The History: This year the Wrights brought a bicycle with them. This would cut the round trip trek between their campsite and Kitty Hawk down from three hours to one hour.

They "fixed up" a dining table and upholstered their chairs with burlap and excelsior. A soft covered top was made for their dining table using white oilcloth over two layers of burlap.

Wilbur rode the bicycle to Kitty Hawk and brought back a can of oil. An order for groceries and other household items was left with Captain Franklin Midgett of the schooner Lou Willis who sailed between Kitty Hawk and Elizabeth City.

Map Of Elizabeth City And Kitty Hawk, North Carolina Area

Burlap is a coarse heavy plain woven fabric made of plant fibers like jute or hemp. It was used for sacks and wrapping furniture. Oilcloth in particular was used for table and shelf coverings. Excelsior is a thin curled wood shaving used for packaging fragile materials. In appearance it is similar to twine or straw with a rougher texture.