And the West is History: Nettie Turner at air show – ca. 1919

Annette “Nettie” Turner stands in front of a Curtiss JN-4 biplane at an air show likely near her hometown of Ignacio. Born in 1911, Nettie may have kindled a lifelong interest in flight at this event, later becoming a pilot in her own right. Nettie graduated from Fort Lewis College and the University of Colorado. She taught at schools in La Plata, Towaoc, Ignacio and Durango. She moved to California with her husband in 1940. In 1960, while living in Santa Monica, Calif., she entered the All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race, known as the “Powder Puff Derby.” She co-piloted a Piper Apache aircraft and finished in sixth place out of 85 entrants. She died in California in 1998 at the age of 86. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 13.23.36 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)