H & P Page 7
In April of 1929, the trimotored,
Ford airplane,
"Independence", put down at
the Ohio Valley Airport in
Belpre, Ohio.
The aircraft, dubbed "food
ship of the air" was owned by
Reid Murdoch & Co. a large
producer of food products.
The plane and crew of five
was touring the country in the
interests of independent grocers.
Landing in the morning,
the plane was open to the public
for touring throughout the
afternoon and evening.
The plane contained a small
grocery store which offered a
complete line of groceries and
food products
Through special arrangements,
a miniature model of
the aircraft was being made
available to the public. Did
you get one? If so, they would
probably be quite a collector's
item today.
The aircraft was a sistership
to the plane that Commander
Byrd used on his expedition
to the South Pole.
The Ohio Valley Airport
was situated at the site now
occupied by the Kroger Store
in Belpre. Officials of the airport
were Jay Sodowski, head
pilot, Major Spencer K. Creel
and Dr. J.F. Hill.
AVIATION PROMOTED
The 1929 article above was part of a wide-spread
promotion of aviation. Two local business establishments
also helped promote the growing industry.
The Ruth Furniture Company and The Rig and
Reel put Parkersburg on the Aerial Navigation
map.
Wood County Historical and Preservation Society
OF WEST VIRGINIA
Did You Get
an Airplane?
In April of 1929 they received handsomely
decorated scrolls, in commendation of having
marked the roofs of their building with the words,
"Parkersburg, W.Va."
Their accomplishment was made known to the Post
Office Department, Department of Commerce, and
to the aeronautical industry at large
AIRMAIL SERVICE to PARKERSBURG
May 28, 1939
May 28, 1939 began a new era for
the "Parkersburg Airport" and for
mail service in general, commercial
aviation had come of age!
All American Aviation, Inc., had
established an air-mail pickup route
that included western Pennsylvania
and western West Virginia, extending
to Huntington.
In brief, the daily pickup procedure
at Stewart field involved a rope
stretched between two 30' high posts.
The plane, traveling between 90 and
110 mph, approached the rope and
the suspended mail bag at 50 - 70
feet of elevation. It trailed a "hook"
that grabbed the mail bag which was
pulled into the plane.
In August of 1939 the Junior
Chamber of Commerce sponsored an
air show at Stewart Airport.
In 1935, local businessman Wade Stewart opened the areas
newest airstrip - Stewart Airport. The grass landing strip was
located at what is today Grand Central Mall. Stewarts most
important visitor to his field, Amelia Earhart, was featured in
the last issue of H&P.
1
