Hello, Governor
(Friday, October 9th, 1925)

This post is dedicated to the memory of Nancy Zorena. It was she who first shared this Monroe history with me so many years ago, and inspired my extended research for today’s post. Thank you, Nancy. Now, it’s my turn to share it with all of you. Buckle in. We’re headed for a rough landing.

Welcome back, Monroe history lovers. This week’s history takes us to the East Village District, to a former stretch of pastureland on Bagburn Hill. Not the road, but the actual hill! As you will see in our first supporting image, the precise location is between Monroe Turnpike and Old Zoar Road. Today, this is the site of High Meadows Senior Housing at 1241 Monroe Turnpike.

The 1920s were a progressive time in America. It wasn’t called the Roaring Twenties for nothing. From jazz music to rising hemlines, America was changing, and fast. One very popular public interest was aviation. Barnstormers were buying up surplus WWI training aircraft and dropping into small towns across America to offer the locals an opportunity to take to the skies in an airplane. Many had never seen an airplane up close, and the opportunity was often too tempting to pass up. One local Connecticut Barnstormer named Clifford Payton visited Monroe Center on occasion.

From 1925 through 1931, Connecticut’s 70th governor was John Harper Trumbull (1873–1961). He was such an ardent supporter of military and civil aviation in our state that during his term he was referred to as the Flying Governor, and was the first governor in the nation to qualify for a pilot’s license and make his first solo flight. Upon entering office, an airstrip was constructed on is property in Plainville and a surplus WWI Curtiss JN-4 biplane was customized for his government use. Members of the Connecticut National Guard air service at Brainard Field in Hartford upgraded the plane with a powerful engine, increasing its horsepower from 90 to 150. Such an improvement would make his official government travel very efficient.

News of the governor’s love of flying and the delivery of his new official airplane were headline news in 1925, and he was soon extended an invitation from the Danbury Boosters Club to fly his new airplane to Danbury to enjoy a fine dinner with the club at the Hotel Green. Afterward, he would visit the Great Danbury Fair for an inspection. Governor Trumbull and his official pilot, Major Talbot C. Freeman of the 118th Observation Squadron, took off from Brainard Field at 10:45 AM. They intended a straight course from Hartford to Danbury but encountered heavy rains as they neared the Naugatuck Valley. The decision was made to fly southward toward Derby in an attempt to circumvent the storm, but their efforts were futile.

Major Freeman changed course once again at Derby and headed towards Danbury. Their revised path took them over Monroe. The rain and fog were so intense that Major Freeman made the decision to land, but the result of his decision was far from elegant. A long stretch of pastureland was spotted from above and the Major lined up to set the plane down. During the rollout, the plane unexpectedly hit a rise in the field which launched it back into the air, increasing the landing distance. These early aircraft had no brakes, only the tailskid dragging through the soil aided in slowing them down. The plane rolled onward and into a stonewall, breaking a propeller blade, crumpling the lower left wingtip and destroying the landing gear. His Excellency’s highly publicized flight to Danbury came to an abrupt halt at 11:30 AM.

Thankfully, neither Governor Trumbull nor Major Talbot were injured. They climbed from the heap, assessed themselves and the damaged aircraft and made their way westward down the muddy slope to the road. They walked a short distance to the home of Fred Curtiss at 81 Old Zoar Road. Old Fred was in complete shock when he opened his door to find the governor and his pilot standing there. They were looking for a ride up to Danbury, but Fred was unable to accommodate their request. His nearest neighbor to the south, Auguste Jacot, at 1115 Monroe Turnpike, was more than happy to oblige our citizens in need. They all piled into his Durant Star Sedan and headed out from Jacot’s Corner to Danbury in the torrential rains.

Upon their arrival, they were escorted to the Hotel Green where the governor was greeted by his wife, who had traveled there earlier by car. In addition to his prepared speech, the governor had quite a story to share with the details of his trip and the warm hospitality he'd received in Monroe. Their fine dinner with the Boosters Club was followed by a brief inspection of the fairgrounds in the driving rains. Never one to be grounded, Governor Trumbull stayed in Danbury until the weather cleared, and he and his pilot commandeered another plane and flew off to the Pulitzer air races at Mitchel Field on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island. A truck from the 118th Observation Squadron headquarters at Brainard Field in Hartford was dispatched to Monroe to collect the governor’s crippled biplane.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s historical spotlight on the Flying Governor’s adventurous flight and forced landing in Monroe. It all happened a century ago this Thursday. I’ve been waiting quite some time to share this centennial history as close to the actual date as possible. Please share this post with your family and friends, and especially those who are airplane buffs like me. Thank you for your continued support and interest in Monroe’s rich aviation history. Until next time. As is so often said in the aviation community. Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.
Regards,

Kevin Daly
Historian, Monroe Historical Society
www.monroecthistory.org
Our Past is Always Present