Airport in Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Original Port Columbus Airport Terminal
1929-1958
Inscription.
The original Port Columbus Airport terminal was founded by the people of Columbus and was one of the first airport facilities in the United States. Dedicated on July 8, 1929, Port Columbus was the first transfer point in the westbound transcontinental passenger service, which was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), and the Santa Fe Railway. Its first passengers departed by rail from New York City on July 7, 1929, and boarded TAT Ford Tri-Motor aircraft at Port Columbus to fly to Waynoka, Oklahoma, the following day. They then traveled by rail to Clovis, New Mexico, and completed their journey with a TAT flight to Los Angeles. The scheduled 48-hour trip was celebrated in Columbus, marking the beginning milestone of national airport travel.
With the nation sinking into the Great Depression, the national air travel venture at Port Columbus was not profitable enough. As a result, the scheduled train-plane operation was suspended and replaced with coast-to-coast air service in 1930. The arrival of mail service at the airport in 1930 helped, as did a huge contract with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation
in 1940. Curtiss-Wright leased 83 acres of airport property to produce 6,000 planes, including the SB2C Helldiver and SO3C-1 Seagull aircraft. The federal government took over airport operations in 1941. In 1942 a Naval Air Facility was established adding several new buildings and lengthening runways. This building served as the passenger terminal until the present terminal opened on September 21, 1958.
Erected 2007 by Columbus Historical Society /The Burkley Showe Family, The Columbus Regional Airport Authority, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 94-25.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce • Military • Notable Places • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection, and the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is July 2008.
Location. 39° 59.204′ N, 82° 52.29′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County. It is in Airport. Marker is on Fifth Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker is near the southeast corner of the Port Columbus Airport complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4920 East Fifth Street, Columbus OH 43219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker
, measured as the crow flies. Norton Field (approx. one mile away); Forest Lawn Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.2 miles away); Columbus Depot (approx. 1½ miles away); John Clark House (approx. 2.2 miles away); The Underground Railroad (approx. 2.2 miles away); Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial (approx. 2.2 miles away); Log House (approx. 2.2 miles away); Gahanna Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 3,190 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 20, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on October 29, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 20, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 6. submitted on October 29, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.