In the 1920s and 30s, Will Rogers, an Oklahoman and part Cherokee Indian, was an American icon. That era was so different from now that it's difficult to describe his popularity. He was a cowboy humorist, radio commentator, newspaper columnist, author and movie star. He was also a pioneer aviation enthusiast and he routinely hopped rides, paying by the pound, and rode on mail sacks.
In November 1927, Rogers attempted his first trans-continental flight from San Francisco to New York as a reporter and advocate of commercial flying. After stopping at Centre County's Bellefonte airport (a major fueling stop at the time), the fog-shrouded, storm-stricken ridges of the Allegheny Mountains caused the pilot to become disoriented. The twisting and turning caused by the turbulent weather caused Rogers to become quite ill and as he put it "I was throwing up my insides outside the mailbags."
They were forced to land directly south of the Beaver Vocational School building near Beaver Springs. A crowd gathered but no one seemed to recognize him.
"They were all mighty pleasant and nice and wanted to do anything they could to help," claimed Rogers. Otto Wagner, a farmer, offered to transport Rogers to the nearest railroad station.
Rogers wrote his own account of this forced landing in the Saturday Evening Post issue of Jan. 28, 1928, stating that he wanted to return to Beaver Springs sometime, incognito, just to loaf and visit in the country stores, eat cheese and crackers and become acquainted with the "Dutch."
"They are a great people and I like the way they live. I want to stop in there and stay awhile again sometime, when I am feeling better," he wrote
Unfortunately, Rogers never got the opportunity to return to Snyder County. He died in a plane crash near Pt. Barrow, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 1935, when he and Wiley Post were on a journey of goodwill. Thomas Nelson, the pilot who was forced to land in Beaver Springs, also lost his life when he crashed in a ravine in eastern Ohio during a fierce snowstorm.
Airplane tragedy was no stranger to Snyder County. The SCHS Library, 30 E. Market St., Middleburg, has information regarding these unfortunate events available for research in the transportation section of the library.
-- Jane Kessler is a lifetime member of the Snyder County Historical Society. The Snyder County Historical Society is located at 30 E. Market St., Middleburg. The library is available for research 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday; closed holidays and during inclement weather. For more information call 837-6191 or visit schs@snydercounty.org.
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Will Rogers wanted to loaf in Beaver Springs
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