On a hilltop overlooking Huffman Prairie where the Wright brothers accomplished so much, stands this shaft, made of North Carolina pink granite and erected by the citizens of Dayton in their memory. To the east lies Wright Field, the great government air center named in their honor. The principal bronze plaque tells in a few words the story of their great contribution to the progress of mankind. A smaller tablet records the names of those early flyers who were trained by the Wright brothers. In the simplicity of design and the strength of structure, it reflects the characters of the men it honors. The report to the Aero Club continued, “The 1905 flyer had a total weight of about 925 pounds, including the operator and was of such substantial construction as to be able to make landings at high speed without being strained or broken. From the beginning the prime object was to devise a machine of practical utility, rather than a useless and extravagant toy.... The favorable results which have been obtained have been due to improvements in flying quality resulting from more scientific design and to improved methods of balancing and steering.... The best dividends on the labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power.” The submission of this report was followed by the adoption of a resolution by the Aero Club commending the Wrights upon their accomplishment. This, it might be said, marked official recognition on the part of the public that the Wrights really had flown. Despite numerous flights made in 1904 and 1905, there was considerable skepticism and grave doubts on the part of most people that flights were being made. In fact, the unwillingness of the world to believe that man could fly was one of the ironies of the Wright story. It was many months before the last doubting Thomas was convinced that practical flight had actually been achieved. Improvements had been made on the 1905 plane, including the engine. In 1908 the plane was taken to Kitty Hawk for further tests. After several successful flights, an accident occurred which so badly damaged the plane that it was dismantled and stored there in frame hangars. Over the years parts of the plane were given to several museums and others were acquired by residents of the area as mementoes. The engine, the propellers and other parts were shipped back to Dayton. [Illustration: The restored 1905 aeroplane in process of reconstruction. Engineers and others who inspected the plane during its rebuilding, marveled at the craftsmanship reflected in its original construction.] When it was decided to reconstruct an early Wright plane for Carillon Park, the first thought was that it should be a replica of the Kitty Hawk, which of course would have been accurate in appearance but would have contained no original parts.