It was a far-sighted Dan Fain who offered a square mile of land north of Prescott for use as an airport under a ten-year lease. Previously, “aeroplanes” would have to search for a suitable, level place to land, sometimes using Prescott’s target range. But in its earliest days, Prescott’s airport was little more than a cow range littered with prairie dog holes.
So when an Army airplane circled Prescott unable to locate the airport, it was obvious that improvements were needed. This prompted the Kiwanis club to appoint an aviation committee for this purpose, which the Chamber of Commerce adopted as its aviation committee as well, and improvements started quickly.
“Prescott has become air-minded almost overnight,” the Prescott Evening Courier observed.
Love Field, “in a little more than a year…has gained widespread recognition as a Class A airport…”
A telephone line was a necessity. At first, the city of Prescott set aside $400 for this purpose, but Mountain Bell absorbed the expense.
Next was the need for a hangar. Subscriptions were taken by selling 3000 tickets at 50 cents each. Six tickets were drawn for free airplane rides during the dedication weekend—a rare treat at that time. “All of the money raised, except that directly applicable to the expenses that will have to be incurred in the dedication ceremonies, will…go toward the erection of a first-class hangar at the field,” the paper explained.
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| At first, planes were refueled by tanker trucks. |
Grace Sparkes, of the Yavapai Chamber of Commerce, encouraged everyone in the city to buy a ticket or two “because every ticket purchased will help toward accumulating money enough to build a hangar,” she said. “It will mean that more and more planes will come to Prescott.”
A dedication ceremony for the airport was planned, with the facility named in honor of Ernest A. Love. Love was a First Lieutenant and World War 1 fighter pilot who was shot down near Verdun, France, after completing more than 20 combat missions. He died September 16, 1918, at the age of 23 from the injuries sustained.
The Aviation Committee sent out scores of invitations to aviation fields, state officials, and other VIPs asking them to send planes to the dedication. These invitations included information on all the events planned over the weekend. “Prescott’s welcome to visiting airmen came to be a byword” around the region’s aviators, the paper reported.
Prescott donated $200 (over $3900 today) “to help defray the expenses of visiting airmen for the official dedication. More than 30 planes from [both] government and private fields are coming,” the Courier announced. “Gail Gardner, an ex-air service man, [was placed] in charge.” Gardner was a school chum of Ernest Love.
By dinnertime Friday, 27 airplanes had already arrived from Texas, Utah, New Mexico, and California, including 11 Army and 2 Navy aircraft, as well as 14 owned privately. One private plane had to make an emergency landing at Congress Junction to repair a leaking oil line. After the fix, they navigated to Prescott by following White Spar Road. One Army plane refueled in Phoenix and followed the SFP&P railroad tracks to Prescott.
The military personnel (including mechanics) were treated to dinner at the Hassayampa, followed by an informal dance Friday night. “Quarters for the city’s guests [were] reserved at the Yavapai Club, the Hassayampa, the Head [Hotel], St. Michael, and the Owl Hotel,” the Courier explained.
Saturday morning, more aircraft arrived. It was “the greatest gathering of planes ever seen on an Arizona field,” the Courier crowed. “All sat in a line along the side of the short landing T at the [air]port.” The visiting airmen thrilled citizens by flying over the city in formation early that morning.
Saturday's program started at 1:30 with a band concert. Then the national anthem was sung. After an invocation, Mayor Seale gave a welcome, followed by a few words by the ranking officer of the Air Corps. “Prominent speakers, including county, city and visiting officials [took] part,” the paper explained. “The Junior Chamber of Commerce of Prescott [furnished the] musical entertainment.” Concurrently, a band concert was held on the Plaza, “in addition to the other festivities,” the paper revealed. Planes were inspected, and people could pay for an airplane ride. Each day, three lucky 50-cent ticket holders were treated to a free flight.
Saturday night featured an “Aviation Dance” where the visiting airmen were admitted for free. They also were allowed free admission to the movies at the Elks Theater. The dance was organized by Lester Ruffner, who presided as toastmaster. Governor Hunt attended, as did several Army and Navy aviators. In fact, the dinner at the Hassayampa was attended by far more than expected. People “spilled over into the Coffee Shop, the lobby, and the hotel corridor,” the paper reported. There was room for 200, but 350 appeared, and while the extra crowd could not be served dinner, “they were enabled to hear the program, a most delightful one,” the paper noted. Ruffner displayed “his rare humor,” adding to the pleasure of the affair. Mayor Seale pointed out that just 65 years previous, covered wagons entered Prescott, camping on the Plaza.
It was Sunday at 1:30 when the formal dedication took place. “Despite winds of almost gale-like velocity, it was attended by a crowd of approximately 500 people,” the Courier noted. After an introduction of the airport, the National Anthem was sung; Governor Hunt and Senator Ashurst headlined several speakers.
The Fain family had second thoughts about the ten-year lease and, instead, generously donated the entire square mile parcel. Norman, son of Dan Fain, “stated that all business, even the cattle business, is related closely to aviation…and is a sound investment and not a mere title serving a worthy purpose,” the paper documented.
“He then passed the deed to the field over to Otto F Orthel, President of the [Yavapai] Chamber of Commerce, who stated briefly that the county now holds the grounds in trusteeship, and that as such great advantages would be derived by the residents of the county as a whole.”
Then Gail Gardner, “the man who had played an important role in making all arrangements for the dedication ceremony [and] a schoolmate of Ernest Love, outlined the life of his departed friend and then stood by in silence as a bugler performed performed at the unveiling of the copper plate made by the hands of intimate friends of Love that it might be a monument to the past and and inspiration of the future,” the paper recorded. “There, before the uncovered spectators, was a small mound of native granite rocks, cemented together, and bearing a simple copper tablet, which [read]:
Ernest A. Love
Airport
Prescott, Ariz.
Dedicated
August 26, 1928
Gardner then presented the visiting airmen with copper matchbox holders as a memento.
It was estimated that at least 900 cars visited the field over the weekend, with 662 coming during the dedication. The Scenic Airways plane took around 200 people into the air— for most, their first airplane ride.
The dedication was a complete success, and a weekend that made Prescott proud.
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SOURCES:
Prescott Evening Courier:
8/24/1928: Pg. 1, Cols. 3 & 4; Pg. 7, Col. 4; Pg. 8, Col. 2.
8/25/1928: Pg. 1, Cols. 3 & 7-8; Pg. 6, Col. 2.
8/27/1928: Pg. 1, Col. 5; Pg. 5, Cols. 1-3.
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