Published: January 21, 2008 06:12 pm            

Long ago in the skies over Cleburne

Dallas writer tells of Texas’ first plane in new book

Cleburne has seen its share of historic moments. One happened in 1912 when Floyd H. “Slats” Rodgers built and flew the first airplane built in Texas, according to a new book.

Jim Gatewood, a public speaker, historian and author, released a biography about Rodgers in November titled “Slats Rodgers and the Love Field Lunatics.”

“I could not, in fiction, sit down and write a faster-moving, more exciting book than Slats Rodgers’ life as it really was,” Gatewood said. “And he is a Cleburne boy, a Cleburne soldier of fortune.”

Gatewood grew to love Rodgers’ story and wanted to write a biography of his life.

“I had always heard of Slats Rodgers up around Dallas and Love Field and expressed an interest in writing a book,” Gatewood said. “I was speaking at a book club, called Fact to Fiction Book Club, and a lady came forward after the meeting and said, ‘I’m Slats Rodgers’ granddaughter, and if you want help writing that book, I’ll help you.’”

Victoria English, Rodgers’ granddaughter, provided Gatewood with pictures and stories for the book.

Rodgers had the first flying circus in Texas and probably in the world, Gatewood said. He used the circus to conceal his alcohol bootlegging operation, Gatewood said.

“He got the first pilot’s license, and he was the first to have it revoked,” Gatewood said.

Gatewood’s book is filled with stories of Rodgers’ antics.

Mullaney Corp. printed 2,000 copies of the book, which is 665 pages with 54 photographs. The stories are historically accurate and indexed for research, Gatewood said.

Gatewood spends time traveling and speaking and has published several other books about Texas history. He is working on a book about President Kennedy’s assassination.

“I have a passion for heroes that haven’t been written about,” Gatewood said. “I think they should be written about to preserve their stories.”

He owns an insurance agency in Garland but said history is his passion.

“If money were no problem, I would have followed Alexander’s conquest of Persia,” Gatewood joked. “But since it is a problem, I just took Dallas County.”



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