This balloon was made of thin leather.  This done for a fair, for a Homecoming on Sept. 11, 1912.  The balloon was inflated by digging a hole in the ground, a pit, and building a fire in it.  When the fire burned down to embers, they would set up the balloon over the pit to fill it with hot air.  Once it took off, the people could not go very far because they could not replenish the hot air.

This picture must have been taken soon after a parade, because some of the band members are standing here looking at the balloon.