FAMILY HISTORY BY MORGAN W. JAMESON, RESIDENT OF OAKTON
Virginia has been long known as the Mother of Presidents, a little known fact is she is also the Mother of Aviation.
In the town of Hillsboro, Virginia, in Loudoun County, is a historical marker dedicated to Susan Koerner Wright, the mother of Wilbur, Orville, and their siblings.
Susan Catherine (Koerner) Wright was born on April 30, 1831 in Hillsboro, Virginia and died on July 4, 1889 in Dayton, Ohio. Although she was not alive to watch her children change the world forever with their flight on the 17th of December 1903, she was fundamental in their achievements.
As a child, her father, a wagonmaker, moved the family to Indiana. In the 1850s she attended Hartsville College in Indiana which was rare for women at that time. While attending Hartsville she focused on literature, science, and math; she demonstrated a high aptitude in technical areas. It was while attending she met her future husband, Milton Wright, who was a Bishop in the Church of the United Brethren.
As customary at the time, Susan was the primary caregiver for her children throughout their formative years. She instilled into them a strong sense of exploration, education, mathematics, innovation, and civic mindedness. She kept her own toolbox, built toys, repaired appliances around the house, and encouraged her children to be problem solvers. Wilbur and Orville credited her childrearing as instrumental in developing their mechanical skills.
With the 125th anniversary of flight fast approaching in December of 2028, the First Flight Society intends to honor her story as part of the family’s legacy. The First Flight Society organizes the celebration of the achievements of Wilbur and Orville. Traditionally held solely in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, the nonprofit plans to celebrate the quasquicentennial, pronounced kwahs-kwi-sen-TEN-ee-uhl (the official word for 125th anniversary), across the country.
The vision is events in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina.
