Another Clark Dyer Flying Machine article found



1885 Newspaper sheds light on Micajah Clark Dyer

Last month, Ken Akins, great-great-great grandson of Micajah Clark Dyer, discovered a hitherto unknown article in the Athens Banner-Watchman newspaper archives, dated April 28, 1885, about Clark's flying machine. The article is in the weekly edition, No. XLIV, Vol. XXXI, and it confirms what we have always heard through word-of-mouth stories handed down through generations that Clark had the knowledge for building a more advanced flying machine than the one described in his 1874 patent, but that he did not have the finances to complete the work.

       One has to wonder what more he added to his design in the 11 years between the patent in 1874 and this article about his search for finances in 1885. Most likely he added propeller(s) because we know about his drawings on the flyleaf of the family Bible. Also, he said in his patent that the plane could be powered by steam or “other motive power,” so details of how he planned to do this may come to light eventually.

       Clark would have been nearly 63 years old at the time of this 1885 article, and he lived another six years afterward. Hopefully, we will continue to learn more about what the status of his design was at the time of his death as further documents are uncovered.

       His neighbor, John Rich, who wrote the letter to the editor, makes some interesting comments about Clark: "Mr. Dyer has worked thirty years on his machine. He is not crazed, but is in dead earnest, and confidently believes that he has solved the problem of aerial navigation. He is not a crank nor a fanatic, but is a good, quiet citizen and a successful farmer."

       Here's hoping an article will be uncovered soon that reports the testimony of the people who observed his flights in the 1880s, because we have word-of-mouth stories from at least three witnesses, handed down through the years, who say they saw him fly his machine over his farm in Union County. Perhaps also documentation will be discovered of where his original patent and aircraft went. Lack of newspapers and cameras in the area during that period have made documenting this remarkable piece of history difficult with the passage of time.

Recording of the Clark Dyer Song

On October 27, 2011, Johnny Carter, owner of the National Recording Corporation of Rome, Georgia, invited Sylvia Dyer Turnage, to the NRC studio to record the song she had written about the invention of an airplane by their great, great grand-father, Micajah Clark Dyer. Sylvia wrote the words and music in 1994, but this is the first recording of the song.

The ballad recounts the full story of Clark’s dream of flying, his neighbor’s reaction to this wild idea, his labors in getting the aircraft built with primi-tive tools, and his ultimate success in piloting his craft off Rattlesnake Mountain in the rugged terrain of North Georgia in the 1880s.

Following the recording session, Johnny produced a CD and designed the case cover pictured here. It is available for purchase for $10 and the proceeds from sales will be used to further efforts in acquainting the public with the historical importance of Clark’s invention at this early date in history.

Orders can be placed by sending a check payable to the Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation to the address shown above. Please include information as to where the CD is to be mailed.

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Portrait of Clark Dyer by Local Artist Doris Durbin

Artist Doris Durbin of Blairsville, Georgia, painted the above portrait of Clark Dyer, working from an old image believed to be Clark and his wife, Morena, which was apparently taken in the 1880s and discovered about a year ago in the possession of one of Clark’s great, great granddaughters.

The Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation is placing a copy of Ms. Durbin’s painting in the Union County Public Library in Blairsville alongside copies of drawings of Clark’s “flying machine” presently displayed in the Heritage section of the library. The drawings are from Clark’s U.S. Patent No. 154,654 granted September 1, 1874, for his Apparatus for Navigating the Air, which he built and flew in Union County in the 1880s, giving him the distinction of being Georgia’s earliest aviator.

A copy of the painting will also be placed in the Union County Historical Society’s Museum to become a part of the Micajah Clark Dyer Exhibit already on display in the Museum. The Museum is located in the Old Union County Courthouse on the square in Blairsville.

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Official gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 6

 By United States Patent Office

Increased digital technology and website improvements have uncovered another discovery in the story of Micajah Clark Dyer. A descendant of MCD sent the foundation the following link, a publication called the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office. It is simply an annual publication with a synopsis of each patent filed that year.

On page 315 is Clark Dyer's patent:
Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 6 [Google Books]

The online version can be downloaded as a PDF and saved to your computer for viewing offline. Both the internet browser and Adobe PDF controls will allow you to zoom in on page 315 for better viewing.

The Gazette reports that Clark filed his patent on June 10, 1874. Of particular interest to the developing story of Clark's invention, the description listed in the Gazette gives expanded details about how the parts of the apparatus fit together to operate.

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Book "Georgia's Pioneer Aviator, Micajah Clark Dyer " by Sylvia Dyer Turnage

Sylvia Dyer Turnage has donated copies of her new book Georgia's Pioneer Aviator, Micajah Clark Dyer to the Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation. Proceeds from sales go to raise funds for Foundation projects.

You can preview and order a copy of the book at the following link: http://www.yourbook.com/BookInfo/IP32675-09.asp

A review of the book by historian Ethelene Dyer Jones (published in the Union Sentinel on March 16, 2010) can be read at this link: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gaunion/mm031110.htm

The book is very informative about Clark Dyer and his inventions.


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Family Dedicates Memorial to Clark Dyer

Family members gather around the Micajah Clark Dyer memorial with Bob Barton of WNC Marble & Granite Works who made the monument from granite manufactured by Eagle Granite Co. of Elberton, Ga.

A monument memorializing Clark Dyer’s invention and flight was dedicated at a special program held in the Choestoe Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on July 17, 2010. The program featured a pictorial and oral presentation of the life and accomplishments of Clark Dyer to a gathering of many descendents, some of whom heard this important historical account for the first time.


Andrew Turnage, President of the Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation, discussed the important features of Clark’s craft, which clearly distinguished it from the designs of other flying machine designs in the mid and late 1800s.

Following the program, some of the family members caravanned to the Old Choestoe Church Cemetery where Clark and his wife were interred in 1891 and 1892, respectively, to view the newly erected monument which features two drawings from Clark’s patent and incorporates the original, hand-carved tombstones of Clark and his wife.

Plans are being developed by the Foundation for other monuments to be erected in the future to honor Clark as an inventor who places well ahead of others in his design of a navigable airship. Also, efforts continue to get Clark inducted into the Georgia Museum of Aviation’s Hall of Fame and to build a replica of his aircraft.

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Georgia Focus to air story of Clark Dyer’s flight

John Clark of Georgia News Network with Micajah Clark Dyer’s great-great-granddaughter, Sylvia Dyer Turnage, and her son, Andrew Turnage at the Georgia Focus interview.

“Georgia Focus” a weekly, 28-minute talk show program featuring conversations about matters of statewide importance will air an interview with Sylvia Dyer Turnage and Andrew Turnage conducted by John Clark about the importance of Micajah Clark Dyer to Georgia history on July 10th and 11th . The program will be carried on 98 radio stations that comprise the Georgia News Network.






   Find your GNN affiliate and local air time for Georgia Focus (Adobe PDF file).

OR

   Download the Georgia Focus broadcast (10.42MB MP3 large file) used with permission from Georgia News Network.

Mr. Clark found the facts about the invention to be interesting and surprising, not having previously heard the account of the events that occurred in the remote North Georgia mountains in the 1870s which validate the occurrence of manned flight in the U.S. more than a quarter of a century earlier than the widely accepted date.

Upon hearing that efforts were being made to get Dyer inducted into the Georgia Museum of Aviation Hall of Fame, Clark said, “I believe he deserves a place in the museum, and I hope the effort will be successful.”


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Micajah Clark Dyer Monument In Place

The monument memorializing Clark Dyer’s invention and flight is now in place and ready for a family dedication ceremony that will take place in connection with the Dyer-Souther Family Reunion on Saturday, July 17th. A special program will be held in the Fellowship Hall at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by a walk (or drive) to the cemetery for a dedication.

A formal, community-wide dedication open to the public is planned for later in the fall.

As usual, the Dyer-Souther Reunion will be held at Choestoe Baptist Church Family Life Center on State Highway 180 East (the Micajah Clark Dyer Parkway), Blairsville, Ga.

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Monument Delivered

 June 15th was an exciting day as a boom-truck rolled up beside the Old Choestoe Baptist Church Cemetery and offloaded an eagerly awaited hunk of marble. It was the arrival of the new monument for Georgia’s pioneer aviation inventor, Micajah Clark Dyer.


We are happy to say that the W.N.C. Marble & Granite Co. did a superb job of engraving the memorial and embedding the original gravestones of Clark and his wife, Morena, in the marble slab. The long overdue monument is a fitting tribute to the 1874 Union County inventor of an apparatus for navigating the air.

Dedication of the monument is planned for July 17th during the Dyer-Souther Family Reunion, which is held annually at Choestoe Baptist Church on State Highway 180 East (the Micajah Clark Dyer Parkway), Blairsville, Ga. Everyone is cordially invited to attend the dedication ceremony.

The first installment payment has been made on the monument and the next one is due on July 1st. If you wish to contribute toward the next payment, you may send your donation to the Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation, 805 Low Gap Rd., Blairsville, Ga. 30512. Since the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions are tax-deductible and a receipt will be sent to you promptly.

If you make a contribution by July 10th, your name will be placed on the dedication program as a donor. The program folder will be an attractive historic document that your family can treasure in the years to come.




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Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation Receives Donation from Descendant

Kenneth Dyer presents a check for $1,000 to Sylvia Dyer Turnage for the Micajah Clark Dyer gravesite project

The Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation received a generous gift from Kenneth Dyer of Dahlonega. Ken made the gift to assist in restoration of the gravesite and placement of a memorial headstone at the Old Choestoe Church Cemetery to honor Georgia’s pioneer aviator, Micajah Clark Dyer.

Installation of a slab over Clark’s and wife Morena’s graves has already been completed and design of the memorial stone is presently underway. Engraving on the stone will honor Dyer for his invention of an aircraft in the 1800s, which incorporated flight controls not previously known in aviation. The original headstones of Clark and Morena will be inset in the new stone; the total project is expected to be completed within the next ninety days.

Sylvia Dyer Turnage, treasurer of the foundation, said, “The Foundation has received approval from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization for the purpose of further educating the public about Micajah Clark Dyer’s important historical invention. This status allows donors to take an income tax deduction for their gifts.” She said the names of all donors to this project will be included in the program for the dedication ceremony planned for early next summer.

Kenneth Dyer, a great great grandson of Micajah Clark Dyer, said, “I am so pleased to see the work started on this project, and I am glad to take part in helping to get it accomplished. It will help bring attention to a man whose achievement in aeronautics is very deserving of recognition.”

Read the story in the Union Sentinel

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Micajah Clark Dyer Memorial and Gravesite Restoration Announced

At the Dyer-Souther Reunion held on July 18, 2009, Andrew Turnage gave an update on activities being planned to honor his great-great-great-grandfather, Micajah Clark Dyer. He stated that a non-profit corporation has been formed to further the goals of educating the public about Clark Dyer’s achievements. He provided contact information for the new corporation:

Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation, Inc.
6737 Low Gap Rd.
Blairsville, GA 30512
MicajahClarkDyerFoundation (at) gmail.com

Andrew gave an interesting summary of some unusual facts about Clark’s 1874 patent for his flying machine. At the U.S. Patent Office, his patent is in Class 244, for “Aeronautics and Astronautics,” and Subclass 28, for “Airships with Beating Wings Sustained.” From 1790 to present, only fifty patents have been granted in Class 244/28, including one for a solar-powered hovering surveillance craft by security giant Rockwell in 2002. Clark’s Georgia patent is the second-oldest.

The most notable component of Clark’s patent is that it lays claim to controlling flight. Up to that point, mainstream flight was by steam balloons and fixed wing gliders. Balloons were at the mercy of the wind. Gliders flew only a few feet with the aid of ramps. Clark’s invention was transitional. It married the two concepts, balloon and wings, together decades before “zephyrs” appeared overseas. It also incorporated the means to control sustained flight.

The reunion group was informed that work has begun on restoring Clark Dyer’s gravesite. The operations will include leveling the cemetery plots where Clark and his wife, Morena, are buried in the old Choestoe Church Cemetery; encasing the original, now deteriorated markers within a wall for future protection from the elements; and engraving a memorial on the wall to honor Clark as the inventor of Georgia’s first airplane.

A search is underway to find the best place for a permanent museum or exhibition site for Clark’s patent and information. He also said that plans are being made to place exhibits in the local libraries and schools.

An invitation was given for everyone interested in helping with the projects and getting information about future developments to let the Micajah Clark Dyer Foundation know of their interest.


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2009 Dyer-Souther Reunion - Saturday, July 18

By Ethelene Dyer Jones

This year's reunion will be a time to re-connect with family members near and far, to share some great food and fellowship, to honor those recently deceased from among us and welcome new additions to the family. We will also have the opportunity to learn a little about our many forebears from the time of the Revolution, as well as what is known of their service to the cause.

Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. The meal will begin as close to noon as possible, and we will have a brief business meeting, memorials/recognitions and a short program starting about 1:00 p.m.

The location is the Choestoe Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.
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Clark Dyer’s Grandson Who Never Told a Lie

-by Sylvia Dyer Turnage

An article published in the April 23, 2009 issue of the Union Sentinel by writer and historian Ethelene Dyer Jones tells about the life of John Andrew Wimpey (1887–1980). Johnny Wimpey was the grandson of Micajah Clark Dyer (1822–1891), who invented a flying machine in the North Georgia mountains during the mid-1800s.

Mrs. Jones’ article says, “One of John Andrew Wimpey’s favorite stories to tell was about seeing his grandfather’s flying machine invention. For any who doubted that a plane had been made at Choestoe years before the Wright Brothers’ flight in Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903, they referred to Johnny Wimpey’s story, and reasoned, ‘It must have been true: Johnny Wimpey never tells a lie.’”


The reason for some skepticism about whether or not Clark Dyer actually invented an airplane in the late 1800s was that the modern standard of documentation, typically photographs and records, couldn't be produced by the family. No one knew what happened to the patent or the flying machine after Clark’s death. The family had searched for Clark’s alleged patent in every place they knew to look – the National Archives, Library of Congress, Dun and Bradstreet records, but didn’t succeed in finding a trace.

Then, in late 2004, a great-great-great-grandson, Joey Dyer, was searching the Internet when he managed to locate Clark’s patent in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. What a discovery! The family was elated to finally see Patent No. 154,654 that was issued to Clark on September 1, 1874 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The sophisticated drawings and detailed specifications of the flying machine he had included in his patent application were most remarkable. The aeronautical principles Clark had addressed were ahead of those that others trying to invent a flying machine had yet envisioned at that time. He included many innovative features: a power source, a rudder for steering, paddle wheels for acceleration and deceleration, jointed moving wings to increase or decrease altitude, and a wedge-shaped hull with inclined prow to reduce wind resistance.

In the year following discovery of his patent, two 1875 newspaper articles were discovered that reported Clark’s invention: the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, dated July 16, 1875, and The Eagle (Gainesville, Georgia), dated July 31, 1875. A comment in The Eagle article reveals the length of time Clark had been working on his invention and the depth of his conviction in his ability to get his craft airborne.
The article says:

Mr. Dyer has been studying the subject of air navigation for thirty years…he himself has the most unshaken faith in its success, and is ready, as soon as the machine can be constructed, to board the ship and commit himself to the wind.

Finally, in July 2006 public recognition was given to Clark’s invention by erection of three highway signs declaring State Highway 180, from its junction with U.S. Highway 19/129 to the Brasstown Bald Mountain Spur, the “Micajah Clark Dyer Parkway.” Other recognitions followed: Proclamation of “Micajah Clark Dyer Day in Union County on Sept. 1, 2006; first class U.S. postage stamp picturing Clark’s flying machine Oct. 28, 2006; nomination for Clark’s induction into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame Oct. 30, 2006; framed copy of the stamp displayed in Union County Courthouse Jan. 15, 2007; permanent display of Clark’s patent, model of his plane, and a book containing the illustrated story of his invention in the Union County Historical Museum in January 2008; and a playing card featuring a drawing from the patent included in the deck produced by Union County Historical Society Dec. 10, 2008. Also, the story of Clark Dyer’s flying machine has been carried by numerous newspapers, radio and television stations, and live presentations have been made to many different groups throughout the past several years.

Realizing that much remains to be done before the state and nation become aware of this important piece of history, a Steering Committee was established in September 2008 to work on several projects, such as restoration of Clark’s gravesite, locating someone to reproduce the flying machine and planning construction of a museum for displaying the replica.

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UC Playing Cards Feature Clark Dyer's Patent

The Union County Historical Society has produced a deck of playing cards featuring interesting images and pictures from Union County's history on the fifty-six face-sides, with the Old Historical Courthouse pictured on the back of each card.

The King of Clubs in the deck features the front view image from Micajah Clark Dyer’s U. S. Patent for his flying machine granted in 1874. The family of Wilonell and Ervin Dyer, descendents of the pioneer inventor aviator, were the sponsors of this card. Other cards in the deck feature several of Clark Dyer's descendents.

The Union County Historical Society is selling the deck of cards for $10.00 each as a fund-raising effort. The deck is a fun way to learn more about Union County’s history, which includes Clark's story.


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“Legend of Clark Dyer’s Remarkable Flying Machine” displayed at reunion

Standing: Dr. Joseph B. Turner, Charles H. Souther, and Rev. Keith Jones.
Seated: Dr. Eva Nell Wike, Ethelene D. Jones, Dr. Thomas N. Lumsden, and Sylvia D. Turnage

The 2008 annual Dyer-Souther Heritage Association Reunion, held July 19, 2008 at the Choestoe Baptist Church in Blairsville, Georgia, featured a display of books written by family members. Pictured above are family authors who were present at the reunion.

One of the books on display was The Legend of Clark Dyer’s Remarkable Flying Machine, written by Sylvia Dyer Turnage and published in 1994. This book tells the story of Clark’s invention as it was known up to that time. The book included everything the family knew about the invention and what they had heard about its outcome. By the time she finished the book, she said, “I had reconciled myself to the sad reality that my family and I would never have any documentary proof that my great-great-grandfather built and flew an airplane here in the North Georgia mountains almost 30 years before the Wright brothers flew theirs.”

Then, in late 2004, a great-great-great-grandson, Joey Dyer, was searching the internet when he managed to locate Clark’s patent in the U.S. Patent & Copyright Office. What a discovery!

The family was elated to finally see the patent, No. 154,654, which was issued to Clark on September 1, 1874, by the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The sophisticated drawings and detailed specifications of the flying machine that Clark had included in his patent application were most remarkable. The aeronautical principles he had addressed were way ahead of anything that others trying to invent a flying machine had yet envisioned. He included many innovative features: a power source, a rudder for steering, paddle wheels for acceleration and deceleration, jointed moving wings to increase or decrease altitude, and a wedge-shaped hull with inclined prow to reduce wind resistance.

In the year following discovery of his patent, two 1875 newspaper articles were discovered that reported Clark’s invention: the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, dated July 16, 1875, and The Eagle (Gainesville, Georgia), dated July 31, 1875. A comment in The Eagle article reveals the length of time Clark had been working on his invention and the depth of his conviction in his ability to get his craft airborne. The article says:

Mr. Dyer has been studying the subject of air navigation for thirty years…he himself has the most unshaken faith in [the machine’s] success, and is ready, as soon as the machine can be constructed, to board the ship and commit himself to the wind.

Very belatedly, recognition was given to Clark’s invention by erection of three highway signs in 2006 declaring State Highway 180 from the junction of U.S. Highway 19/129 to Brasstown Bald Mountain Spur the “Micajah Clark Dyer Parkway.” Now everyone who drives along this popular road gets the opportunity to recognize a pioneer aviator who had to wait 132 years for “his day” to come.

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Dyer-Souther Reunion - July 19 at Choestoe Baptist Church

The 2008 annual Dyer-Souther Heritage Association Reunion will be held Saturday, July 19, 2008 at the Choestoe Baptist Church, Family Life Center, 4455 Choestoe Church Rd., Blairsville, Georgia. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m.

The Reunion honors the memory of early settlers to the Choestoe District of Union County--John Souther and Mary "Polly" Combs Souther and Elisha Dyer, Jr. and Elizabeth Clark Dyer--their descendents and related families. The Reunion draws about 200 people each year and is a highlight in sharing genealogical information and getting acquainted. A Memorial Service honors relatives who have passed away since the last Reunion.

You are invited to attend and participate. Bring a covered dish to share at the noon meal.

(Information furnished by Ethelene Dyer Jones, Historian of the Dyer-Souther Association)

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Historical Society Museum Presented Timeline Book

Pictured above: Historical Society President Sam Ensley accepts book from great, great grand-daughter Sylvia Dyer Turnage, as Board Member Betty Jane Shuler looks on.



The Union County Historical Society has had on display for some time in the Old Courthouse Museum a copy of the 1874 patent granted to Union County’s pioneer aviator, Micajah Clark Dyer. There is also an artist’s sketch and a model of his plane, along with several pictures for visitors to see. But, if you have not heard the story of this man’s remarkable design, construction and flight of an airplane, which occurred more than a quarter of a century before the Wright brothers, you might not realize the significance of what he did without some further explanation.

Sylvia Dyer Turnage, great, great granddaughter of Clark Dyer, has filled that void. She donated a book for placement in the museum that contains the story of the invention, along with dozens of pictures and illustrations of the man, the place and the times that will inform those who do not know about this historic event.

It is an important piece of Union County history that was nearly lost before Clark Dyer’s 1874 patent was finally found about two years ago in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office by his great-great-great-grandson, Joey Dyer. Up to that time, there was only family legend about the invention because the patent and the airplane were sold after his death to someone in Gainesville or Atlanta; and descendents were later unable to trace the sale. After discovering the patent in the Trademark Office, the family renewed their search for information, which resulted in their locating two 1875 newspaper articles that reported the invention.

If you don’t know about this part of Union County’s history, come by the museum and learn the facts.

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Old Unicoi Trail DAR Hears Lost Piece of History

At the September 8, 2007, meeting of the Old Unicoi Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Hiawassee, Georgia, a piece of history that has never made it to the history books was related. It was the account of Micajah Clark Dyer’s invention, construction and flight of an “Apparatus for Navigating the Air” long before anyone else succeeded in getting a guided craft airborne.

Micajah Clark Dyer, a poor mountain farmer with limited formal education and access to only primitive tools, invented his flying machine in the Choestoe District of Union County, Georgia. The story of his invention was handed down orally to each generation of the family, and the first written account of it was by Dr. Watson B. Dyer in the Dyer Family History, privately published in 1967 and 1980. He reported interviews with people who were eye witnesses to several flights by Clark Dyer in his plane, as well as dozens of others who had been told the story by their parents and grandparents.

Clark Dyer secured a patent for his flying machine on September 1, 1874, but following his death in 1891, the patent and plane were reportedly sold by his widow to some Redwine brothers from Gainesville, Georgia. Later, the family’s attempts to locate the patent and plane proved futile. Finally, in 2004, Clark’s patent was discovered by one of the young descendents doing a Google search. Then, in the following year, two 1875 newspaper articles were discovered that reported the invention, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat on July 16, 1875, and The Eagle (Gainesville, Georgia) on July 31, 1875.

While Clark still has not been included in history books, he has received some noteworthy recognition, namely, State Hwy. 180 was named the “Micajah Clark Dyer Parkway” in July 2006; “Micajah Clark Dyer Day in Union County” was proclaimed on September 1, 2006 (the 132nd anniversary of the granting of the patent); a first class U.S. postage stamp was printed October 28, 2006, showing Clark’s flying machine; he was nominated for induction into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in October 2006; Union County Commissioner framed and hung a display of the U.S. stamp in the courthouse in January 2007.

Some comments by DAR members after the meeting: “I was very interested in the program today and surprised that I have never heard the story.” “Dyer was certainly a visionary and if he had gotten started when he was young, he might have just beat the Wright brothers out.” “He seemed to know about updrafts and how gliders work.” “I am glad to know about Dyer’s flying machine. I know my kids will find it interesting, too.” “We need a display for Dyer in the State Archives Building.”


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