OCTOBER 21, 2024 |
Photo – Overhead view of Medicine Bow Airport’s historic directional arrow – Bigfoot99 file photo
Medicine Bow officials form an airport board to oversee the town’s historic landing strip.
In August, Colorado pilot Nathan Finneman addressed the Medicine Bow town council to explain the significance of the nearby airport. Finneman explained that the Medicine Bow airport features the best-preserved airmail directional arrow and outbuildings in the western United States.
From the 1920’s to the 1930’s, the United States Postal Service experimented with transporting mail between New York and San Fransisco via plane. In the time before GPS, the airmail pilots, flying repurposed World War One biplanes, would follow a series of concrete arrows installed on the ground to find their way to their destinations.
The Medicine Bow airport, otherwise known as Site 32, was an important marker on the airmail route between Salt Lake City, Utah and Omaha, Nebraska.
Because of its importance to the airmail service, the Medicine Bow airport, located roughly one mile south of town, is listed on the National Park Service’s Register of Historic Places.
Back in August, Finneman said the airport is historically important and urged the Medicine Bow town council to protect the concrete airmail arrow and outbuildings while they still can.
Last month, Finneman and eight other pilots brought their small planes and paragliders to Medicine Bow to attend the Water Stop Jamboree. Some of the pilots even spent the night at the seldom used airport before taking off again in the morning.
At the October 14th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Public Works Director Brian Lashley asked the governing body to begin accepting letters of interest for a new airport advisory board. Responding to a question from Councilman Trevor Strauch, Lashley said the airport board requires a minimum of five active members.
Councilman Lee Cook confirmed that five members are needed to form the airport board.
At least one sitting council member must be on the Medicine Bow airport advisory board. Council members Lee Cook and Crystal Mayfield expressed their interest in sitting on the board.
The Medicine Bow town council unanimously voted to accept letters of interest for the new airport board until the middle of November.
