Today in Wheeling History: February 6 - Ground was broken for the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, marking the beginning of a major aviation development for the region (1939).
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport represented a culmination of efforts led by Edward W. Stifel Sr. (1869-1947), a prominent Wheeling industrialist and president of J.L. Stifel & Sons textile manufacturing company. Stifel had been working since 1931 to establish an airport for Wheeling. The project was made possible through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), with the Ohio County Board of Commissioners, including Commissioner Thomas Gavin, serving as sponsors. Gavin, along with fellow commissioners Ed J. Lally and Tom Garden, played a crucial role in securing county support for the project. The initial ceremony featured Gavin and Stifel turning the first earth at the site, which sat 1,200 feet above sea level. The construction required moving an unprecedented 4.5 million cubic yards of dirt to create the runways. The total cost was approximately $2.28 million, with federal participation through the WPA contributing $1,082,511, the Civil Aeronautics Authority providing $723,000, and Ohio County investing $473,130. The airport's original engineer was Sidney Smith of C.C. Smith Sons Company, who supervised the initial construction done by Keeley Construction Company. The site was chosen for its elevation above the fog line, its position on the radio beam between Columbus and Pittsburgh, and its freedom from obstacles in all directions. The project would take seven years to complete, with the airport being dedicated as Stifel Field on November 1, 1946.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/2va6jp3j) (https://tinyurl.com/25wd4mrf), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/26zt7xpd), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2tbs7w8k), Aviation View Magazine (https://tinyurl.com/ycxhpv88), West Virginia Aviation Economic Impact Study (https://tinyurl.com/3acjv84p), The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/3yur5paz) (https://tinyurl.com/37ncx9mt), Airline Archives (https://tinyurl.com/nw499ym3), Business View Magazine (https://tinyurl.com/3bch8juy), AOPA (https://tinyurl.com/wt87e6f7), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2wvtjcm4), Weirton Daily Times ( (https://tinyurl.com/bdfbm9ja)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport represented a culmination of efforts led by Edward W. Stifel Sr. (1869-1947), a prominent Wheeling industrialist and president of J.L. Stifel & Sons textile manufacturing company. Stifel had been working since 1931 to establish an airport for Wheeling. The project was made possible through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), with the Ohio County Board of Commissioners, including Commissioner Thomas Gavin, serving as sponsors. Gavin, along with fellow commissioners Ed J. Lally and Tom Garden, played a crucial role in securing county support for the project. The initial ceremony featured Gavin and Stifel turning the first earth at the site, which sat 1,200 feet above sea level. The construction required moving an unprecedented 4.5 million cubic yards of dirt to create the runways. The total cost was approximately $2.28 million, with federal participation through the WPA contributing $1,082,511, the Civil Aeronautics Authority providing $723,000, and Ohio County investing $473,130. The airport's original engineer was Sidney Smith of C.C. Smith Sons Company, who supervised the initial construction done by Keeley Construction Company. The site was chosen for its elevation above the fog line, its position on the radio beam between Columbus and Pittsburgh, and its freedom from obstacles in all directions. The project would take seven years to complete, with the airport being dedicated as Stifel Field on November 1, 1946.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/2va6jp3j) (https://tinyurl.com/25wd4mrf), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/26zt7xpd), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2tbs7w8k), Aviation View Magazine (https://tinyurl.com/ycxhpv88), West Virginia Aviation Economic Impact Study (https://tinyurl.com/3acjv84p), The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/3yur5paz) (https://tinyurl.com/37ncx9mt), Airline Archives (https://tinyurl.com/nw499ym3), Business View Magazine (https://tinyurl.com/3bch8juy), AOPA (https://tinyurl.com/wt87e6f7), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2wvtjcm4), Weirton Daily Times ( (https://tinyurl.com/bdfbm9ja)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV
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