Rockford Native Made Aviation History in 1910

Did you know that the first woman to fly a plane solo in the United States grew up here in Rockford, Illinois? I didn't either until today!

Cool Rockford History

I’ve lived in Rockford my whole life, and I thought I knew just about every cool hometown story there was…until I stumbled across the incredible life of Bessica Faith Medlar Raiche.

Bessica Raiche

Bessica was born in Beloit, Wisconsin. in April 1875, but she spent the majority of her youth living in Rockford, Illinois. She was an 1894 graduate of Rockford High School, an artist, a musician, a feminist, a doctor, and the very first woman to fly an airplane solo in the United States!

How did I not know that such an important person in American aviation history was from Rockford?!

The Impressive Life Of Bessica Faith Medlar

To say Bessica Medlar, also known as Bessie Raiche, lived an impressive life is an understatement.

After graduating from Rockford High School in 1894, she went to France to study painting. Then in 1900 she started attending Tufts Medical School, and in 1904 she opened her own general practice in Massachusetts under the name Faith C. Medlar, M.D., and shortly after that she married her husband, François “Frank” Raiche.

Bessica and Frank bought a summer home in New York, and this is where they began building their own Wright-style biplane…in their living room...in 1907.

Bessica Raiche

Midway Village Museum's research packet on Bessica Raiche says:

The first plane they worked on was assembled in the living room of their summer home, using the grand piano as a work bench. To get the plane out, Frank & Bessica removed the front of their house.

On September 15, 1910, the Raiches finished their first plane, and on September 16 Bessica officially became the first woman in the United States to fly a plane solo with no flight school, no YouTube tutorials, just pure determination and guts.

In the years that followed, Bessica and Frank started their own company in Mineola, New York building planes and teaching flying lessons. They moved to Chicago and joined the Standard School of Aviation, and Bessica started the first women-only pilot instruction course in 1912.

Bessica and Frank divorced in 1925, and in April 1932 Bessica passed away from heart disease-related complications while living in California.

Honestly, now I'm wondering how many other incredible stories like Bessica's are hiding in Rockford’s history. Do you know of one I need to know more about? Please send me an app message and tell me about it!