Hammondsport is the proud hometown of Glenn H. Curtiss, a legendary figure in early flight and the Father of Naval Aviation. It was here, between 1904 and 1915, that Curtiss collaborated with other aviation pioneers, including Alexander Graham Bell, to foster significant advancements in the field. In 1908, John Newton Williams achieved the first U.S. manned vertical lift with a Curtiss engine. The Curtiss School of Aviation, founded in 1910, witnessed Blanche Stuart Scott’s historic flight as the first woman to solo an aircraft in the U.S. In 1920, the Aerial Service Corporation was established, later known as Mercury Aircraft Inc., developing the pioneering T-2 Mercury Chic aircraft and contributing to the nation’s efforts in World War II by manufacturing P-40 tail sections for Curtiss-Wright in Buffalo. Their legacy continues today as Mercury Integrated Manufacturing.