Perryville County Tourism to unveil Charles Lindbergh historical marker Saturday

A hundred years after aviator Charles Lindbergh first stunned Perryville, Missouri, residents with the power of flight, a historical marker will be installed to commemorate his influence.

A ribbon-cutting for the historical marker, called "Field to Flight," will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the picnic grounds of St. Vincent De Paul Seminary in Perryville.

"This marker will give people today the opportunity to imagine what it must have been like to have that first thrilling experience of aviation," Trish Erzfeld, director of Perry County Tourism, said.

Lindbergh visited Perryville several times during his barnstorming days, according to Erzfeld. "Barnstorming" describes how aviators once flew from one town to another while taking passengers for short flights over the countryside.

Erzfeld said during his barnstorming days, Lindbergh introduced planes, pilots and aviation to Perryville. He took local airplane enthusiasts on 15-minute plane rides over the city for $3 a piece.

"It was probably the first introduction any Perryville resident had to aviation -- it was cutting edge," Erzfeld said

The picnic grounds, where the marker will stand, have remained mostly unchanged since the days when Lindbergh barnstormed there in the early 1920s, according to Erzfeld. It was a cattle pasture at the time Lindbergh landed on it and still remains a wide-open space.

Locals call the site "Seminary Picnic Grove" as it's where St. Vincent De Paul Parish holds its annual picnic. The city hasn't developed the pasture, even though it lies close to the heart of Perryville.

"Field to Flight" will consist of two metal posts holding up an eight-foot airplane wing. A nine-foot piece of tempered glass will stand behind the wing. A biplane similar to what Lindbergh flew will be etched on the surface of the glass.

"You can stand behind the marker and imagine him coming in and landing on the cow pasture just like you would've seen back in the day," Erzfeld said.

The ribbon-cutting for the sculpture is free and open to the public. Contact Perry County Heritage Tourism at (573) 517-2069 for more information.