Medicine Bow Town Council Gets Aviation History Lesson

JUNE 24, 2025 |

Photo –  Airway Beacon Site 32/Medicine Bow, WY Airport – Courtesy Larry Liebrecht presentation

Nationally recognized aviation historian Larry Liebrecht delivered a presentation on the history of the Medicine Bow Airport.

On Thursday, June 19th, the Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board held its regular monthly meeting. Board member Lee Cook, who also serves on the Town Council, introduced Larry Liebrecht, providing a summary of the aviation historian’s accomplishments.

Liebrecht described himself as an aviation archaeologist who explores historic airfields, crash sites, and battlefields across the country. The historian began his presentation on the history of the Medicine Bow Airport, officially called Intermediate Field Site 32, Salt Lake City to Omaha. Liebrecht called the small-town airport, located one mile south of Highway 30, a culturally significant resource and a passport through time.

Liebrecht said he first heard about the Medicine Bow Airport in 2019, when he and a group of fellow aviation archaeologists were searching for a lost B-24 Liberator near a former Casper Army Air Base.

On their way back to Colorado, one of his colleagues suffered a flat tire, which required a stop in Medicine Bow for service. While there, Liebrecht learned about the local airfield. When he visited the area, the aviation historian said he was impressed by the untouched condition of the site, adding that most 1930s-era airfields are overrun with modern buildings.

Liebrecht explained the original Medicine Bow airport was built in 1929 as part of the national airmail route. The airfield served as an emergency landing site for airmail pilots flying between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Omaha, Nebraska. Liebrecht also said the airmail route eventually became the backbone of the modern aviation industry.

Liebrecht said the airport’s original light beacon tower, teletype weather office, and directional arrow remain at the site. The concrete arrow was used to guide airmail pilots to the next airfield. Ruins of the airport keeper’s home, maintenance garage, and two hangars are still visible today.

Liebrecht presented a slide of the Medicine Bow Airport as it looked in 1933, showing two homes with the powerhouse in the background. The aviation historian said the concrete curb in front of the houses remains visible today. He added that, at the time, the federal government required pilots to evaluate each airport’s physical appearance.

Long considered a rumor, Liebrecht confirmed Amelia Earhart landed at the Medicine Bow Airport in 1931 during an attempted transcontinental flight in an experimental autogiro. The aviation historian explained that the autogiro was a hybrid between an airplane and a helicopter and was capable of nearly vertical takeoffs and landings. While flying through Carbon County, strong Wyoming winds forced Earhart to land in Medicine Bow in search of fuel.

Liebrecht said that in the late 1920s, the federal government built small emergency landing strips, such as the one in Medicine Bow, every 30 miles along the national airmail route, typically near railroad stations.

In the event of a breakdown, which Liebrecht said occurred often, the mail and any passengers could take the train to their destinations.

As the planes got larger and more reliable, the small emergency landing strips were no longer needed. Over time, some airfields were developed, while others, such as the Medicine Bow Airport, were simply forgotten by the aviation industry.

With adequate preservation, Liebrecht said the Medicine Bow Airport could maintain its historical designation while continuing to operate as a working airfield. The aviation historian said the city of Douglas, Wyoming, converted its original airport powerhouse to hold modern technology. A similar effort took place in Grants, New Mexico, where the historic beacon tower and powerhouse were restored and remain in active use.

Liebrecht urged the Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board to continue working to preserve the historic landing strip.