Pearson Air Museum facts for kids
Pearson Air Museum
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| Location | 1115 E 5th Street, Vancouver, WA 98661 |
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| Type | Aviation museum |
The Pearson Air Museum is an exciting aviation museum located at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington, USA. It's managed by the National Park Service and is part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. This museum lets you explore the amazing history of airplanes and flying, especially how it connects to Pearson Field and Vancouver Barracks. You'll see cool objects and artifacts, some from the National Park Service and others loaned by people and other museums. They all help tell the story of aviation in the Pacific Northwest.
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Museum Exhibits
The Pearson Air Museum has many interesting exhibits for visitors. These displays help you learn about the important history of aviation in the region.
Straight-Grained Soldiers
One main exhibit is called "Straight-Grained Soldiers." It shows how aviation changed during World War I in the Pacific Northwest. You can see special panels, old artifacts, and a big diorama. There are also hands-on parts to help you understand the history better.
Spruce Production for Airplanes
During World War I, military airplanes became very important for fighting. Building these planes needed a lot of spruce wood. The Pacific Northwest had some of the best spruce trees in the world. So, the U.S. Military created the Spruce Production Division. Its main office was at Vancouver Barracks. This division made sure that the Allied forces had enough spruce to build their aircraft.
A Busy Mill in Vancouver
At its busiest, the Spruce Mill worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This mill was located where the Fort Vancouver and Pearson Air Museum are today. It produced a huge amount of lumber every day. The "Straight-Grained Soldiers" exhibit shows how the United States joined the war in 1917. It explains how the Spruce Production Division was formed and what people in Vancouver did to help. The exhibit also covers the end of the war and the start of the Army Air Service.
