Marshall's second attempt to bring home the Nicholas-Beazley NB-3 airplane from Oklahoma was reportedly successful as a result of a surge in fund-raising efforts made by The Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum Inc.

The non-profit organization formed this year after efforts made by a group in 2000 fell through because of dissension among group members.

Marshall resident Jack Thomas, who had been working to help raise money to purchase the NB-3 from Dick Geist of Elk City, Okla., said about $40,000 had been pledged by area businesses and individuals. However, because of the discord, no money was collected and the group fell apart, leaving the NB-3 in the hands of Geist.

About three weeks ago, Geist's family contacted The Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum with news that Geist had recently passed away. The airplane had been placed in escrow and unless the museum organization could come up with the $60,000 needed to purchase the monoplane, it would be sold to someone else. The museum organization was given until July 12 to raise the money. With planning, focusing and door-to-door soliciting, steering committee members and the museum board raised that amount.

While pleased with the results of the fund-raising effort, the organization still fell short of its goal of collecting $100,000, which would be enough to buy the plane and pay for the costs of restoring it.

"We reached our first goal, buying the plane," said committee member Larry Morgan. "We're very pleased we were able to raise that much money so quickly. It was definitely a team effort. Now it's raising enough money to restore the plane and have a place to put it."

Donna Huston, who has been helping with the fund-raising, said donations will continue to be accepted.

"Just because the plane's here, it won't be a plane until we get it restored," she said. "This weekend (a crew) went down and took a big rig and the plane is here in Marshall."

Morgan, who was in charge of leading the crew to purchase and bring home the NB-3, said he and a few others left for Oklahoma Friday morning. Using a tractor and semi-trailer unit, Morgan helped bring the plane to Marshall, where it reportedly sits locked up in a hangar at the Marshall Municipal Airport.

Morgan had visited with Geist in Oklahoma a few years ago and found out that Geist had owned the plane for about 45 years. Geist had purchased the plane in the 1940s and had been working to restore it, but had not finished the job, Morgan said.

"I visited with him, but nothing ever came of it," Morgan said.

While the first Marshall group formed to bring home the NB-3 fell apart, Morgan had already learned much about the airplane. He and several other area residents did not give up on the idea of bringing the plane back to its original home and the result was The Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum.

Bill Riggins, president of the organization, said he joined in the efforts because he is positive the plane could be purchased and in the future a museum will be created.

"I don't get into something I don't complete," he said. "There was no question in my mind about us getting that airplane. The hard part is getting the restoration done and getting this museum started."

The Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum said this airplane is the only airplane of this type built by the Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company in Marshall in the 1920s. For that reason, and because of Marshall's aviation history, people such as Riggins and Morgan hope to see the museum become a reality.

Morgan said the NB-3 that was bought by the group was built in Marshall and in 1929, it was sold to Popular Mechanics. However, it had been crashed soon after in Seymour, Ind.

According to Morgan, the men who had been flying it decided to purchase another airplane and the NB-3 was purchased by Archie Lawless and William Brame. They had been in the process of rebuilding the plane but after a few years their job was still incomplete. That was when Geist found out about it and purchased it himself. The plane had been in his hands and under his care for many years before the Marshall group found it about four years ago and the efforts to bring it home began.

"There's an awful lot of interest in this airplane," Riggins said of the Marshall community. "There's an awful lot more aviation history here than I thought when I started working with this. And there's a lot of interest in the people of Marshall to preserve this history."

Individuals or entities interested in making a donation to help with the costs of restoring the NB-3 can send money to The Nicholas Beazley Aviation Museum Inc., c/o Jene Crook, P.O. Box 740, Marshall, MO 65340.