Birthplace of Pioneer Pilot Russell L. Maughan

Russell Maughan grew up in Cache Valley before the airplane existed, and went on to fly one across the entire country in a single day. On June 23, 1924, the Army pursuit pilot took off from New York at dawn and landed in San Francisco at dusk — the first "dawn-to-dusk" transcontinental flight, roughly 2,700 miles with a handful of refueling stops, proving a warplane could cross the continent between sunrise and dark. This marker notes his birthplace: from a Utah farm valley to the leading edge of aviation in one lifetime.

What the plaque says

Birthplace of Pioneer Pilot Russell L. Maughan Russell L. Maughan was born in this house on March 28, 1893. The house was built by his father and later remodeled. Maughan served as a fighter pilot in France in World War I, coming within an ace of being an ace. In World War II he served as a Colonel in the Eighth Air Force in Britain. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He died on April 21, 1958 and is buried in the Logan City Cemetery. Peter Maughan, his grandfather, crossed the plains in a covered wagon with the Mormon exodus, and later founded the first settlement in Cache Valley, Maughan's Fort, now Wellsville. Grandfather required months to trek across a third of the country. Grandson crossed the nation in the light of a single day. Sponsored By: National Society & Temple Fork Chapter Sons of Utah Pioneers Site #32 United States and Utah Air Force Associations Wendell B. Anderson Memorial Family Fund

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Logan — 0.3 mi
  A vibrant college town tucked into a stunning mountain valley
• American West Heritage Center — 4.6 mi
  A living history farm spanning 160 acres of Cache Valley
• Hyrum State Park — 6.8 mi
  A family-friendly reservoir at the mouth of Blacksmith Fork Canyon
• Wind Cave Trail — 9.0 mi
  A short hike to a triple-arched limestone cave overlooking the canyon

More markers nearby

• First Dawn to Dusk Flight Across America — steps away
• Russell Maughan, First Flight — steps away
• Pioneer Memories of 1866 — steps away
• Cache Valley — steps away