DUBOIS – Aviation was a hot topic for the DuBois Historical Society’s April meeting. Forty-one people crowded into the society’s library to hear Clarence Krach’s presentation “A Brief History of Aviation in DuBois.”
Krach, a DuBois native who previously worked at DuBois’ old airports, presented his research on the development of aviation since DuBois’ first airport was established in the Beaver Meadow during the 1920’s. The airport was moved to the Lowe Farm (now known as Spider Lake) in the Oklahoma section of DuBois in 1929.
The Works Progress Administration extended the original 1,400-foot runway at the site and by 1939 the airport had three runways. It was one of the stops on the transcontinental airmail route.
Krach reported that the airport was closed during World War II and all the pilot licenses were revoked, unless the pilot could prove their flights were involved national defense. However, Krach related, the airport was used secretly to train pilots for World War II.
Following the war efforts were made to update the airport expanding the runway to 2,900 feet. But the site was soon found unsuitable for further expansion and was last used for an air flight in 1964.
The DuBois-Jefferson County Airport replaced the DuBois airport with the first flight taking off on June 1, 1960.
According to Krach, little remains of the old airport today. A small building, once a hanger, is the only remaining physical structure. The Quonset hut, also used as a hanger, and later by Rustic Acres furniture store was destroyed by fire.
