George Caldwell Furrow Papers

George Caldwell Furrow (1888--1958) was a military aviator and officer in the United States Army. His career began in 1904 with the 3rd Tennessee Infantry and transitioned to military aviation in 1917. Furrow's World War I service included aviation training in San Diego and command of the short-lived 271st Aero Squadron at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Post-war, he commanded the 6th Aero Squadron in Hawaii, later redesignated as the 6th Observation Squadron. The collection primarily covers Furrow's military career from 1916 to 1926 and includes personal papers, photographs, publications, and oversized materials. Notable items include pilot log books and licenses and a scrapbook and two photo albums from his time in Hawaii, one a small photo album kept by his wife, Nancy Caroline Huffard.

George Caldwell Furrow (1888--1958) was a distinguished military aviator and officer in the United States Army. Born in Tennessee, Furrow enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1904 as a member of the 3rd Tennessee Infantry, Tennessee National Guard. His military career took a significant turn in 1917 when he was detailed to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps, marking the beginning of his involvement in military aviation. Furrow's service during World War I included training as a junior military aviator at the Signal Corps Aviation School in San Diego, California, and subsequent assignments at various airfields, including Souther Field in Georgia and a course in air navigation and gunnery at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Miami. In November 1918, Furrow was placed in command of the 271st Aero Squadron at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where he oversaw aviation ordnance testing, Handley Page O/400 bomber tests, and dive-bombing demonstrations. In May 1919, Furrow assumed command of the 6th Aero Squadron at Luke Field, located on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Once settled, Furrow was joined in Hawaii by his fiancée Nancy Caroline Huffard (1895--1991) of Rural Retreat, Virginia; the couple were married in Honolulu on August 4, 1919, the day after Nancy had arrived by ship. Furrow's time in Hawaii was marked by significant changes to military aviation in the region. The 6th Aero Squadron was redesignated as the 6th Observation Squadron, reflecting its focus on aerial observation and reconnaissance, and attached to the 2nd Observation Group. Major S. H. Wheeler assumed command of the new group on December 4, 1919, promoting Furrow to a position as Group Adjutant. By January 1920, the Furrows were living at Fort Kamehameha with Nancy employed as a teacher at a private school. This honeymoon period of the young couple's life ended in April 1920 when the Furrows were posted back to California; with World War I concluded, the Army was reducing its numbers. In April 1921, the Furrows returned home to Bristol, Tennessee. After retiring from active duty, Furrow continued his service in the Air Corps Reserves, achieving the rank of Major. He remained active in the Officers Reserve Corps and the Tennessee National Guard throughout the 1930s and 1940s, by then having logged over 1,000 hours flying time and served as both a dual and an advanced flying instructor. Furrow officially retired from military service in 1953. George and Nancy Furrow's life was spent primarily in the Bristol area, on the border between Tennessee and Virginia. They had a daughter, George Ann Furrow, who was born in 1928 but sadly passed away at the age of five months in 1929. George remained active in aviation activities in the region, and ran the Furrow Electric Company, an electrical supply business in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nancy lived to the age of 96, outliving her husband, who passed away in 1958.