On any given day, Bessie's Diner in Janesville is packed with customers, ordering everything from breakfast to coffee flights.
"We are located at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport," said Melita Jensen, the General Manager at Bessie's Diner.
As people enjoy their food, they are surrounded by not only airplanes, but history.
"Bessie is not well-known, so to make a restaurant based on her is very important to us," says Melita.
The restaurant is named after Bessie Raiche, America's first female aviator and born in Beloit, Wisconsin.
When you walk into Bessie's Diner, you see nods to the groundbreaking woman, from her picture hanging on the wall to her story on the menus.
"Every table has a placemat with her stories so when they’re seated, they can read all about it," said Melita.
The theme is meant to inspire those who dine there with the story of Bessie, a woman before her time.
"That's a big company focus, to honor history for people who have grown up in the area," said Melita.
But to get a true sense of who Bessie was, TMJ4's Adriana Mendez had to travel about 35 miles south of Janesville to Rockford, Illinois. Many of Bessie's accomplishments are honored at the Rockford Midway Village Museum.
Luke Fredrickson is the executive director there and said after being born in Wisconsin, Bessie went to high school in Rockford, and then went on to study in France before moving back to the United States.
"It wasn’t known as feminism, but at the time, she was really a pioneering spirit," said Luke.
After the Wright Brothers took flight in 1903, Luke said Bessie and her husband became interested in aviation. In 1907, they built their own plane.
"They built [it] in their home, using a grand piano as a workbench. To get that plane out of their house, they had to take the front wall off," said Luke.
Luke said the aircraft was made out of silk, wire, and bamboo. After the plane was completed, Bessie made history making solo flight.
"It took a lot of courage to get behind the wheel one of these very early," said Luke.
In 1910, she was recognized as the country's first female aviator by the New York Aeronautical Society.
"This is really in the earliest era of aviation when it was very dangerous, people were dying and crashing," said Luke.
After her first flight, Bessie didn't stop. She continued working to support women in aviation. Shortly after her first flight and her recognition it, she and her husband opened up a school for women.
According to the museum, "In 1923, Bessica was elected president of the Orange County Medical Association. She practiced obstetrics and gynecology and worked with public health problems and tuberculosis, along with children’s welfare."
Bessie died in 1932, but the impact she had is still felt today. She's a Wisconsin-born woman who lead the charge in innovation and aviation.
"So you can tell that she was very aware of her role as a woman, breaking boundaries in medicine and aviation," said Luke.
To learn more about Bessie and the Rockford Midway Village Museum,click here.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
