August 14, 2024 |
Photo – A building at Medicine Bow Airport – Courtesy Vernon Lovejoy
A Colorado pilot is asking the town of Medicine Bow to preserve its historic airport.
From the 1920’s to the 1930’s, the United State Postal Service experimented with flying mail between New York and San Francisco. The airmail pilots, flying repurposed World War One bi-planes, would follow a series of concrete arrows on the ground to find their way to their destinations.
The Medicine Bow airport, known as Site 32, was an important site 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.
During Monday night’s Medicine Bow town council meeting, Colorado pilot Nathan Finneman said he has been following old airmail routes across the country.
Finneman said the Medicine Bow airport features the best-preserved airmail directional arrow and outbuildings in the western United States.
Google maps image of directional arrow at Med Bow Airport.
Finneman said the aviation community appreciates the historical significance of the Medicine Bow airport. The Colorado pilot said several well-known aviation pioneers have used the small-town runway, including Charles Lindbergh. The facility is falling apart, but Finneman said it can still be saved.
Finneman told the town council that he recently toured the site and found the buildings in relatively good condition considering their age. The pilot stressed the need to preserve the historically significant structures.
Finneman also said he found printed weather reports from the late 20’s and early 30’s inside of the old generator building.
The Medicine Bow airport is still operational. Because of that fact, Finneman said the Federal Aviation Administration may be willing to pay to fix the runway and lighting tower. Finneman also suggested contacting the Historical Society of Wyoming for assistance in preserving the generator building.
Finneman also said the town can solicit private donations to fund the airport preservation project.
The Colorado pilot said the lighting tower is still intact enough to repair. Finneman said it should be a simple matter to have the FAA pay for a new beacon light.
Finneman said restoring the old airmail site will encourage aviation tourists to visit Medicine Bow. The pilots are likely to spend money in town.
Finneman said he is planning to hold an impromptu airshow, featuring small planes and paragliders, in Medicine Bow at the end of September. The pilot said if the airport is restored, additional airshows can be held, increasing revenue for the small town.
The Medicine Bow town council voted to form, again, an airport board to oversee the restoration of the old airmail buildings. Residents interested in serving on the airport board are asked to contact the Medicine Bow town hall.
