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Charles Lindbergh made a forced landing in Maben,Mississippi in Oktibbeha county back in 1929. He was a young man then and on his way to Texas, and was running loow on fuel and landed in a cow pasture south of Maben, and in what he thought was a field of sage grass. His wheel hit a ditch and his plane rocked and his propellor broke. He stayed in Maben for about a week in a boarding house, and ordered a new propellor. When the new propellor came in, he stayed in Maben and took passengers up for rides for $5.00. He later, after becoming famous, wrote a book called We, and tells in one chapter about his time in Maben. Several years later, it was reported thet he flew over maben again and circled over the boarding house and dropped a package out and noone to this day knows what was in the package. What I want to know, and will need some help with is, I am in the Maben chamber of Commerce, and I want to know if anyone here thinks if we started an annual program on around the anniversary date that Lindbergh landed in maben, maybe on a weekend, do you think it would be a sucess in drawing crowds? maben is a small town, of about 1200 people, 18 miles west of starkville, and Mississippi State University, and 40 miles west of columbus, Mississippi air force base, and near Camp's Airport in starkvill;e and some of theCamp family are still there. The older mr. Camp was taughtto fly by Charles Lindbergh. In our same county, in a much smaller town, Sturgis, there is a south Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held each year and over 20,000 people come top this event. With other things here to see, do you think an annual Charles Lindbergh Day in Maben, Mississippi would some day draw a crowd? There are still people in our area, who had family members who rode with Charles Lindbergh when he was here nad they couldbeon the program too. I would be happy to give anyone interested, my email address.
Posts: 6 | From: Maben,Mississippi Oktibbeha County | Registered: Feb 2007
| Logged: 98.95.108.47
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Hello Terry. Thank you for sharing that story with our members. I have attended Sturgis , numerous times with leading motorcycle artist in the world David Mann whom I represented for 14 years. I was familiar with the story you refer to but never met anybody from your area. If you have collateral material such as pictures that were taken, letters that were written during the stay, where the new propeller was received etc. I would think you would have a very fun event. If I lived in the city I would work on dedication marker where he landed. You could probably work that out with the Lindbergh foundation. Your story is rich in history and valuable to those of us that study Charles, the man and machine. I would have your Chamber of Commerce prepare a special cachet and coordinated with the post office for cancellation for those that visit on that actual day. A most enjoyable story and that is one of the few little towns where he stayed a week for repairs. The dropping of a note or a satchel filled with items especially. A thank you note something, he also did when he left France. It is very consistent with his behavior. I wish somebody had that item. Because your town is so small I would prepare a flyer and give it to the post office and asked them to send it to everybody in the town so that you will hit all generations that may have been involved in his earlier flights and the five dollar one especially. Good luck, I think you are on the right path.
Barry Friedman -- collector and historian
. I am both a moderator and administrator on the website and if you need contact information to assist you, please ask.
Posts: 98 | From: USVI | Registered: Mar 2003
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