The History: Christmas was an important holiday in the Wright family. It is believed that if the Wrights had not been successful on December 17th, they would have suspended testing, packed and returned to Dayton, to be sure to be home for Christmas. They had spoken to Octave Chanute about returning the Flyer to Dayton and attempting to fly it from a frozen lake, if they needed more time to experiment.

Bishop Milton Wright's made these comments in his diary entry for Christmas Day, 1903: "Weather, mild. I wrote a few letters forenoon & afternoon. We as a family dine at Lorin's. Mrs. Corbett was there. Ivonette & Leontine spent the afternoon with us. Lorin had to go to his work in American Express Depot office, after dinner."

Ivonette and Leontine Wright (Lorin Wright's daughters, Wilbur and Orville's nieces) With Permission From Special Collections Wright State University Libraries

As was traditional in the Wright house, Wilbur would stuff the Christmas Day turkey.

Quotation from the book Diaries 1857-1917 by Bishop Milton Wright.