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Nellie Thurston | |
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| Born | Ellen Moss 1846 Troy, New York, US |
| Died | 1932 |
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Ellen Moss (bon 1846, died 1932)[2], better known as Nellie Thurston, was an American balloonist and aeronaut. In 1871, she became the first American woman to complete a solo flight in a balloon. She often flew with fellow aeronaut Herman Squire, whom she eventually married.[3] She was sometimes believed to be Canadian, and occasionally was credited as being the first Canadian woman to fly solo in a balloon.
Early life
editNellie Thurston was born Ellen Moss in 1946, and it is commonly said that she was adopted as a child by her balloonist uncle, Ira Thurston, who taught her how to fly.[1][4] This is disputed however, because of census records showing her living with her parents in 1850 and 1860, and Ira's own death in August, 1858.[4] Another story is that Thurston was taught to fly by American balloonist, John LaMountain, who lived with her family during Thurston's childhood.[5]
She was born in Troy, New York[6], but some sources erroneously report her as being from Lansingburgh.[4] Another common belief is that she was Canadian.[6]
Career
editDuring Thurston's childhood her cousin, balloonist John LaMountain, lived with her family.[5]
Thurston made her first balloon trip on September 1, 1858. She was twelve.
At some point during her career, she adopted the stage name Nellie Thurston.[4]
Throughout her career as a balloonist, Thurston mainly went up at fairs and other public events in the United States and Canada.[1]
She often flew with balloonist Herman Squire until a 1874 balloon crash wherein he was seriously injured. Squire retired from professional ballooning at that point, becoming Thurston's manager.[7]
Thurston sometimes flew with American balloonist Mary Myers, who also lived in New York.[5]
Incidents
editOn one trip in 1871, Thurston became stranded when her balloon became tangled in a tree. Unsure of where she was, she spent the night in the balloon. When she woke early the next morning, she used the canvas from her balloon to try and climb down. She mistook the tops of birch trees for bushes, and jumped to the ground. She was injured in the fall, but managed to walk far enough to find help.[8] In 1874, she was involved in another incident after being stranded in her balloon over an uninhabited area. She had to climb down to the ground via a length of rope, but was badly injured while adjusting the balloon's anchor. As well as being injured, she also lost her balloon.[9]
Personal life and death
editThurston attended the Emma Willard School.[5]
Thurston married balloonist John LaMountain in 1864. Their marriage ended with the couple's divorce[1] in 1866. She married her manager, Herman D. Squire, six years later in 1872.[10] The couple remained married, and they lived in Prospect, New York until Squire's death. Thurston left Prospect to stay with her family in Troy, New York, before moving back to sometime in the 1920s.[5] Thurston died in early January, 1932[5][6] in Prospect, New York and was buried in Gravesville.[6]
Legacy
editThe hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Thurston's original solo flight was commemorated on July 4, 2021, in Poughkeepsie, New York. Local weather at the time did not permit an actual recreation of her flight, but a local pilot and student wore historical garments and inflated the balloon for the event.[10]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c d Muir 2015, p. 22.
- ^ Sparling, Reed. "How a Pioneering Woman Aeronaut Shattered Limits From the Hudson Valley". Scenic Hudson. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ Gordon, Rachel (2022-09-28). ""Venturesome Ladies": Trailblazing Female Fliers". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
- ^ a b c d "Ellen C. Moss Squire (1846-1932)". The Lansingburgh Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ a b c d e f "Great balloonist was Troy native". The Bennington Evening Banner. Bennington, Vermont. 1932-01-09. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b c d Muir 2015, p. 21.
- ^ Muir 2015, pp. 23–24.
- ^ "A Woman's Adventure". Evening star (Washington, D.C.). 1871-09-21. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ Muir 2015, pp. 22–23.
- ^ a b Camera, John (2021-07-06). "Poughkeepsie celebrates anniversary of historic balloon flight". Spectrum News. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
Bibliography
edit- Muir, Elizabeth Gillan (2015). Canadian Women in the Sky: 100 Years of Flight. Toronto, Canada: Dundurn Press. pp. 21–23. ISBN 978-1-4597-3188-2.