Advisory Board Reports on Progress of Historic Landing Strip

MARCH 31, 2025 |

Photo – Overhead view of Site 32’s concrete directional arrow – Bigfoot99 file photo

The Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board reports that it is making progress on improving the town’s historic landing strip.

The story goes back to last August. Colorado pilot Nathan Finneman spoke to the Medicine Bow town council at the time about the importance of the town’s airport, which is located approximately one mile southeast of the town center.

Finneman reported that the Medicine Bow airport features the best-preserved airmail directional arrow and outbuildings in the western United States. The pilot urged the Medicine Bow town council to protect the historically important site while they still can.

The Medicine Bow airport is officially known as Site 32. When it was active, early in American aviation history, the air strip was an important player in the airmail route between Salt Lake City, Utah and Omaha, Nebraska. It is listed on the National Park Service’s Register of Historic Places.

The Medicine Bow Town Council, upon hearing Finneman’s presentation, agreed to form a new Airport Advisory Board. The board’s mission is to oversee the restoration and preservation of the historic airfield.

After taking letters of interest, a five-person board was formed. Their first order of business was to solicit donations for the repairs to the surviving concrete directional arrow, beacon tower, and weather station.

Speaking at the February 10th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Councilman Lee Cook, who serves as the governing body’s liaison to the Airport Advisory Board, said the board needed $2,500 to purchase a new electrical transformer in order to restore electricity to the site. However, since the Airport Board is not a registered nonprofit entity, Councilman Cook said they were finding it difficult to attract donations.

During the March 10^th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Councilman Cook said the Airport Advisory Board had selected its fifth and final member, Rawlins resident Bob Hunt.

Councilman Cook reported that the board was also working on establishing a 501(c)(3) organization to accept donations for the airfield.

To gain more experience in forming a nonprofit organization, the council member said he joined the newly created Medicine Bow Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary Board.

Councilman Cook reported that Megan Stanfill, Executive Director of the Alliance for Historic Wyoming, attended the most recent Airport Advisory Board meeting. Stanfill expressed enthusiasm about the progress at the airport but warned that the federal government has the final say over any improvements due to the historic significance of the landing strip., Town councilman Cook noted that Stanfill reassured the board that federal oversight was unlikely to be overly intrusive.

Councilman Cook said he was pleased that the federal government won’t be overly involved in the airport restoration.

The Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board meets at 6:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month inside the Medicine Bow Community Center, located at 221 Pine Street. The meetings are open to the public.