Orville and Wilbur Wright grew up and operated their bicycle business in Dayton, Ohio.
The brothers were born in Indiana but spent most of their lives in Dayton. In 1892, they opened a bicycle-repair and sales business there, eventually producing bicycles under the Wright Cycle Company name. The shop gave them practical experience with balance, steering, chains, lightweight construction, and business management.
Dayton also became the base for their aeronautical experiments. They designed and built aircraft components there, then transported much of their equipment to the windy Outer Banks of North Carolina for flight testing. This division of labor linked an inland workshop with a coastal testing ground.
A common mix-up is assuming the brothers were from Kitty Hawk because their best-known experiments occurred there. Kitty Hawk was the location of their early flight tests, while Dayton was their home, workshop, and principal design center.