| Many of the young men that qualified under this bill and lived in small towns took advantage of the offer, as there was little competition for their Federal dollars. Instructors popped up nearly everywhere with the airplanes of the day — Piper Cubs, Aeronca Champs and Chiefs, and even a few Alon Aircoupes. Sometime during 1945, a military flight instructor named Harry Resch came to St. Francis. With the approval of the city council, he became the first St. Francis airport operator. At the time, the airport was little more than a cow pasture south of town used by everyone who could fly. Resch operated his St. Francis Flying Service aggressively, selling airplanes, giving flight instruction, and writing a weekly article for the St. Francis Herald. In August of 1946, he provided an air show that reportedly drew a crowd of 4,000 to 5,000 people! In the fall of 1946, with aviation interest in the area at a zenith, a ill-fated event occurred in St. Francis. A group of investors formed a new intra-state airline named Kansas Airways, Inc. that was to use airplanes to serve from St. Francis (on the west), to Kansas City (on the east), and Wichita ( to the south). Passengers were to be carried at the rate of 8 cents a mile, which meant that a one-way ticket from St. Francis to Kansas City would cost $27.05. In order to raise the $1,333,000 necessary to capitalize this ambitious undertaking, shares of common stock were sold to citizens of towns along the route at $5.00 per share. This venture was widely considered in St. Francis to be a great idea—it was heartily supported by the Chamber of Commerce, which took out a full-page ad in the paper to trumpet the stock offering. In the end, some flights were flown, but Kansas Airways, Inc., was apparently quite short-lived. However, along with some disappointed investors, it left behind two new hangars that had been constructed to house the two Beechcraft D-18s. The hangars—though not the office building—constructed at that time still stand. The office building was financed by a post-war government program. It was in March of 1947 that Resch hired John Grace, then 29, to help as a flight instructor. At that time, a Piper J-3 Cub could be rented for $6 an hour and an instructor hired for an additional $2 an hour. In 1949, Resch left St. Francis and Grace assumed the duties of Airport Operator. 2,4-D was a new product at this time. This herbicide could be sprayed on wheat to kill weeds without damaging the crop. Grace, intrigued at the promise of this product, spent a summer in Hays with Don Pratt of P.T. Air Service learning about a spraying business. Grace then returned to St. Francis and convinced Howard Sawhill, the local banker, to loan him the money necessary to start an aerial spraying service. With that money, Grace bought a 1942 Boeing PT-17 (Stearman) and installed a spray unit. (The Stearman is still at the airport today.) The spray unit cost more than the airplane – the war surplus Stearman sold for a mere $800.00. A well-restored version today sells for $80,000 - $100,000—if someone willing to sell can be found. Grace continued spraying and giving flight instruction, and added a charter (or Air Taxi) service. Thirteen years later, in 1980, the Cheyenne County Commissioners were empowered by a local election to lease from the City of St. Francis the airport grounds. With a 50 year lease negotiated – and a broader tax base obtained – a county bond election passed overwhelmingly and a new 50 foot wide by 3150 foot long asphalt runway was constructed in the fall of 1980. Shortly thereafter, five local pilots banded together to build a new five-place hangar immediately west of the block office building. In the spring of 1982, Grace Flying Service, Inc., – now owned by John Grace's son Robert – built a new office building and tore down the old one.
In order to make the Cheyenne County Airport more accessible to pilots in inclement weather, a Non-Directional Beacon was installed about 2 ½ miles southeast of the airport. This project was primarily financed by contributions from local citizens and businesses, with help from the funds in the airport mill levy. The new beacon went on the air in February of 1983, and later that year the FAA certified the Instrument Approach.
In less than forty years, the converted cow pasture has grown into a modern, all-weather airport capable of serving the aviation needs of the far-sighted and aviation-oriented citizens of Bird City, St. Francis, and Wheeler.
This information was excerpted from the book Cheyenne County History. If you are interested in the full history, this book can be found at the St. Francis Public Library. |
