Dilts Warehouse Plant No. 1
WACO History
The “Dilts Warehouse”, the first manufacturing location used by the Advance Aircraft Company of Troy, a company later to become the WACO Aircraft Company. It produced airplanes in Troy from 1923-1928. The location was also a former blacksmith shop of the Pioneer Pole and Shaft Company and is located 3 blocks south of this marker at 631 South Union Street.
Photograph captions include:
The first WACO Model 9 fuselage produced in the Advance Aircraft Company (WACO) Plant No. 1 at 631 South Union Street.
The WACO Cootie, the first airplane that the Weaver Aircraft Company (WACO) produced that was capable of flight. The “Cootie” was first built as an early parasol monoplane powered by a Lawrance A-3 engine. It was later rebuilt after the crash which seriously injured “Buck” Weaver in a biplane configuration. This photo shows the “Cootie” sitting on top of a Ford Model T pick-up parked next to Plant No. 1 early in 1923.
The official company photo of the Advance Aircraft Company (WACO) employees taken in June 1926 captures the 75 men and boys who produced the WACO Model 9 at a rate of one per day during the peak production season.
Marker can be reached from East West Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
