The Vidette-Messenger Centennial EditionThe 1936 special edition celebrating Porter County's centennial year . . . .
The following article has been transcribed from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger, published in Valparaiso, Indiana. This particular special edition focuses on Porter County's centennial celebration and contains a 94-page compendium of Porter County history up to that time.
Return to the index of articles from The Vidette-Messenger's Porter County Centennial special edition.
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 1, Page 14.
Emerson Cota, Valparaiso Man, Was One of Pioneers Of Air Flights; Flew Glider
To Height of 150 Feet
Aviation, a
science undreamed of by the pioneers who founded Porter county a century ago,
has had its grand moments, its tragedies and its economic setbacks. But it has
weathered every storm and remained a factor which promises much for Valparaiso
and the rest of the county.
Three years ago a municipal airport was established when the city council under
the leadership of the then Mayor Harold J. Scheick really pioneered the movement
to place Valparaiso on the air map by leasing some sixty acres of William
Urschel on the old Bartholomew farm, one mile north of the city.
Previous to this C. Lee Nelson, one of the first of local aviators, had a
landing field and hanger, just east of Urschel field. Following Mr. Nelson,
Leslie (Bud) Winder established an airport on the Evans field, east of
Valparaiso, where passengers were taken up. Later Mr. Winder moved to the
Urschel farm, and now has a hanger there for the housing of his plane.
Emerson Cota, Valparaiso man, was probably one of the pioneers in making aerial
flights. On June 17, 1913, Cote, with an 18-foot glider, patterned after the
Wright Brothers' machine, made two flights. The trials were made at the Clifford
farm, west of Valparaiso. Rising to a height of 150 feet, Cota flew for a good
distance. He made other flights with fine success.
Valparaiso and Porter county people first became air-minded on July 20, 1913,
when Tony Janus announced he would give an exhibition on Wauhob lake. A big
crowd assembled for the flight. Janus was unable to get the plane in the air
because of the small space on the lake. The plane was hauled in a wagon to
Burlington Beach, Flint lake, where most of the time was spent skimming on the
lake. Only on one occasion did Janus get his ship into the air and managed to
encircle the lake above the tree tops without touching the water. The crowd had
a hectic time rushing back and forth by trolley between Wauhob and Flint. Some
of the more dissatisfied ones declared the railroad officials had arranged
things so they could do more business. Railroad officials, however, denied this
charge.
The World War in which a number of Porter county men participated, and which a
number of them were enrolled in the air division, gave an impetus to air flying,
and many young men took up the art.
For a number of years a government airport has been maintained at McCool, about
10 miles northwest of the city, on the route of government mail planes. Scores
of planes, both mail and commercial, now pass over this route which is dotted
with large beacon lights pointing the way for the flyers.
While there were no local tragedies, with exception of the crash of a United
Airways giant liner in Jackson township, Porter county, in 1932, with a loss of
seven lives, several persons have been injured.
In one of these crashes which occurred Sept. 27, 1924, at the Porter county fair
grounds, Edward Fraley, a Boone Grove youth, who was a passenger in a plane
piloted by J. J. Grady, a profession aviator, suffered a broken leg, fractured
collar bone, broken nose, and cuts when the $18,000 plane crashed in the ground
from a height of ten feet. Grady claimed the spectators had tampered with his
ship just before the flight.
A Valparaiso man, Donald Shoen, radio technician, at the Van Ness Electrical
Shop, and operator for WRBX, Valparaiso radio broadcasting station, was killed
when a plane piloted by Sidney Cleveland, at Goldfield, Iowa, plunged to the
ground from a height of 20 feet when the motor failed.
The air tragedy in Jackson township involved a bi-motored 10 passenger plane of
the United Air Lines, which crashed on the farm of James Smiley, one and a half
miles north of Jackson Center. The plane was on its way from Cleveland to
Chicago, in charge of Harold Tarrant, Oak Park, Ill., pilot, and A. T. Ruby, Oak
Park, Ill., co-pilot. Various theories were advanced for the crash, some saying
that a bomb placed on the giant liner was responsible for the mishap. Coroner
Carl M. Davis also ascribed to this theory, as parts of the liner were found at
different points. Bureau of Commerce officials made an investigation of the
mishap, but the fate of the big plane remains a mystery to this day. In addition
to the two pilots others losing their lives were: Miss Alice Scribner, Chicago,
stewardess; Fred Schendorf, Chicago; Dorothy M. Dwyer, Arlington, Mass.; Emil
Smith, Chicago, and H. L. Burris, Columbus, Ohio.
Chesterton was also an aviation center as early as 1929, when Jesse L. Cross, a
pupil of Lindberg, made a number of flights over the Dunes region. The flights
were sponsored by Vaughn L. and C. H. Harvill. Oakley Lutes, who had landing
field both here and at Chesterton, made a number of flights during 1929.
In August, 1929, the Charles Pratt Post, American Legion, launched a move to
establish an airport at Valparaiso, but sufficient interest could not be
mustered up to make the promotion a success.
Interest in flying has been enhanced to a large degree by the visit here of
large transport planes used in commercial flying in charge of army aviators. One
of these recently visiting the city was a 17-passenger Ford tri-motor monoplane,
owned by Major Leslie O. Mulzer, veteran U. S. Army air corps reserve commercial
pilot with over one half million miles of flying time. The Ford plane weighed
14,000 pounds and was valued at $65,000. Many passengers enjoyed air trips
during the stay of the plane here. John Matthews, flying a special Travel Air
bi-plane, put on an exhibit of stunt flying in connection with the Ford plane's
visit here.
In 1934, the Schenck city administration leased part of Urschel field for a
municipal airport, taking a five year lease. A FERA labor grant was obtained and
considerable work was expended in grading the ground for a landing field. The
work was stopped when the FERA went out of existence. Later the PWA came into
being, and another project was obtained. More work was done on the airport. The
ground was further graded and tiled and then the work was again stopped because
the Bureau of Aeronautics of Washington, D. C., informed the airport promoters
that no further work could be undertaken until the city acquired ownership of
the airport ground. A $47,000 grant was contingent upon the city acquiring title
to the property.
Mr. Urschel, Glen J. Goddard, and others interested in aviation attempted to
secure the aid of the Bartholomew administration in a plan to place ownership of
the necessary ground in the city without the necessity of paying any funds other
than the amount of the annual rental being paid by the city.
However, lack of interest among council members is holding up the project, and
the chance of the city cashing in on the government's offer appears at the
present time a remote possibility.
An attempt was made by the airport promoters to obtain paving brick from the
city for the construction of a hanger to house the airplanes which operate at
the local airport. Again the council refused to show an interest in aviation by
deferring action on the brick request.
To date some $12,000 to $14,000 has been expended by the government in placing
the airport in shape for the landing of planes. According to the airport
boosters the field could be rigged up in condition for the landing of planes.
Glen J. Goddard, who is in touch with several of the large commercial airway
companies, announced that Valparaiso was in line for stops for big planes. The
Bureau of Commerce at Washington also announced that the McCool landing field
would be abandoned and the equipment moved to Valparaiso.
In the fall of 1934 the Valparaiso Aero club was organized with 12 members. The
aim of the club is to promote and further the interests of aviation in
Valparaiso and the surrounding community.
The first flying of the club was limited to gliders. All of the original group
of members learned to fly a primary type of glider.
In May of 1936, the club purchased a Wow training plane to use for club students
only. To date seven club members have soloed and have been rated a student
pilot. They are under the able leadership and are instructed by Leslie (Bud)
Winder, local pilot. Due to his capable instructions they have had no accidents
in all the flying they have done.
At present the club comprises twenty-two members from Gary, Valparaiso and the
surrounding community. The members of the club are Bud Winder, pilot license;
Clause Lenburg, pilot license; C. Lee Nelson, pilot license; Bill Younce, pilot
license; Olie Sundelin, solo, had most student flying hours; Henry Foster, solo;
Daniel Perry, solo; Ben Blackman, Axel Nogard, solo; Arthur Babcock, solo;
Harrold McCray, Hillary Dunn, solo; Chuck Lucas, LaVerne Blackman, Ralph Barenko,
solo; Clarence Powell, Mark Marvihill, Fred Glroux, Kenneth Busier, Richard
Williams, Buster Babcock, Own Babcock.
At the present time five ships are kept at the Urschel field. They are owned by
Bud Winder, C. Lee Nelson, Bill Younce and Clause Lenburg, Mr. Brady, of Gary,
and David Fitch, of Kouts. Glen J. Goddard, who owns a large Stinson cabin plane
which he flys over the country, keeps his ship at the Lansing, Ill., airport
because of the absence of a suitable hangar at the local airport.
Article transcribed by Steven R. Shook