Photo: The fairgrounds ‘airport’

This photo, captioned “First plane to land in Durango,” was taken at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in September 1913, less than 10 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight. The flight demonstration was a major draw for that year’s county fair – even though many people doubted the safety of allowing a plane to fly over the city. The plane, a Curtiss Model D biplane, was not flown to Durango; it arrived on the train from Pueblo and was assembled on-site. The Curtiss Pusher, first built in 1911, was the plane’s nickname because the propeller and engine were located behind the pilot’s seat. The Model D was fitted with a wheeled tricycle undercarriage. Read more local history at durangoherald.com/westishistory<br><br>Ed Horvat for The Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org