
Pioneer Skies from Freedom to Flight: The Story of Airship Inventor Charles F. Page
Pioneer Skies from Freedom to Flight: The Story of Airship Inventor Charles F. Page
Charles Frederick Page (ca. 1865–1937) of Pineville, Louisiana, was an African American inventor who patented an airship in 1906. His design improved stability, propulsion, and control, advancing airship technology. Although his grandson, Joseph P. Page, recounted that Page built a full-scale model in 1904, it mysteriously disappeared en route to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Despite this setback, Page’s achievement remained largely unknown due to the Jim Crow era.
Born in the final days of slavery, Page’s intellectual curiosity spanned aviation, farming, and timber. He educated himself and became known for his deep thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more about his tumultuous and trailblazing aviation journey and regional impact on central Louisiana at Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum.