A group of local sight seers and souvenir hunters are gathered around the wreckage of the Pleiades, the gondola used by Dr. Jean Piccard during his flight. The gondola quickly burned after a fire was caused by burning excelsior ignited by the TNT used to blast away his upper cluster of balloons. The flight ended when Dr. Piccard landed near the Mississippi River bluff near Lansing, Iowa on July 18, 1935 approximately seventy-five miles from Rochester. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Two men are posed by a balloon with passenger basket at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds. The event was sponsored by the American Legion as a welfare benefit show.
The Winona & Western Railway depot was located on the south side of College Street (now 4th Street SW) by the Zumbro River. The photo was taken on the west bank of the Zumbro River, looking east. The Chicago Great Western Railroad bought the Winona & Western Railway in 1901. In January of 1903, the depot was cut in two and moved across the river.
The Winona and Southwestern Railway train is pictured moving over a trestle bridge on it's way from Spring Valley to Winona. In 1890, tracks were laid from Winona through St. Charles, Dover, Eyota, Simpson and Stewartville to Spring Valley and Osage. The railroad became the Winona & Western in 1894. A spur was built in 1900 from Simpson to Rochester. In 1901, the Winona & Western line was sold to the Chicago Great Western Railroad.
Luggage is piled on the roof of the first bus to regularly travel between Rochester and the Twin Cities. The bus line was operated by Leon Van Tassel and later became the Rochester Bus Line.
This is an original plat of Olmsted County with many handwritten notes and drawings showing early Minnesota settlers, farmers and other town landscape features. This map is the earliest documentation we have found in our collection of the farms, towns, and topography of Olmsted County, Minnesota.
A group of spectators at the entrance to the Zumbro Hotel watch four men in a car at the curb. A jug, spare tire and sign reading ""New York to Rochester"" hang on the side of the car.
Men are paving Zumbro Street (Second Street SW) with wooden blocks at the intersection with Main Street (First Avenue SW). Buildings visible in this scene are the Y.M.C.A., Universalist Church, Masonic Temple, Zumbro Hotel, Odd Fellows Building and the Scott and Everstine Store. The second person from the right in the foreground, facing the horses, is John Jensen.
Instructions for groups and individuals assisting with ground crew and balloon inflation for the Dr. Jean Piccard balloon ascension in 1937 are described I this four page document. Details of balloon construction and inflation procedures are given in addition to the order of operations and signals. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dick Ryan, Jack McHugh, Ed Hicks and Chief Boyhart are posed by the 1912 American LaFrance motorized pumper in front of the Central Fire Station. This was the first piece of motorized fire fighting equipment owned by the Rochester Fire Department.
Seventeen year old John Piccard, eldest son of Dr. Jean Piccard, is fastening toggles to the loading ring of his fathers gondola, Pleiades, prior to Dr. Jean Piccard's historic flight. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dr. Jean Piccard's family is working on the gondola, Pleiades, before his balloon flight from Rochester, Minnesota. Left to right, Professor Jean Piccard, thirteen year old Paul, Dr. Jeannette Picard (his wife), seventeen year old John and eleven year old Donald. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Assistants are inflating individual balloons with hydrogen at Soldier's Field in Rochester, MN prior to Dr. Jean's Piccard's experimental balloon ascension. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Ticket number 1008 admitted one person to Soldiers Field in Rochester, Minnesota to view the preparations and balloon flight of Dr. Jean Piccard. Originally scheduled for sometime in June, the flight was delayed until July 17 - 18, 1937 when optimum weather conditions permitted a safe flight. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Cluster balloons have been inflated and are attached to the gondola, the Pleiades, just prior to take off from Soldier's Field in Rochester, MN. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Inflated balloons are being walked in from the edges of the field toward the gondola to be joined into clusters just prior to Dr. Piccard's take off. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Assistants are holding individual inflated balloons at Soldiers Field while waiting for the signal to move towards the center and join the balloons into clusters for Dr. Jean Piccard's balloon ascension in the early hours of July 18, 1937.
A car is driving across the concrete bridge (built in 1918) at Oronoco. Several men appear to be fishing in the river under the bridge. The photo is taken from below the site of the present dam, looking west. The dam gave way in 1924 and there was no lake for the next 13 years. The present dam was built in 1937 by the W.P.A. and federal government funding.
The banks of the Zumbro River are spanned by a bridge at Oronoco. This bridge, built about 1876, was the second bridge at this location and was later replaced by a concrete bridge in 1918.
Mr. and Mrs. Mort Madden are posed in front of their farm house where they hosted Dr. Jean Piccard after his flight ended on July 18, 1935. Dr. Piccard landed in a tree near the river bluff on their property and walked to their house. Mrs. Madden cooked breakfast for Dr. Piccard before he was driven into Lasing, Iowa by Mr. Madden's brother-in-law, Joe Manton. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
This lithograph of the Rochester map drawn by P.P. Condit, Civil Engineer and Surveyor, shows the platted sections of the city with blocks, lots and streets and some business ads. The businesses listed are: John W, Remine, Attorney at Law; Stevens House, J. Fleck, Proprietor; F. A. Soule, Attorney at Law; Rochester Free Press, F. A. Soule, Editor; American House, C. C. Cole, Proprietor; Eleazer Damon, Watchmaker and Jeweler; G. C. Sherman, Boots and Shoes; Fay and Leonard, Attorneys and Insurance Agents; Reynolds and Woodword, Drugs and Medicines; I. M. Terrill, Ornamental Painter; La Dui and Leet, Merchant Tailors and C. C. Willson, Attorney and Counselor at Law.
Professor Jean Piccard is posed by the gondola or basket he would ride in during his historic balloon ascension on July 18, 1935. In the background of this photo taken in Soldiers Field is the Rochester Dairy. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dr. Jean Piccard is posed by a Lincoln-Zephyr automobile. This photo was later used in an advertisement for Motor Sales & Service Company that appeared in the Rochester Post-Bulletin newspaper on July 19, 1937. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight from Soldiers Field in Rochester, Minnesota was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dr. Jean Piccard is installing a radio in the Pleiades prior to his historic balloon flight. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.