Goleta in Santa Barbara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Earle Ovington Terminal

Photographed by Duane Hall, June 30, 2013

1. Earle Ovington Terminal Marker

Inscription. Santa Barbara Airport Terminal is hereby named Earle Ovington Terminal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to aviation and his part in the development of aviation in Santa Barbara.

Earle Ovington was the first pilot to carry air mail in the U.S.—a 7 mile flight from Garden City to Mineola, Long Island, N.Y. on September 23, 1911—under official assignment by Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock.

Earle Ovington developed and operated the first airport in Santa Barbara—known as Ovington Air Terminal—now the community golf course area.

The first commercial flight from Santa Barbara was made on August 1, 1931 from Ovington Air Terminal to Los Angeles.

Dated August 30, 1969
Gerald S. Firestone, Mayor

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. In addition, it is included in the Postal Mail and Philately series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1842.

Location. 34° 25.527′ N, 119° 50.17′ W. Marker is in Goleta, California, in Santa Barbara County. It can be reached from Fowler Avenue 0.3 miles west of S. Fairview Avenue. Marker is located at the north end of the Santa Barbara Airport terminal building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 Fowler Ave, Goleta CA 93117, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on California’s Central Coast,

specifically on the Coast Ranges,

and specifically in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ovington's Hangar (approx. 0.9 miles away); Sexton House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Goleta Depot (approx. 1½ miles away); Cathedral Oaks Schoolhouse, 1877 (approx. 2.9 miles away); Barnsdall-Rio Grande Gas Station and Restaurant (approx. 3.7 miles away); Hope House (approx. 3.8 miles away); Japanese Attack (approx. 4.1 miles away); a different marker also named Japanese Attack (approx. 4.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Goleta.

Also see . . . Earle Ovington: Pilot of the First Official Airmail Flight in the United States. Smithsonian National Postal Museum entry (Submitted on November 18, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed by Duane Hall, June 30, 2013

2. Earle Ovington Terminal Marker

Earle Ovington Terminal image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane Hall, June 30, 2013

3. Earle Ovington Terminal

At north end of Santa Barbara Airport terminal

Earle Ovington image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Smithsonian National Postal Museum, September 23, 1911

4. Earle Ovington

"Earle Ovington receives a bag of mail at the International Aviation Tournament in Garden City, New York, where he took off for the first official airmail flight in the United States."

Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,315 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 31, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. 4. submitted on November 18, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.