Lyman W. Gilmore         

       Lyman W. Gilmore's grandfather came to California around the Horn in 1847. His son Lyman W.        Gilmore jr., who became known as "The Eagle of the Sierras", was  an adventurer and inventor. The    following notes were gleaned from various readings:

  1894; Full sized glider built with 20' span, with a 4  1/2"  cord monoplane wing.

  1898; Cabin Job Mono plane with gyroscopic balance.

  1902; Detail plane powered by 20 h.p. steam engine.

  1902; Advertised in San Francisco Examiner that he had solved airship problems

  Vision of airship with people and flights from sierra mountains top.

  Prof. Langley and John J. Montgomery failed because of lack of knowledge of principle governing flight.

  Flights to Europe and the Far East. I see feasibility of carrying mail, express and probably passengers

  to and from foreign nations with astounding speed.

  New propeller designed, best road for round-the-world flights is above 12 miles high.

  Travel to other planets is absurd, after leaving earth's atmosphere, man would continue in a straight line

  through space to unknown parts as doses the comet.

  Sees giant planes caring 100-300 passengers going from West to East.

  Airplanes will become a nuisance in time of war.

  May 1902 (1 year and 7 months before Wright Bros.) Lyman Gilmore made a downhill take off,  flew  3 miles and returned. 

   Wright Bros. and Glenn Curtis read works of Langley and Montgomery and copied them.

  1907 Lyman established an airfield at Grass Valley, called his plane " Noah's Dry Land Ark"

  1913-1917 He gave passengers service to L.A., S.F., Reno, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, etc.

   He invented a self operating pump to drain his mines, sub chaser, automatic pump, high speed railroad,

   improved underwater power for submarines, underwater water ocean liner,