Her Stories

- Documenting the Role of Women in Local History -

A curious, yet intriguing story found in John Blair Linn's 1883 History of Centre and Clinton Counties, tells the tale of a beautiful young aeronaut named Lizzie Ihling, and her celebrated visit to Centre County. Linn's story includes Miss Ihling's observations of Bellefonte and the County, as viewed from a hot air balloon.

Lizzie Ihling made two balloon ascensions, on October 4 and 5, 1876, during the celebration for the Centennial Fair of the Centre County Agricultural Society. She had been invited by members of the Agricultural Society's executive committee, since balloon ascensions at such events were very popular and would, in all likelihood, draw a sizeable crowd to the fair. The Democratic Watchman reported:

A balloon ascension at any time is attractive, but when made by a beautiful and accomplished young lady it becomes fascinating – at least to the young men, while the young ladies will be compelled, in sheer self-defense, to turn out en masse, in order to prevent their "gentlemen friends" from becoming too enthusiastic in their admiration of the gay young aeronaut.

Articles ran in the Democratic Watchman for several weeks before Ihling's arrival. This coverage indicates the anticipation and excitement surrounding Ihling's arrival. Indeed, the turnout was quite impressive for her first ascension, as some 2500 spectators were reported to arrive at the fair in order to witness the impressive voyage. Ihling embarked on her journey in her hot air balloon, "The Amazon". For the event, she was reportedly dressed as the goddess of liberty. Ihling's uncle, Professor John Wise of Lancaster County, accompanied her to the fair and supervised her. Professor Wise was himself a well known and accomplished air voyager. He modestly described himself as "the world renowned astronaut who has more voyages through the Heavens than any other man."

Ihling's written accounts of her observations during her aerial journeys have been preserved and allow for not only a fascinating glimpse of the countryside seen from the air but also an account of the adventurous spirit of this young lady. During her first ascension Ihling wrote:

I started up at 2 pm, with ascending force sufficient to elevate me 3500 feet by the time I reached a point centrally over the town of Bellefonte. From there the view was grand. The amphitheater form of the fair ground had changed into a sort of galleried terrace, with here and there clusters of spectators, whilst the pit from whence I started, looked in one place like a beehive – the bees all clustered up in a bunch. I saw the two carriages scampering through the town in pursuit of me, and it made me laugh aloud to myself at the lilliputs hurrying up their tiny vehicles with horses as large as Newfoundland dogs. The town of Bellefonte looked so compactly built that there appeared to be too little room for the locomotives and teams to wriggle through its thoroughfares, unless they were of diminutive size . . .

She was moved to poetry in her second ascension: