The Ezekiel Airship soared more in the imagination of its builders than it did
in reality, but it gave the town of Pittsburg in northeast Texas one of the
most unique tourist attractions in the state.
Pittsburg was carved out of William Pitts’ plantation in 1854. By the late
1800s it was the county seat of Camp County, the third smallest county in the
state. There was no shortage of work for a machine shop with cotton gins, sugar
cane mills, and a thriving logging business in the county.
It was to the owners of the Pittsburg Foundry and Machine Company that the
Rev. Burrell Cannon pitched his vision of a flying machine inspired by the
Bible. “…And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the
wheels were lifted up.” (Ezekiel 1:19).
The airship had a three-part canvas wing covering eight large wheels with
paddles driven by a four-cylinder engine. In 1901, Rev. Cannon and Pittsburg
businessmen formed the Ezekiel Airship Manufacturing Company. Machinists at the
Pittsburg Foundry finished the airship by November, 1902.
There are at least three versions of what happened next.
One account says that in 1902 — a good 12 months before the Wright Brothers’
experiments at Kitty Hawk — a Mr. Stamps piloted the craft on its first
flight. Eyewitnesses claim to have seen the airship lurch forward a short
distance and then raise into the air. The engine vibrated so badly that it was
turned off and the airship gently descended back to the pasture.
A former foundry employee claimed that he and other employees were the first
to fly the machine. On a Sunday, while Rev. Cannon and company officials were
away, they supposedly took the plane out, flying it about 160 feet at a height
of 10-12 feet. Fearing the loss of their jobs, the conspirators made a pact of
silence, which would explain why there was no news coverage and why officials
denied the flight.
Rev. Burrell and company officials claimed the airship never flew and was
destroyed when it blew off a rail car in a storm near Texarkana. The aircraft
was on its way to the St. Louis World’s Fair.
In 1913, Rev. Cannon made another attempt to build the Ezekiel Airship in
Chicago, but it was damaged when it flew into a pole. He returned to Longview,
south of Pittsburg, and died in Marshall in 1922.
In 1987, the Pittsburg Optimist Club built a replica of the 26′-x-23′ flying
machine from historic documents and old photographs. The Ezekiel Airship now
sits in a corner of Warrick’s Restaurant.
Poultry is the biggest industry in the county and it is the headquarters for
Pilgrims Pride Industry. The county is a top peach producer with a number of
pick-your-own farms. There are six lakes within 20 miles of the county seat,
including Lake Bob Sandlin and Lake o’ the Pines.
A local favorite food is the Pittsburg Hot Link. The sausage is called “hot”
because it is served hot, not because they are spicy. Franklin’s Food Store,
115 Jefferson, has been serving the hot links since the 1930s. The restaurant
in the back of the old store also offers barbecue and hamburgers.
Pittsburg Hot Links Restaurant, 136 Marshall, specializes in the hot links as
well as chili, chicken fried steaks, and hamburgers. The owners also have
Warrick’s Restaurant, home of the Ezekiel Airship, next door. Warrick’s menu
covers a variety of fish and steak dishes. They’re open Mon.-Thu., 11am-9pm,
Fri. & Sat. 11am-10pm, and closed Sunday. Food purchases are not required
to see the airship.
Coming up….
100th Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show & Rodeo in Ft. Worth is
the nation’s oldest livestock show and the world’s original indoor rodeo, Jan.
19-Feb. 4. 817/275-4600.
Anson Jones Birthday Celebration in Anson, Jones County, honors the last
president of the Republic of Texas, Feb. 20. 915/823-3259. n
244th in a Series. Collect Them All.
This article appears in January 12 • 1996 and January 12 • 1996 (Cover).
