The Lunenburg County Historical Society met on June 12 at the Victoria Public library to learn more about Lunenburg native Dr. Lewis Archer Boswell.

LCHS President Steve Israel gave a PowerPoint lecture about Boswell and his Lunenburg residence Aspen Hill, located on Wattsboro Circle Road in the southern reaches of the county.

Boswell was a medical doctor by profession who served in the Civil War. In the post-war years, after having left Lunenburg to move to Alabama, he devoted much of his time to conducting experiments on early aviation, even securing several important patents prior to the Wright Brothers.

Following the meeting at the Victoria library, the group visited Aspen Hill where they were welcomed by Israel. Mr. and Mrs. Israel, who have recently purchased the property, are in the process of renovating the house built in 1818 and restoring the surrounding fields, even to planting aspen trees.

The society also learned that the Talladega (AL) Municipal Airport Board renamed its airstrip Boswell Field to honor the native Lunenburger’s contributions to aviation.

A model of his plane is located in the Talladega library, and often compared to the Wright brothers.