Dr. Jean Piccard is inflating one of the 80 balloons which he planned to use in his ascent. He is assisted by Elden Olson, University of Minnesota aeronautical student. Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch this rehearsal of the ground crew on July 7, 1935 at Soldiers Field, Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dr. Jean Piccard is installing a radio in the Pleiades prior to his historic balloon flight. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dr. Jean Piccard is posed by a Lincoln-Zephyr automobile. This photo was later used in an advertisement for Motor Sales & Service Company that appeared in the Rochester Post-Bulletin newspaper on July 19, 1937. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight from Soldiers Field in Rochester, Minnesota was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Professor Jean Piccard is posed by the gondola or basket he would ride in during his historic balloon ascension on July 18, 1935. In the background of this photo taken in Soldiers Field is the Rochester Dairy. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Mr. and Mrs. Mort Madden are posed in front of their farm house where they hosted Dr. Jean Piccard after his flight ended on July 18, 1935. Dr. Piccard landed in a tree near the river bluff on their property and walked to their house. Mrs. Madden cooked breakfast for Dr. Piccard before he was driven into Lasing, Iowa by Mr. Madden's brother-in-law, Joe Manton. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
A car is driving across the concrete bridge (built in 1918) at Oronoco. Several men appear to be fishing in the river under the bridge. The photo is taken from below the site of the present dam, looking west. The dam gave way in 1924 and there was no lake for the next 13 years. The present dam was built in 1937 by the W.P.A. and federal government funding.
The banks of the Zumbro River are spanned by a bridge at Oronoco. This bridge, built about 1876, was the second bridge at this location and was later replaced by a concrete bridge in 1918.
Inflated balloons are being walked in from the edges of the field toward the gondola to be joined into clusters just prior to Dr. Piccard's take off. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Assistants are holding individual inflated balloons at Soldiers Field while waiting for the signal to move towards the center and join the balloons into clusters for Dr. Jean Piccard's balloon ascension in the early hours of July 18, 1937.
Cluster balloons have been inflated and are attached to the gondola, the Pleiades, just prior to take off from Soldier's Field in Rochester, MN. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Assistants are inflating individual balloons with hydrogen at Soldier's Field in Rochester, MN prior to Dr. Jean's Piccard's experimental balloon ascension. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dr. Jean Piccard's family is working on the gondola, Pleiades, before his balloon flight from Rochester, Minnesota. Left to right, Professor Jean Piccard, thirteen year old Paul, Dr. Jeannette Picard (his wife), seventeen year old John and eleven year old Donald. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Seventeen year old John Piccard, eldest son of Dr. Jean Piccard, is fastening toggles to the loading ring of his fathers gondola, Pleiades, prior to Dr. Jean Piccard's historic flight. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.
Dick Ryan, Jack McHugh, Ed Hicks and Chief Boyhart are posed by the 1912 American LaFrance motorized pumper in front of the Central Fire Station. This was the first piece of motorized fire fighting equipment owned by the Rochester Fire Department.
Luggage is piled on the roof of the first bus to regularly travel between Rochester and the Twin Cities. The bus line was operated by Leon Van Tassel and later became the Rochester Bus Line.
The Winona and Southwestern Railway train is pictured moving over a trestle bridge on it's way from Spring Valley to Winona. In 1890, tracks were laid from Winona through St. Charles, Dover, Eyota, Simpson and Stewartville to Spring Valley and Osage. The railroad became the Winona & Western in 1894. A spur was built in 1900 from Simpson to Rochester. In 1901, the Winona & Western line was sold to the Chicago Great Western Railroad.
The Winona & Western Railway depot was located on the south side of College Street (now 4th Street SW) by the Zumbro River. The photo was taken on the west bank of the Zumbro River, looking east. The Chicago Great Western Railroad bought the Winona & Western Railway in 1901. In January of 1903, the depot was cut in two and moved across the river.
Two men are posed by a balloon with passenger basket at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds. The event was sponsored by the American Legion as a welfare benefit show.
A group of local sight seers and souvenir hunters are gathered around the wreckage of the Pleiades, the gondola used by Dr. Jean Piccard during his flight. The gondola quickly burned after a fire was caused by burning excelsior ignited by the TNT used to blast away his upper cluster of balloons. The flight ended when Dr. Piccard landed near the Mississippi River bluff near Lansing, Iowa on July 18, 1935 approximately seventy-five miles from Rochester. Dr. Jean Piccard was a University of Minnesota physicist and aeronautical engineer who believed it was possible to ascend into the stratosphere using many small cluster balloons rather than one large balloon. The experimental flight was sponsored by the Rochester Kiwanis Club and supported by local residents and students.