Aviation meet cover
A number of famous aviators performed during Michigan's 1915 State Fair. Patterson aviator Obert E. Williams, who went on to fly at Wisconsin's state fair the following week, flew over Route No. 637,004. Authorization was obtained to establish two temporary postal stations at the fair grounds and for Williams to fly mail from one station to the other. In addition, approval was given for international flights from the fair grounds to either Windsor or Walkerville, Ontario, pending approval from Canadian postal authorities. No international flights were made.
Williams flew mail on only two days, September 8 and 10. On each of these two days, he flew from postal station 1 to Royal Oak, Michigan, then south to the Ford Motor Company plant, and finally he returned to postal station 2. There the mail was offloaded and taken to Detroit's post office for dispatch. The flight took eight minutes on September 8 and twelve minutes on September 10.
Mail is known bearing the official cachet and postmarked during the state fair on days other than September 8 and 10.
Williams flew this item, addressed to William F. Shaw, Detroit, on September 10, 1915. It bears a three-line, magenta-colored cachet that reads, "DETROIT'S FIRST AEROPLANE MAIL / DETROIT SEPT. 6-14, 1915 / Carried by PATTERSON AVIATORS." The black, circular postmark reads, "DETROIT / SEP 10 / 3 PM / MICH." Another stamp - "Received without enclosure / Detroit, Mich" crosses the addressee's name.
Glossary
