In June 1909, the residents of Dayton celebrated the homecoming of Wilbur and Orville Wright in recognition of their accomplishment of demonstrating to the world the first practical airplane.

It was a grand celebration lasting for two days, June 17-18, 1909. Dayton’s schools and factories closed for the occasion so that people could attend the parades, public reception, fireworks display and awards ceremony.

The city constructed a "Court of Honor," on Main Street consisting of columns adorned with flowers.

This year’s centennial celebration was held on June 2009 at the Heritage Historical Park and nearby Wright-Dunbar Village, located where the Wrights’ lived and worked. Instead of a big parade there were children’s activities, a flyover by a Wright Flyer "B" replica, and talks by parkrangers.

Stephen Wright, an Oakwood resident, great-grandson of the Wright brothers, autographed any materials that people brought with them. It provided a special treat for the day.

Earlier in time, it wasn’t until Wilbur and Orville astonished the French and other Europeans in 1908-1909 with their flying demonstrations that the world, including Dayton, accepted the fact that the Wrights had invented flight. It’s hard to believe that this was five years after the first flight in 1903.

The French had already honored the brothers and their sister with the prestigious Legion of Honor.

It was the Aero Club of America in 1908, of which the Wrights were members that were the first group in this country that decided to recognize the brothers. They decided to present both brothers with handsome medals. It would denote America’s gift of the aeroplane to the world.

The award ceremony was delayed until 1909 because Wilbur was busy flying in Europe and Orville was conducting qualification flights for the Army at Ft. Myer. When it was learned that the Wrights were returning from Europe in May, the Aero Club decided to have the ceremony in June and invite President Taft to present the medals.

When Governor Cox of Ohio heard about the plans he protested to the planners that Dayton had already planned a major celebration in Dayton during June.

President Taft was asked to decide the issue. Taft deferred to the Wrights who were still at sea on their way home. They told the parties involved that they had much work to do getting ready for the upcoming Army trials and would prefer to celebrate in Dayton.

President Taft said he was unable to attend the celebration in Dayton and invited the Wrights to make a short trip to Washington for award of the Gold Medals in the White House. The Wrights accepted the invitation and Dayton picked June 17-18 for their grand celebration. The presentation in Washington would be June 10.

It turned out that it was helpful that the Wrights were in Washington. Orville and Wilbur were able to meet with Brigadier General Allen, Chief Signal Officer of the Army, who would make the decision in the near future whether the Wright Flyer met the Army’s specifications. The Wrights were given a one-month extension to July 28 by Gen. Allen to complete the Army’s speed-test trials.

In the afternoon, President Taft presented the Gold Medals. Alexander Graham Bell was among the 159 guests in attendance in the East Room..

After the proceedings, the Wrights quickly returned to Dayton to get their new Flyer ready for the Army trials and participate in the Dayton celebration on June 17-18.

They weren’t enthusiastic about the celebration; they would rather have been working in their bike shop preparing their Flyer for the return to Ft. Myer.

Wilbur wrote a complaining letter to his friend, Octave Chanute:

"The Dayton celebration has been made the excuse for an elaborate carnival and advertisement of the city under the guise of being an honor to us."

That wasn’t completely true. The idea for a Dayton celebration came from a local social group of which Wilbur was a member, "10 Boys Club."

The city constructed an elaborate Court of Honor along Main Street between Third Street and the Soldier’s Monument. Two statues graced the arches erected at the four corners of Third and main Streets. Grecian-style columns lined Main Street with electric lights and garlands strung between them.

The official program billed the celebration as a "testimonial from the citizens of their home in appreciation and recognition of their success on navigating the air."

The first day of the two-day Celebration began on Thursday at 9 o’clock in the morning when every whistle and bell in Dayton cut loose for ten minutes. Katharine Wright, their sister, Bishop Wright, their father, and Lorin and Reuchlin Wright, their brothers, had already entered carriages when Wilbur and Orville emerged from their home, escorted by the militia troops of regulars and a brass band.

The Wrights were driven to the platform where they were given a pageant representing the events from the founding of Dayton 113 years ago down to the arrival of the Wright brothers.

That night there was a great display of fireworks that included 80-foot-high portraits of Wilbur and Orville entwined with an American flag. Dayton’s schools and businesses closed to allow people to attend.

On Friday, June 18, Dayton schoolchildren, bedecked in red, white and blue, filled the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in the shape of an American flag. Among the children was Ivonette, the Wrights’ young niece, who along with the other children sang "The Star Spangled Banner" followed by the invocation delivered by Milton Wright.

The presentations of medals were next. General James Allen presented the congressional medals, Ohio Governor, Judson Harmon, awarded the Ohio medal. Dayton Mayor, Edward Harmon, awarded a medal complete with a miniature airplane model.

The Wright brothers kept up a polite, upbeat demeanor throughout the festivities even though they would have rather been home working on their airplane.

One reader of the recent celebration noted in the local newspaper about the weekend event to salute Wright brothers homecoming on June 16:

"Let’s go down to the train station where the Wrights met the crowds in 1909 and have a parade to their bicycle shop and their house on Hawthorn Street. Wait, we tore down the train station and sold their shop and home to Henry Ford. The legacy is gone."

Reference: Dayton Daily News