Last week the Columbus Dispatch reported that work has finally begun on World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker’s childhood home, part of Columbus’ new Rickenbacker Woods Museum and Historical Park. The restoration work comes after forty-plus years of discussion and planning.

Rickenbacker spent his earliest years in Columbus, and became a pilot after an initial stint as a race car driver (Rickenbacker placed 10th in the 1914 Indianapolis 500). During his heralded service in World War I, Rickenbacker scored 26 victories in aerial combat, a record which stood until World War II. His entire remaining life was spent in the airplane industry, including a long tenure as leader of Eastern Airlines. After his death in 1973, Rickenbacker was buried in Columbus’ Greenlawn Cemetery.

The park also honors inventor Granville Woods, who was known by some as the “Black Edison.” Wood’s inventions revolutionized the railroad industry. His best-known invention was one which allowed conductors to ascertain the distance between their train and others, which greatly decreased accidents and collisions.

To watch a short retrospective on the World War I exploits of America’s first ace flyer, including his early years in Columbus, click on the image below.

Photo Credit: Eddie Rickenbacker/Chicago Daily News Negative Collection, Catalog No. ichicdn s061821.  Photo used courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society