Jupiter air mail balloon trip photographs, 1859 - - 89d97682f33f8ab552cfeb627216bd1c (page 3)

View of hot-air balloon "Jupiter" on August 16 or 17, 1859, before its inaugural airmail trip, the first in the country. The flight was deferred until the next day due to an accident. Professional balloon pilot John Wise attempted a flight from Lafayette to New York City, but the trip was cut short by weather when he was forced to land at Crawfordsville, Indiana. He made history as the first airmail flight officially sanctioned by the U.S. Post Office Department.