June 16, 2022 – Theme Week Day 4

We’re continuing our theme week on Weird Roadside Attractions: New York State Edition  today! If you every find yourself driving through Herkimer County near Frankfort, you can stop and see the Balloon Farm!
The Balloon Farm is a huge Victorian mansion that was once home to Carl Myers and his wife Mary. The couple were hot air balloon pioneers in the late 1800s, and the buildings on their property were used for their many experiments and their balloons when they weren’t on tour.
Before he became interested in ballooning in 1873, Carl Meyers had quite an eclectic career. At one time or another he was a bill collector, chemist, carpenter, photographer, and a bank teller, where he became an expert on identifying counterfeit bills. He built his first balloon in 1878, with Mary as his assistant. She would later become a balloon pilot in her own right, and the first American woman to pilot a passenger balloon.
They bought the house that would become the Balloon Farm in 1889 and went into business manufacturing passenger balloons and specialty balloons, many for the U.S. government. After a balloon had been assembled, it would be partially inflated outside to make sure it held the hydrogen gas properly. All the large half-inflated balloons gave the appearance that they were growing big mushrooms or some other kind of mutant crop, hence the nickname “Balloon Farm”.
At the Balloon Farm, they designed and made many custom-order balloons. They built scientific balloons for the United States Weather Bureau to assist in weather forecasting. They also made military balloon equipment for the United States Army Signal Corps, which were used during the Spanish-American War. They also contracted with the U.S. government to create balloons that would shower artificial rain in areas that were experiencing drought.
The Balloon Farm was used by hundreds of aircraft enthusiasts for many years. The Myers’ retired in 1909 and the property was added to the Nation Register of Historic Places in 1998. Learn more here.