February 1924
An interesting article in the Courier-Reporter, Kennewick, Washington.
Our sister city across the river has been made an air mail station, the service starting July first, being made available by an appropriation by congress of half a million dollars for this branch of the department. The route will be from Elko, Nev., to Pasco and will give the Northwest one day quicker service with eastern points, Kennewick made an effort to have this terminal on this side of the river, as aviators stated that the Kennewick landing fields were much safer than those on the other side.
February 1924
Pasco has asked all the neighboring towns to help them celebrate the inauguration of their airmail service. Kennewick was overlooked. We claim were a big town and should have representation. However, we can show Pasco that we don't hold it against them by having a whooping big delegation over there on April sixth when the first mail plane arrives.
March 1924
Dispatches from Washington, D.C., indicate that Pasco nor any other Northwestern city will receive air mail service this summer as no petitions have been received by the department for the establishment of such service
November 25, 1925
To assist in the development of aviation, and to increase the safety and certainty of air travel, the Standard Oil company, following a suggestion from the office of the chief of air service, the war department, will establish a widespread system of guide signs for aviators along the airways of the Pacific coast states, giving the Pacific coast its only marked airways and the first of the kind in the country. These signs will take the form of names of towns painted on the roofs of the Company's buildings. The company will also offer cooperation with the naval air service, airmail service, and commercial fliers.
March 18, 1926
Art Hodge, local manager for the Standard Oil Co., has received orders to paint the roof of the local station with a huge word Kennewick, in white letters upon a black background, for benefit of aviators. According to instructions, the sign must be ready before April sixth, the date of the opening of the air mail service from Pasco.
April 8th, 1926
Celebrating the inauguration of the last word in transportation, Pasco was host to between five and six thousand people from towns all over the state. The transfer of mail from the old stagecoach to the modern airplane brought forcibly to the attention of the visitors the vast strides that have been made in the past few years in the development of speed.
The old stagecoach took five and a half days to make the trip from Spokane to Pasco while the airplane covers the distance in a mere 90 minutes. However, the old coach made the trip without mishap, while all kinds of trouble have been experienced with the mail planes. The first plane for the new service was put out of commission by a forced landing when in sight of the airport when the pilots were compelled to make a landing in an uncleared field. Both occupants of the machine suffered minor injuries when the plane flopped over after it hit the ground.
The relief plane that was hurried to the field got away in good shape but ran into severe storms in crossing the mountains. The first westbound plane had engine trouble and was lost until today when word was received that a storm had blown the aviator and his ship 75 miles off his course. A forced landing in a wheat field mired his ship and he had to ride 35 miles horseback to a phone to report. A three-hour delay on the main line caused the next ship to miss connections and the schedule is not yet in force. The westbound plane was traveling from Pasco to Elko Nevada.
Thursday, Apr 15, 1926
An announcement was made the last of the week of the withdrawal of the Elko air mail service until such time as the department was convinced that the schedule could be depended upon with reasonable certainty.
Taken from the Kennewick Washington newspaper "Courier-Reporter."
The first mail plane out of Pasco last Tuesday carried a bottle of grape juice to the president and a small crate of Kennewick Evergreen asparagus to the postmaster general. Both packages were accompanied by letters from the Commercial club explaining their purpose.
The president writes to Mr. Rodgers, as president of the Commercial club, as follows: “I want to thank you and the members of the Kennewick Commercial club for their remembrance of me. I know that this fruit juice will be most enjoyable. Further, it is striking evidence of how greatly the speed of communication between different sections of the country has been promoted through the extension of the airmail service.”
“Your letter of April 5, and equally important, the box of splendid Washington asparagus, came to me in perfect condition and equally perfect time. Not only that, let me assure you nothing could have been sent me in the line of edibles that would have been received with greater satisfaction, for asparagus is my prime favorite among vegetables.” I note your reference to me as “the father of a new born babe,” the child being the transcontinental air mail. The baby will need the customary amount of nursing, but I think it is hardy, and I hope it is destined to reach sturdy healthful maturity. “Also, I might add that after looking at the array of Twenty Dollars worth of stamps on the package that this baby is expensive as most others, but it is worth it.
“Many thanks and best wishes.”
The whole purpose of these shipments was to get publicity for these unique Kennewick products. With the splendid work of Congressman Summers, the Associated Press dispatches spread word of the incident all over the country. The Commercial club arranges these communications.
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