glider for a short time, bought and flew a 1909 Curtiss and then built his own plane. Then he flew exhibitions over the western United States, taught in the Christofferson School on the beach at San Francisco then at Redwood City. When Christofferson was killed Frank took over the school, quitting when World War I surplus planes put all such schools out of business. Frank's history is only typical of dozens of other Early Birds. Frank gave me a list of you Early Birds. I decided to do what I could to record the stories of those of you who would correspond with me. The response has been far beyond anything I had dreamed of. I had expected a return of not more than ten percent. Five percent would have been good. I now have heard from about forty percent of you.
  
Now I am much in the situation of the fellow who had no particular trouble in catching the wild-cat by the tail, but needed help to let go. But I had it coming, I should have anticipated that you Early Birds would be a bunch of live wires: had to be to have taken part in the conquering of the air. Every type of aviator has answered.: Lahm and other Generals, Callan and other Admirals, busy manufacturers, and some who pleased to term themselves general run-of-mill fliers. Roderick Wright, Beckwith Havens, Hugh Robinson, Jack Vilas, Charles Paterson and about one hundred and thirty others answered. Tiny Broadwick wrote me a fine letter. Lee Gregor wrote me from Baldwin Park, California, "Michael Gregor has made that 'last flight'. If I can possibly help you with any information I will be glad to do so." Mrs.La Grone, Mrs. Gustafson, Mrs. Daugherty, Mrs. Stratton, Mrs. Shaffer and several other widows wrote similar letters. One letter read, "Clarence O.Prest passed away July 19th. He had hoped to answer this letter, but was just too sick. Sincerely, Louise Prest." I am sending this letter to all of them. They can furnish much data that otherwise will certainly pass out of existence. If you know the names and addresses of [[underlined]] any [/underlined] widows or close relatives of deceased fliers, send them to me. I will begin work with them.

I am not interested only in California Aviators. I am interested in any work in Aviation anywhere up to 1915 and in some even later, particularly in World War I.

To begin with I want you to do two things; fill out two forms and write some recollections. In line with the first I am enclosing two copies of a genealogical form which I want you to fill out as completely as you can and return to me in