The Story of Terah T. (TT) Maroney
Terah T. Maroney is a name you likely haven't heard before but one that every aviation enthusiast or aerospace engineer should know. A young man in his 20's, "T.T." was Mr. Quick's brother-in-law and "right hand man" here in Hump. He held the title of Gin Mechanic but was a skilled wood worker and blacksmith and loved to help "Big Pap" with his flying machine construction. They both shared a strong desire to one day take to the air. He was said to cheer the loudest as Mr. Quick's son, William Massey Quick became Alabama's first aviator.
After the flight of the Quick Monoplane in 1908, Terah decided to move to Montana with dreams of building his own machine. By 1910, he had begun to assemble his aircraft and on July 6th, 1911, became the first to fly in the State of Montana. He quickly began to gain major public attention as a "barn stormer" and national promoter of aviation.
By 1913 after 8 or 9 successful flights the plane he built had broken apart and he had purchased a new one from another pioneer by the name of Glenn Curtiss who had just started production. Terah began performing as a headliner in air shows and would take willing patrons for a ride for a nickel. He later relocated to the Seattle area to operate a flying school and performed at air shows over Lake Washington.
One very interested patron was a lumber company owner and boat builder by the name of William (Bill) Boeing. On July 4th, 1914, Terah graciously took Mr. Boeing and his future business partner, Cdr. George Westervelt (USN) to the skies for their first time. Boeing was quoted as saying to Westervelt after they landed…. “There isn’t much to this machine of Maroney’s…. I think we can build a better one”. The Boeing Company was born!
William Lafayette Quick was inspired by dragonflies (snake doctors), bats, and soaring buzzards. Terah was inspired by Mr. Quick. The Boeing Company was inspired by Terah and decided to build better airplanes...... and a rocket called the Saturn V. The rest is Aerospace history.
Terah T. Maroney is a name you likely haven't heard before but one that every aviation enthusiast or aerospace engineer should know. A young man in his 20's, "T.T." was Mr. Quick's brother-in-law and "right hand man" here in Hump. He held the title of Gin Mechanic but was a skilled wood worker and blacksmith and loved to help "Big Pap" with his flying machine construction. They both shared a strong desire to one day take to the air. He was said to cheer the loudest as Mr. Quick's son, William Massey Quick became Alabama's first aviator.
After the flight of the Quick Monoplane in 1908, Terah decided to move to Montana with dreams of building his own machine. By 1910, he had begun to assemble his aircraft and on July 6th, 1911, became the first to fly in the State of Montana. He quickly began to gain major public attention as a "barn stormer" and national promoter of aviation.
By 1913 after 8 or 9 successful flights the plane he built had broken apart and he had purchased a new one from another pioneer by the name of Glenn Curtiss who had just started production. Terah began performing as a headliner in air shows and would take willing patrons for a ride for a nickel. He later relocated to the Seattle area to operate a flying school and performed at air shows over Lake Washington.
One very interested patron was a lumber company owner and boat builder by the name of William (Bill) Boeing. On July 4th, 1914, Terah graciously took Mr. Boeing and his future business partner, Cdr. George Westervelt (USN) to the skies for their first time. Boeing was quoted as saying to Westervelt after they landed…. “There isn’t much to this machine of Maroney’s…. I think we can build a better one”. The Boeing Company was born!
William Lafayette Quick was inspired by dragonflies (snake doctors), bats, and soaring buzzards. Terah was inspired by Mr. Quick. The Boeing Company was inspired by Terah and decided to build better airplanes...... and a rocket called the Saturn V. The rest is Aerospace history.
