(1900–1934)
Historic Columbia Cemetery is the final resting place of 1930s aerial speed record holder Jimmie Wedell, who set a new speed record for land planes in September of 1933. Wedell was tragically killed in a plane crash the following summer, his life cut short at the young age of 34.
In addition to breaking the speed record by piloting an airplane of his own design, topping out at 305.33 miles per hour at the international air races at Curtiss Field in Glenview, Illinois, in September of 1933, Wedell also held numerous speed records for flights between various cities. He won the Thompson Trophy air race, also in 1933, and won 14 “distinguished finishes” (top five) in the Thompson and Bendix Trophy races. Residents of West Columbia in the era of the 1920s and 1930s were familiar with Jimmie Wedell flying over the town in planes he had made himself.
Thompson & Bendix Trophy implanted in headstone.
“My great aunt and uncle owned a garage in downtown, now a BBQ place, that Jimmie would bring his plane to for servicing,” recalled Lou Westbrook Bohot. “The full story was told to me by Donna Loggins (whose Chesney’s Jewelry store across the street from Republic Barbecue recently celebrated its 100th anniversary of being in business in West Columbia).”
Donna Ruth Chesney Loggins said, “Jimmie’s sister worked at Farmer’s,” the West Columbia grocery store owned by Harold Beal.
Pat Harper Patterson, a 1957 graduate of West Columbia High School, said she remembers Jimmie Wedell’s sister May “riding a horse all over West Columbia when I was very young.”
Amanda Brooks said that Jimmie’s sister May Wedell was married to local barber Meredith McCann and Trey Lee McCann said, “My grandmother told me stories about (Jimmie) landing his plane on the old football field in West Columbia.” Trey’s grandfather, the late Jack McCann, was the half-brother of May Wedell’s husband, Meredith McCann.
On May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh’s historic nonstop flight from New York to Paris inspired pilot’s and entrepreneurs worldwide. Jimmie Wedell was planning a similar historic flight from London to Melbourne, Australia, that would have made headlines across the globe if he had completed it successfully. But he did not live long enough to attempt it.
Gupton, Robert Tracy (August 24, 2024) Facebook – Columbia Historic Museum
