Legs and free rides at airport dedication; Big Give update

The post office applies a special cancellation to commemorate a Tri-State Air Tour, on Oct. 4, 1954. The tour was part of the dedication of McCook’s airport.

Courtesy photo

Before I finish the conversation concerning the McCook Municipal Airport, I want to update all the generous Big Give participants that gave to either the genealogical society or the Museum of the High Plains. The 2023 donations to SWNGS were dedicated to ensuring all veterans graves are noted and it is an ongoing project that has not been completed to date.

Searching old newspapers, obituaries and military records is time consuming but we are marching on. The 2024 donations to SWNGS are being used to purchase equipment to turn microfilm copies of local newspapers in to digital copies saved on thumb drives and is moving along much faster. Once the equipment is in place a laborious process of copying 130 years of microfilm will occur.

As to the museum, the 2023 donations that were requested for roof replacement have helped with the installation of a new roof on the main museum. We have already seen an improvement in temperature control. The 2024 Big Give donations were for replacement of three of the windows in the historic Carnegie Library. Currently the supplier for the windows has confirmed measurements and the windows are ordered. Installation will take place in the spring.

Big Give does not require a response as other grants do, but everyone appreciates knowing that their monies are being put to effective use. Thank you so much.

The following articles come from the McCook Daily Gazette.

“Governor Crosby To Dedicate City Airport Oct 4. Governor Crosby will be on hand Oct. 4 to help dedicate McCook’s recently improved municipal airport, Clark Jorgensen, secretary-manager of the Chamber of Commerce, announced today. The dedication activity will also include a three-state air tour which will begin in McCook. Between 50 and 100 planes are expected at McCook and other aircraft will join the flight as they pass over Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. The tour is being sponsored by flying organizations from the three states. At 6 p.m. a dinner is planned to be followed by the dedication ceremonies at 8 p.m. Free night rides will be given. The pilots will eat breakfast as a group Oct. 5 and will leave here for Sidney which is the first leg of their tri-state flight.” 8/30/1954

Weather played a part in the dedication, but the tri-state tour did take off. Governor Crosby accompanied the tour traveling as far as Spearfish but did not participate in the whole 6 day tour. Crosby arrived in McCook on October 4th by helicopter, the only one, a H-23 Hiller, in the Nebraska Army National Guard. His pilot was Capt. Robert Wittstruck, and he performed aerobatics for the crowd despite the windy, cloudy skies.

On the evening of the 4th, the dedication ceremony included a Can-Can dance performed by Jean Siefert, Betty Harmon, Betty Grant, Ernestine Bush, Jean Peterson, and Jo Barger. A photo of their performance under the heading of “Legs and Free Rides At Dedication” is shown in the Gazette but was too blurry to share with you. They performed in the chilly weather representing the Gaslight Gaieties show. Free rides, despite the strong chilly winds, were given by the Flying Farmers.

Governor Crosby summed up the importance of the new airport in his speech: “The governor spoke during ceremonies dedicating the new facilities at the airport that will permit eventual multi-engine plane service at McCook.” He later spoke claiming that “in today’s transportation picture they were as necessary as highways.” 08/05/1954.

And so, with the dedication, McCook joined the airports able to supply commercial air services due to the improvements of their runway and building. It was an important journey for our city, one that continues to be both challenging and rewarding today.