Friday, April 3, 2026 |
Photo – Medicine Bow Airport – Courtesy Nathan James
Restoration of the historic Medicine Bow Airport remains on hold while the state works to identify potential contamination.
The 97‑year‑old Medicine Bow Airport, officially known as Site 32, was an important stop on the transcontinental airmail route, guiding pilots between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Omaha, Nebraska. Over the decades, several notable aviators have used the airfield, including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Elrey Jeppesen, who developed the system of aerial navigation charts used today. Due to its role in the airmail system, the site is listed on the National Park Service’s Register of Historic Places.
As planes became more reliable and able to travel farther, the Medicine Bow Airport was used less and less. Eventually, all the buildings were torn down or succumbed to the wind, leaving only the concrete airmail directional arrow, weather station, and beacon tower standing.
In 2024, Colorado pilot Nathan Finneman persuaded the Medicine Bow Town Council to establish an Airport Advisory Board to oversee preservation and restoration efforts at the historic airfield.
The airport board focused on restoring electrical service to the site and stabilizing the nearly 100‑year‑old weather station. However, progress stalled last summer after pilots reported a strong fuel smell on the dirt runway. After historical records failed to identify a potential source for the odor, such as an underground fuel tank, the board applied for a Brownfields grant from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
The state’s Brownfields contractor collected core samples from the affected areas in January but has yet to issue a final report on the contamination. In an email to Bigfoot99, DEQ Public Information Officer Jillian Scott wrote that preliminary data indicates lead paint on the historic weather station building and runway lights. Scott added that DEQ staff felt the findings were typical for a structure from the 1930s or 40s.
While they wait for the final report, Airport Advisory Board members are making progress where they can. During the March 9th Medicine Bow Town Council meeting, Councilman Lee Cook, who serves as the governing body’s liaison to the airport board, reported that restoration efforts can begin on the weather station roof, adding that lead paint has been confirmed on the other structures.
Councilman Cook said DEQ found no evidence of hazardous chemicals in the dirt samples collected in January. The councilman said the preliminary results are encouraging and suggests that extensive soil removal won’t be necessary.
Councilman Cook said the airport board has received several offers of donated roofing material for the weather station. Since the site is on the National Park Service’s Register of Historic Places, the board may be limited in what materials it can use.
Councilman Cook also announced that the airport board had formed the tax‑exempt Friends of the Medicine Bow Airport to support fundraising efforts.
