Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Illinois, Northwestern Chicago area
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 6/1/08.
Allendale Field / Libertyville NOLF (revised 3/25/08) - Arlington NOLF / Arlington Airport (revised 6/1/08)
Half Day NOLF / Chicagoland Airport (revised 3/27/08)
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Half Day Naval Outlying Landing Field / Chicagoland Airport (3CG), Wheeling, IL
42.19 North / 87.93 West (Northwest of Chicago, IL)
A 1945 map of NAS Glenview & its 15 satellite airfields (including Half Day),
courtesy of Dick Ferron (a Naval Aviation Cadet at Glenview in 1945).
No airfield was depicted at this location on a 1939 aerial view.
This field was originally used during WW2 as one of 15 satellite airfields
which support flight training operations at nearby NAS Glenview.
The earliest depiction of Half Day Field which has been located
was on a 1945 map of NAS Glenview & its 15 satellite airfields (courtesy of Dick Ferron).
A WW2-era map of NAS Glenview & its Outlying Fields (including Half Day),
from the book "Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers", by Paul Somers (courtesy of John Voss).
Half Day NOLF was evidently abandoned by the Navy at some point between 1945-46,
as no airfield was depicted at this location on the June 1946 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
Half Day NOLF was evidently reopened during 1946 as the Chicagoland Airport,
as a July 1946 aerial view (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted the field as having a large “CA” marking (presumably for “Chicagoland Airport”).
There were no aircraft or hangars visible on the field,
which appeared to consist of a grass area with several runways in an unusual arrangement.
The earliest chart depiction which has been located of the Chicagoland Airport
was on the December 1948 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described the field as having a 3,500' unpaved runway.
The 1954 Chicago Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Chicagoland as having 4 runways, with the longest being 4,000'.
The 1956 IL Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Chicagoland
as having 4 grass runways,
with the longest being the 4,000' northeast/southwest strip.
Chicagoland was apparently already a very well-used airport by that point,
as in the aerial photo in the 1956 directory showed dozens of aircraft on the field.
A paved taxiway led to a group of small hangars on the northeast corner of the field.
The operators were listed as Chicagoland Airport Inc. & the Pop Goggins Flying Club,
and the manager was listed as Arthur Schelter.
By the time of the 1961 IL Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks),
the northeast/southwest grass runway at Chicagoland had been replaced by a paved (if somewhat shorter) 3,300' strip.
Two other shorter grass runways remained in use,
but the east/west grass runway had been closed.
A large number of aircraft were still depicted in the parking area at the northeast corner of the field.
The number of small hangars had grown, and at least one larger hangar had been added as well.
The operator was listed as Chicagoland Airport Inc.,
and the manager was listed as Arthur Schelter.
Bill Pagett recalled, “I met general aviation legend Max Conrad who was a very frequent visitor to the airport.”
Chicagoland Airport, as depicted on the November 1971 Chicago Sectional Chart.
The 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted a basically unchanged runway configuration for Chicagoland Airport.
An aerial view of Chicagoland Airport from the 1972 IL Airport Directory (courtesy of Bill Pagett).
The directory described Chicagoland as having a single 3,300' paved Runway 4/22,
as well as 2 grass runways.
Over 80 light aircraft were visible parked on the northeast side of the field.
The operator was listed a Chicagoland Airport Inc.,
and the airport manager was listed as Arthur Schelter.
A 1974 aerial view (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Chicagoland Airport perhaps at its height of usage,
with a very large number of aircraft visible parked on the north side of the field,
in addition to those perhaps inside the numerous hangars.
The north/south grass runway had been relocated somewhat to the east compared to the 1972 photo,
moving it away from the buildings on the west side of the property.
Another building had been constructed adjacent to the west side of the airport, however,
presaging the development pressures which would eventually doom the airport.
The 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) described Chicagoland
as having a single 3,280' asphalt Runway 4/22 & two turf runways.
The field was described as providing flight instruction, charter, repairs, and fuel.
The operators were listed as Chicagoland Airport & Whirlwind Propeller Service.
The last depiction of Chicagoland Airport which has been located was on the 1978 USGS topo map (courtesy of David Brooks).
Chicagoland Airport was apparently closed at some point between 1976-79,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 1979 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy).
Charles LaBow (who flew his 1st solo from Chicagoland in 1967) recalled,
"The airport was turned into an industrial park sometime in the 1970s.
One of the first large tenants to build a warehouse was Quill Corporation (a large office supply company).
Their address is 100 Schelter Road, named after Arthur Schelter, the owner of the airport (and very, cranky, old man!)."
A 1988 aerial view showed that heavy development had occurred on the spot of the former airport,
and not a trace appeared to remain of the field.
As seen in the 2002 USGS aerial photo,
not a trace appeared to remain of the former Chicagoland Airport.
However, Bill Pagett reported in 2006, “There still is a reminder of the airport - if you know what you're looking at.
The road located on the northern boundary of the airport is Route 22 / Half Day Road.
With the sale of the airport, the city & state seized the opportunity to straighten out Route 22
and routed it so that the new road would cut through the T-hangars
and just south of the FBO building at the northeast corner of the airport.
Where the rotating beacon was (denoted by the star [on the photo from the 1972 directory])
was a paved circular area around the base of the beacon tower -
portions of the pavement & the concrete base of the beacon tower were never removed
and are visible from the north/south roadway (Route 21, Milwaukee Avenue) just south of the new intersection.”
The site of Chicagoland Airport is located southwest of the intersection of West Half Day Road & Route 45.
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Arlington Naval Outer Landing Field / Field 25610 / Arlington Airport, Arlington Heights, IL
42.06 North / 88 West (Northwest of Chicago, IL)
"Arlington Heights (Navy)", as depicted on the October 1944 Chicago Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Doehring).
The Arlington site has had 3 distinct aviation uses over the years: first a Navy airfield,
then a general aviation airport, and then eventually an Army surface-to-air missile base.
No airfield was yet depicted at this location on a 1938 aerial photo.
Arlington was built during the WW2 era as one of 15 Outlying Fields used by nearby Glenview NAS.
It was designated Field #14 among Glenview's satellite airfields.
Mickey Horndasch of the Arlington Heights Historical Museum
provided a wealth of information about the history of the Arlington site.
In 1942, the Navy requested that 360 acres of land east of Wilke Road & south of Central Road
would be cleared to construct an auxiliary air training station field for the use of NAS Glenview.
The airfield as eventually built was not as large as originally planned.
Construction of housing & a single hangar began in 1943.
A WW2-era aerial view looking northwest at the hangar & administration building at Arlington NOLF (National Archives photo).
According to the “45th Air Defense Artillery Brigade History”, on May 4, 1944, the first German POWs were brought to Arlington Heights.
The "H" building, #T114, was used to house the 17-20 year old German veterans of Rommel’s North African Corps.
Barbed wire enclosed the 2-story wooden building & a soccer field south of the barracks.
A guard detachment of 37 American soldiers under the command of Captain Austin P. Reed was assigned here.
The prisoners were trucked to & from Glenview NAS every day.
Initially they were used to do heavy labor and grounds maintenance, but it was soon discovered that they were good mechanics.
Most were then put to work in the engine overhaul & repair department.
The prisoners numbered more than 200 at the peak.
According to the “45th Air Defense Artillery Brigade History”,
in September 1944, the government bought 94 acres of the site for $25,646,
in addition to another 182 acres which were leased.
The earliest depiction which has been located of the Arlington airfield
on the October 1944 Chicago Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Doehring).
It depicted "Arlington Heights (Navy)" as an auxiliary airfield.
The 1946 Chicago Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted "Arlington Heights (Navy)" as an auxiliary airfield.
By 1947, little remained of the POW camp, other than the buildings, to remind the local residents of its existence.
After the departure of the prisoners & the training aircraft, the government land was declared excess by the Navy.
Arlington Heights again realized the chance for an airport.
However, through a series of disagreements, the land was awarded to a private company.
A 1946 aerial view appeared to show the Arlington airfield after it had been abandoned by the Navy.
The hangar & administration building were located along the north side of the field.
The flying area was a large rectangular grass field, with no distinct runways.
Later, the Navy decided that they wanted the land back,
and through a court action the land was returned to Government control.
The land was then leased as an airport & later a trailer park.
There were plans to convert the “H” building into 20 apartments
for returning World War II veterans and their families, but this never materialized.
"Arlington" was depicted as a civil airport on the 1949 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton),
and was described as having a 2,900' unpaved runway.
The only photo which has been located showing aircraft at the Arlington airfield was a 1952 aerial view.
It depicted the field during its use as a civilian airport,
with a total of 25 light aircraft parked around the hangar,
and another plane on the southeast part of the airfield.
A large number of trailers were also parked just south of the former administration building.
The airfield area appeared to have 2 grass runways, oriented northwest/southeast & northeast/southwest.
In 1953, the U.S. Army began looking for a missile site for the converted 86th Antiaircraft Battalion (Nike)
and a permanent site for the recently activated 45th Antiaircraft Brigade.
In short order this search would lead them to Arlington.
The last depiction on an aeronautical chart which has been located of the Arlington Airport
was on the January 1954 Chicago Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
On April 28, 1954, the Army acquired the Arlington Heights POW Camp from the Navy at no cost
for the construction of the Nike surface-to-air battery C-80 Launch Site.
Two additional small parcels of 12 acres total, southeast of the site on Route 58,
were leased for the construction of two Integrated Fire Control Sites.
This Nike site was one of 17 Nike batteries established to defend the Chicago area.
Construction of site C-80 was begun with the dual launching pits on the old Navy land
and the fire controls on the 2 small parcels of land to the southeast.
HHB, 86th AAA Battalion & Battery A, became an operational missile battalion in March 1955.
The former hangar was reused as the Battalion & Battery headquarters,
the missile support shop, the mess hall (cooking was done outside in a tent) and barber shop.
The “H” building (the former airfield administration building) was reused as the barracks.
In addition to the construction of the missile battery,
the Brigade headquarters building, two enlisted men's barracks, one enlisted women's barracks,
two bachelor officer's quarters, the service club, and two motor pool buildings were constructed.
The 45th AAA Brigade moved from the Museum of Science & Industry to the Arlington Heights Nike Site on August 19, 1957.
The new building constructed as an enlisted women's barracks was never used for that purpose,
but was used as NCO quarters & the Brigade's Drum & Bugle Corps practice room.
This practice room was later converted to the Service Club
and the old Service Club building remodeled into the present NCO Open Mess.
Additional construction plans were drawn to provide for 126 EM quarters,
102 officer quarters, post exchange, clothing sales store, commissary, theater,
swimming pool, gymnasium, bowling alley, NCO & Officers' Open Messes, chapel,
dispensary, and a field maintenance support shop & warehouse.
Other than the latter, these were only plans & were never built.
The site remained virtually unchanged until an additional 44 acres was purchased to house a new Missile Master installation.
On April 6, 1959, BG Peter Schmick, Brigade CG, announced the purchase of the land,
along with plans for the construction of the Command Post, 5 radar towers and supporting buildings, to house the Missile Master.
The official dedication of the nation's first operational automatic electronic weapon system
to coordinate all elements of antiaircraft defense was made on October 28, 1960.
The ceremonies were hosted by BG Frederick W. Ellery.
In 1961, the 755th Air Control & Warning Squadron was moved to Arlington from Williams Bay AFS, Wisconsin,
and activated with AN/FPS-20A, AN/FPS-6, and AN/FPS-6B radars mounted within large domes.
In 1961, the Army's Arlington Nike battery was manned by an estimated 1,000 soldiers of the 45th Artillery Brigade Air Defense.
A 1961 aerial view depicted a dramatic transformation of the Arlington facility compared to the 1952 photo.
The Nike Launch Site was on the west side of the property.
What was the large paved road leading to the 3 paved pads in the center of the facility?
Five large radomes were seen on the northeast side of the property (note the large shadows).
No airfield was depicted at the Arlington site on the June 1962 Chicago Sectional Chart (courtesy of William Pagett).
In 1962 the Arlington site also began SAGE (Semi-Automated Ground Environment) operations.
During the next few Years, the inactivation of the Nike battery & battalion,
the release of the fire control areas & the building of a mess hall, another, barracks, dispensary,
and two office buildings, caused minor changes of the site.
In late 1964, the Village of Arlington Heights hoped to acquire approximately 100 acres
which seemed destined to be declared excess land.
An 18 hole golf course & park were planned.
However, on December 29, 1964, it was decided by ARADCOM
that the entire 145 acres would be retained “for future missile requirements”.
In late 1965 it was decided that some of the 145 acres was excess to the present & future needs of ARADCOM.
However, this was to be the biggest heartbreak of the long battle by Arlington Heights.
From November 1965 to the final sale in February 1968,
there were allegations, congressional interest, misunderstandings, disputes
and bad feelings between the civilian populace & the federal government.
In February 1968, the Navy paid the Army $14,129 for 52 acres which would be used for approximately 160 housing units.
Another 22 acres was leased to the 7th Howitzer, Battalion, 3d Artillery (USAR) for a motor pool, park & training grounds.
This however caused more consternation in Arlington Heights & Rolling Meadows - where were the children to go to school?
In 1969, Glenview NAS lost the $3.5 million programmed for the construction of the housing;
however, the Navy still wanted the housing & was not releasing the land.
The 755th Radar Squadron was deactivated in September 1969,
and the towers were dismantled in the 1970s.
Eventually the Arlington Nike site C-80 was one of those upgraded to the Nike Hercules missile.
In 1972, half of the remaining 183 men stationed at the base
were moved to Fort Sheridan & five buildings were evacuated.
The C-80 Nike battery was deactivated in August 1974.
The last photo which has been located to show the former hangar & airfield administration building was a 1974 aerial view.
The 5 support towers for the former radars still stood on the northeast side of the property,
but the radomes themselves had been removed.
The Nike Launch Site also remained on the west side of the property.
The 2 Integrated Fire Control Sites (out of the picture to the southeast) had been removed at some point between 1961-74.
For several years the Arlington Heights Park District
had been attempting to acquire the 137 acre property, for a regional park.
The plans included a golf course, picnicking & hiking areas
and a storm retention area that would provide for boating & fishing.
In 1974, additional acres of Nike Base were declared surplus by the military.
A 103 acre parcel on the west, south, and east sides of the former airfield was given by the Army to the Arlington Heights Park District,
and was used to create the Arlington Lakes Golf Course, which opened in 1979.
A training center & maintenance building was constructed on the remainder of the property (the center of the former airfield)
for an Army Reserve Unit of 600 men.
A 1988 aerial photo showed significant changes at the property,
with much of the former military infrastructure having been removed, including the hangar & airfield administration building,
erasing the last traces of the former airfield.
The radar towers on the northeast side had also been removed,
along with the Nike launchers.
A circa 2000 aerial photo of the site of the former Arlington NOLF.
According to Mickey Horndasch, "I do not believe there is any trace of the airfield left
(it's probably under one of the holes on the golf course)."
The site is located south of the intersection of West Central Avenue & South Dwyer Avenue.
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Allendale Field / Libertyville Naval Outer Landing Field (LBV), Vernon Hills, IL
42.22 North / 87.95 West (North of Chicago, IL)
A WW2-era map of NAS Glenview & its Outlying Fields (including Allendale/Libertyville),
from the book "Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers", by Paul Somers (courtesy of John Voss).
No airfield was depicted at this location on a 1939 aerial view.
This field was used during the WW2 era as one of 15 Outlying Fields used by nearby Glenview NAS.
It was designated Field #2 among Glenview's satellite airfields.
According to the book "Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers" by Paul Somers (courtesy of John Voss),
this field was originally an unpaved airfield known as Allendale Field,
established in September 1942.
No airfield at this location was yet depicted
on the 1943 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
According to the book "Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers" by Paul Somers (courtesy of John Voss),
in the Summer of 1944 the unpaved runways of Allendale Field were replaced by concrete runways,
and in September 1944 the field was renamed Libertyville Naval Outer Landing Field.
The WW2-era layout of Libertyville NOLF,
from the book "Lake Michigan's Aircraft Carriers", by Paul Somers (courtesy of John Voss).
Libertyville had 4 concrete runways (with the longest being the 2,900' Runway 5/23),
as well as a much shorter Runway 7/25 which featured a "built-in wooden carrier deck catapult & arresting gear."
A 1946 aerial photo of Libertyville (from the Lake County IL Maps Online, courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted the field as having 4 concrete runways, plus the 5th runway with the inset carrier deck with arresting gear.
The field did not have any hangars, nor were any aircraft visible on the field.
"Libertyville (Navy)", as depicted on the December 1948 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
"Libertyville (Navy") was still depicted as an active military airfield
on the 1949 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton).
A 1952 aerial view depicted the site in pretty much the same condition as seen in 1946,
with the only exception being the removal of the carrier deck arresting gear.
A 1953 aerial view depicted the abandoned airfield in an unchanged manner.
The Libertyville airfield was closed by the Navy at some point between 1949-54,
and apparently reused as a private airfield, as that is how "Libertyville" was depicted
on the 1954 Chicago Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The Aerodromes table on the chart described Libertyville as having 4 runways,
with the longest being a 2,891' concrete strip.
Strangely, even though Libertyville was depicted as an active airfield on the front side of the chart,
the remarks in the Aerodromes table on the reverse side of the chart said "Closed to all aircraft."
In the 1950s, the Libertyville site was reused by the Army as a location for a Nike surface-to-air missile battery.
The first operational Chicago-area Nike-Ajax guided missile site was opened in 1954 at Libertyville.
Two Nike missile launch sites (C-92 & C-94) were built
on the northeast & northwest corners of the Libertyville property.
The use of the airfield most likely ceased when the Nike battery was established,
as the missile launchers were situated directly off the northwest end of Libertyville's northwest/southeast runway.
A 1961 aerial view depicted the 2 Nike sites, one on the northwestern & northeastern corners of the airfield.
The runways remained intact,
with several buildings (barracks for the Nike batteries?) having been built in between the runways.
The Libertyville Nike batteries were deactivated in 1963.
By the time of the 1967 Milwaukee Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
the site of the former Libertyville NOLF was labeled "Abandoned airport".
A 1974 aerial photo of Libertyville (from the Lake County IL Maps Online, courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
showed the Nike missile launch batteries which had been built (& subsequently abandoned) on the northwest & northeast corners of the airfield,
as well as the sewage treatment plant had been built over the location of the northeast missile battery at some point between 1961-74.
The Northbrook VORTAC had also been built just north of the runway intersection at some point between 1961-74.
Charles Fleisleber recalled, “I was at this location in the early 1980s.
I was in a USMCR helicopter squadron, HML-776, out of Glenview NAS
which at that time was flying UH-1E's.
I remember going to the field to cut the weeds in the cracks in the field,
cut some weeds & grass around the field and look for major foreign object damage on the runways.
There were small buildings by the east/west runway, but they were in disrepair: widows & doors missing.
The missile silos also were in disrepair.
I remember a large weight on a line stored there to train for helicopter external loads but never saw it used.
I also remember pilots landing on the various shaft covers (not the silos though).
I never saw any other squadrons or aircraft use it during this time.”
Among Glenview's 15 Outlying Fields,
Libertyville was the only one to have its runways still intact as of at least 1994.
Libertyville was closed as a military installation in 1995.
It was labeled on USGS topo maps as "US Military Reservation, Libertyville Training Site."
As of the 1998 USGS aerial photo, the former abandoned concrete runways still existed.
Remains of the Nike missile batteries still remained on the northwest & northeast corners of the field,
along with the Northbrook VORTAC located just north of the runway intersection.
A circa 2000 aerial photo of the still-intact Libertyville airfield.
Note that a new Northbrook VORTAC (113.0) had been added south of the runway intersection,
while the former VOR remained just north of the intersection.
According to nearby resident Ralph Schmidt,
the Vernon Hills office park & a new high school have been built just to the north of the airfield site,
with residential & retail development surrounding the rest of the area.
Police & fire departments have used the former airfield property for various training exercises.
A 2002 USGS aerial photo of the site of the Libertyville airfield, after the runways had been removed.
However, the remains of the Nike missile launch site still remained intact at the northwest corner of the field,
along with the new Northbrook VORTAC station in the center of the property.
As of 2003, according to Daniel Feldman,
Libertyville is "…except for [the VORTAC] - gone - turned into a huge sports complex."
A circa 2006 aeial view showed that the remains of the Nike missile launch complex in the northwest corner
had been removed at some point between 2002-2006.
The only remaining traces of any aviation infrastructure at the Libertyville site
were the VORTAC station in the center of the property,
and the pavement of the Nike launch site at the northeast corner.
A 2007 aerial view showed that construction was complete,
with ballfields covered the majority of the former airfield.
The local government of the Chicago area should be quite proud
of what a good job they've done at erasing their city's aviation heritage.
Within a five year period (1998-2003),
they've managed to completely remove almost all traces of 3 fairly substantial & historic airports:
NAS Glenview, Meigs Field, and Libertyville NOLF.
See also: http://www.dtic.mil/envirodod/derpreport96/vol2/appx/app-a/nara086.html
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