Original Article by Laura Lynn Yohe for the Tri-County Sunday DuBois, PA, October 5, 1997
: abridged by Laurie Ruth, May 2003
Preparations had been underway for several months for the day that would become a moment in aviation history. On October 4, 1929, that moment would thrill ten thousand people and mark the formal beginning of the Grube Airport in Bell Township, Jefferson County.
Planning for the celebration had begun in August of that year. A parade was planned, streets were repaved, a band was to perform, dances would be held and an impressive air show for all the spectators that came to the historic event.
As preparations progressed the parade became an industrial and business extravaganza with numerous floats planned. Businesses in the community notified the public they would close for the parade.
The list of airshow participants grew as invited flyers confirmed their intention to attend. Parachute jumps, stunt flying and passenger flights would be offered on the big day. Even the Goodyear Blimp was to be there.
As time neared, organizers were apprised that military planes of the Army and Navy would take part in the festivities with exhibition flights. The names of famous flyers of the time such as Helen Cox, Freddie Lund, Camile Zinet and Louis D. Strickler, at that time the worldís youngest licensed pilot at age 16, were expected to fly in.
The very first airmail would leave the Punxsutawney area and special airmail envelopes were selling quickly.
Automobile traffic control was to be handled by a squad of ten highway patrolmen from Dubois, an equal squad of State Policemen, and members of the Central Fire Company from Punxsutawney.
Arrows were places on highway approaches with directions given from the B-P Highway (Big Run - Punxsutawney) now known as State Route 119. The pilots were not forgotten as aerials markers were placed on The Spirit and Swartz Buildings in downtown Punxsutawney to direct them to the field.
The only preparation which could not be guided, was the weather. That Friday morning dawned with clear skies but quickly changed to overcast with a chill wind blowing that carried rain and sleet. With some clearing of the weather conditions later in the day, the celebration proceeded as planned.
Though the military aircraft, many private and commercial pilots, and the blimp did not attend due to the weather conditions, the ten thousand who gathered in the brisk temperatures were treated to parachute jumps, stunt flying exhibitions and plane rides.
At 5:00PM, that notable day, pilot Frank Datin of the Transcontinental Air Mail Service, flying a "Standard", left Grube Airport carrying the first air mail delivery of two thousand two hundred letters. He flew the historic cargo to Pittsburgh where it was routed from there, with three hundred letters bearing his autograph.
The joy of the celebration was clouded just two days later when Datin perished in a small bi-plane near Ebensberg during a stunt exhibition. But also remembered would be the pilots like James Ritter who flew passengers in his DeHaviland Moth from 1:30 PM until dark.
Follow-up:
In the late 1940s the Grube Airport was deeded to the Punxsutawney Airport Authority. At that time runway 01-19 (1985 x 100) was, and still is a grass strip. In the mid 1960s runway 06-24 (3003 x 50) was constructed and paved.
|
