Thomas Baldwin - The Showman

You've heard the name now find out the complete story of the man known as the "Father of the Modern Parachute," Thomas Baldwin. In this first part we talk about his earlier years performing in the circus and how an idea of building a parachute created a lifelong career in the world of aviation. Trust us when we say what you know about Thomas Baldwin is just the tip of the iceberg.

Be looking for part 2 Thomas Baldwin - The Airman in an upcoming season of Wild Quincy.

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Thomas Baldwin’s First Balloon Jump

Interview with Thomas Baldwin

Here are a few links to sources used for this episode. Various newspapers clipping were also used via newspapers.com

Bibliography

Falling with Grace - Sky Rider: Park Van Tassel and the Rise of Ballooning in the West. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2025, from https://erenow.org/modern/sky-rider-park-van-tassel-rise-ballooning-west/8.php

The “City of Quincy.” (1887, July 3). The Quincy Whig, 5.Snyder, L. (2019, September 8). Thomas Scott Baldwin. Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County. https://www.hsqac.org/thomas-scott-baldwin

OAKLEY, H. (2024, June 1). Thomas S. Baldwin—The luckiest man in Quincy. Herald-Whig. https://www.whig.com/lifestyles/history/thomas-s-baldwin-the-luckiest-man-in-quincy/article_cb52c034-1f64-11ef-b020-db770dee8c24.html

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