Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Ohio: Akron area
© 2002, © 2007 by Paul Freeman. Revised 9/2/07.
Blatter Airport (revised 2/8/04) - Martin Airport / Canton City Airport (revised 9/2/07)
McKinley Airport (revised 6/9/07) - Taylorcraft Factory Airfield
____________________________________________________
40.83 North / 81.31 West (South of Cleveland, OH)
McKinley Airport was depicted as a commercial or municipal airport
on the February 1941 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
McKinley Airport was apparently established at some point between 1928-33,
as it was not yet depicted on a 1928 City & County Map compiled for J.H. Holl, City Engineer (courtesy of Jim Bailey).
The earliest depiction of McKinley Airport which has been located
was on the June 1933 Airways Map (according to Hans Friedebach).
The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described McKinley as a commercial airport consisting of a rectangular sod field measuring 2,700' x 2,650'.
"Canton" was said to be painted on a building roof.
McKinley Air, Inc. was founded in 1934,
according to a 6/12/03 news release from CAK Airport (according to Jim Bailey).
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described McKinley as a commercial airport consisting of a rectangular sod field measuring 2,700' x 2,650'.
"McKinley" was said to be painted on the hangar roof.
In 1940, McKinley Airport (144 acres in size at the time) was considered for expansion
by the Civil Aeronautics Administration as part of an expansion of national defense facilities,
but it was not chosen for this (the present-day Akron-Canton Regional Airport was constructed instead.
The earliest depiction of McKinley Airport which has been located
was on the February 1941 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Starting in 1941, the manager of McKinley Airport has been George Swayze,
according to an article in the November 1945 issue of Airports Magazine (courtesy of George Swayze).
The April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
described McKinley Airport as having a 3,200' unpaved runway.
According to the recollection of Jim Bailey,
"One runway most likely was where Long Ave Northeast now is.
That would have been 2,200', angled northwest/southeast, roughly parallel to nearby Millvale Avenue.
A possible second runway may have been the straight section of Cliftmont Avenue,
2,600' in length & closer to true north.
Several hangars were along Millvale Avenue."
An undated photo of the McKinley Airport operations office,
from the November 1945 issue of Airports Magazine (courtesy of George Swayze).
The Haire Publishing Company's 1945 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described McKinley as a "class 2" airport, owned by Otis Clay & operated by McKinley Air Transport.
The airport manager was listed as George Swayze.
The field was said to have 4 sod runways,
with the longest being the 3,200' northeast/southwest strip.
The field was said to have 2 hangars,
and it was also said to offer repairs, storage, training, and fuel.
A advertisement for McKinley Air Transport Inc.,
from the November 1945 issue of Airports Magazine (courtesy of George Swayze).
An undated photo of a Piper & a Cessna (in Civil Air Patrol markings) at McKinley Airport,
from the November 1945 issue of Airports Magazine (courtesy of George Swayze).
An article in the magazine noted that Swayze had 6 training planes, with 5 new planes on order,
and that the airport consisted of 114 acres.
McKinley Airport evidently was closed by 1953,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the June 1953 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
It had been replaced by the new Akron-Canton Regional Airport.
McKinley Air evidently relocated to the new Akron-Canton Regional Airport when it opened
[where it remains in business as of 2004].
As seen in the 1994 USGS aerial photo,
the southern half of the site of the former McKinley Airport has been covered by housing,
while the north end of the property remains more open.
But no remnants of the former airport appear to remain.
A 2001 street map of Canton, annotated by Jim Bailey to show the location of the former McKinley Airport.
McKinley Airport was bounded on the south by Mahoning Road Northeast,
on the west by Richmond Avenue Northeast, on the north by Lesh Street Northeast,
and on the east by Millvale Avenue Northeast.
____________________________________________________
Martin Airport / Canton City Airport (5D4), Canton, OH
40.85 North / 81.32 West (South of Cleveland, OH)
An aerial view of Martin Airport from The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
According to Howard Fauss, "Martin was built & operated by Roy Poorman
who also had a home & factory on the field.
Later there were several operators including John Sickfoose."
Martin Field may have been established at some point between 1937-38,
as it was not yet listed among active airfields in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy)
or The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
The earliest reference to Martin Airport which has been located
was in The Airport Directory Company's 1938 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Martin as a commercial field, located 5 miles northeast of the center of Canton on Route 62.
The field was said to consist of a 4,000' x 2,500' rectangular sod field,
on which were located 4 runways, with the longest being a 3,700' east/west strip.
The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Martin Field in the same fashion.
An advertisement for Martin Field's Canton Aviation Company,
from The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Martin Field was depicted as a commercial or municipal airport
on the February 1941 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Bob Carll recalled of Martin Field, "That's where my father flew for the first time
and logged 10 hour flying time while attending Mount Union College in Alliance OH.
He was in the Army Air Corps attending college prior to becoming an officer.
He was at this college in 1943 & flew his flights out of Canton at Martin Field.
My Dad wrote a book about all this training it took to become a pilot & he detailed his work while in college.
He mentions his flying instructor James Shrake & the Piper Cubs they flew.
He even mentions the manager of the airfield at the time as Othar Keil
and shows a picture of his Ryan Sportster Airplane & how he would take it up and give them a show."
Martin Field was described in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
as having a 3,200' unpaved runway.
The Haire Publishing Company's 1945 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Martin Field as a "class 2" airport, owned by Harry Renkert.
It was said to be operated by Canton Aviation Company, and managed by Noah Sharpe.
It was said to consist of a total of 147 acres,
and to have 4 sod runways, with the longest being a 3,000' northeast/southwest strip.
The field was said to offered charter, training, repairs, fuel, and 2 hangars,
Martin Field was still depicted as an active airfield on the July 1956 Cleveland Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The 1956 OH Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Martin Field as having four runways,
with the longest being the 3,000' northeast/southwest strip.
A total of six buildings (hangars?) were depicted along the east side of the field.
The manager was listed as S. Tucker,
and the businesses on the field were the Poorman Aircraft Repair Service & Brutuc Aviation Company.
Martin Field was evidently closed at some point between 1956-57,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the January 1957 or January 1958 Cleveland Sectional Charts (according to Chris Kennedy).
Keith Alves recalled, “In the summer of 1961, my instructor, Louis Melter (Owner Operator of Solon Airport)
wanted to go down to Martin Field to talk to Roy Poorman about an early Super Cub he had dismantled.
We took a J-3 down there, it was about 40 miles from Solon.
When we got over the field I couldn't find it...
BUT, it was because there was only a small east-west path from the hangar line to the dump at the west end of the field.
At that time there was a jump club operating out of Martin.
They had a beater [Cessna] 182 they hauled their jumpers with.”
Keith continued, “We went to the main hangar & found Roy.
The hangar itself was turned into a machine shop with all kinds of machines turning out hardware like screws & bolts and such.
Louie had known Roy for many years (2 old birds) & catch-up time went on for a while.
After a chat, Roy took us down the hangar line to another hangar that had a T-type hangar right behind it.
In those days, airport construction was a run-on affair with a building here - later being stretched or added on to there.
I will never forget walking into the large section of the hangar.
There in the rafters were 2 or 3 complete UC-78 Cessna Bobcats.
Roy told us that he thought there would be a good market for them right after the war & bought them.
As things turned out-the post war aviation boom blew out that scheme.”
Keith continued, “We then worked our way down through the T-sections (all adjoined).
Each section was full of Bobcat & Stearman parts – tails, engines, wings, and stuff.
Most impressive was a portion of the building that Roy had stacked with wooden props - like cordwood.
As things worked out, the Super Cub was in pretty sad shape for the money Roy wanted for it -
so we just said goodbye & went back to Solon.
Even though Martin Field was off the charts for a time -
there was always aircraft in & out of there hauling jumpers - or coming in for maintenance.”
Martin Field was still not depicted at all on the May 1963 Cleveland Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The airfield was evidently reopened at some point between 1963-64 as "Canton City",
as that is how is was labeled on the November 1964 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It was depicted as having a 2,700' unpaved runway.
Canton City Airport was evidently closed (again) at some point in the following year,
as it was not depicted at all on the May 1965 Cleveland Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The field evidently reopened within the next year once again under its original name of Martin Field,
as that is how it was listed in the 1966 OH Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Martin as having four sod runways,
with the longest being the 2,700' northwest/southeast strip.
Note that the north/south runway has evidently been relocated at some point between 1956-66,
as it was now depicted on the west side of the field.
A total of six buildings (hangars?) were depicted along the east side of the field.
The operator was listed as the Canton Aviation Center,
and the managers were listed as J. Sickfoose & H. Baad.
Martin Airport, as depicted on the May 1968 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The 1972 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) showed that the 1,500' north/south runway
had been relocated, from the west side of the field, to the center of the field.
By the time of the 1985 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
the north/south & northwest/southeast runways had been abandoned,
leaving the field with 2 active runways.
The operator was listed as Canton Air Sports,
which was described as conducting parachute operations daily.
In the 1994 USGS aerial photo, the airport was still open.
A total of six light single-engine aircraft were visible on the ramp.
In addition to the 2 active runways, traces of the abandoned northwest/southeast runway were still perceptible.
The 1996 USGS topo map depicted Martin Field as having 4 unpaved runways,
with several hangars on the east side of the field.
According to Howard Fauss, "Martin closed in about 1997 to become a corn field."
The reason for the airport's closure has not been determined.
In a 2006 aerial view of the site of Martin Field, annotated by Chris Kennedy to show the former runways,
which are no longer distinguishable.
The former hangars remain standing on the east side of the field.
A 2007 photo by Tim Boger looking northeast at 2 former hangars at the site of Martin Airport.
The lettering on the larger hangar reads “Canton Aviation Company”, along with a second line that is not readable.
Tim reported, “A sad sight it is today. The 2 original hangars are still standing & abandoned.
Weeds are growing everywhere. The runways have corn growing in them.”
A 2007 photo by Tim Boger looking east at the former hangars at the site of Martin Airport.
Martin Airport is located west of the intersection of East Columbus Road Northeast & East Center Drive Northeast.
____________________________________________________
Blatter Airport (OH23), Orrville, OH
40.86 North / 81.79 West (South of Cleveland, OH)
Blatter Airport, as depicted on the May 1963 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
Photo of the airport while open has not been located.
According to the University of Akron's web site (via Blandon Ray),
Maynard Blatter purchased a farm on this property in 1947.
He eventually created an airfield, known as "Blatter's Field".
The date of construction of the airfield has not been determined,
but it was evidently built at some point between 1960-62,
as it was not yet depicted on the February 1960 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The earliest reference to Blatter Airport which has been located
was in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory.
It described Blatter as having a single 3,000' sod Runway 12/30,
and listed the operator as Maynard Blatter.
The runway at Blatter was apparently paved within the next year,
as the May 1963 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)
described Blatter Airport as having a 3,100' hard-surface runway.
Blatter's Field was at first used by local flying buffs,
and eventually became a municipal airport, operated by a local flying group.
Blatter Airport was depicted in the 1966 OH Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as having a single 3,150' bituminous runway,
with 2 hangars on the northeast side of the field.
Orville Air Service was said to conduct major repairs & provide flight instruction.
The manager was listed as Maynard Blatter.
The last depiction which has been located of Blatter Airport as an active airfield
was on the May 1968 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
In 1970, a 157-acre property (including the airport) was purchased by The Orrville Branch University Foundation
and four days later given to The University of Akron,
for the purpose of establishing a college campus in Orville.
This came to fruition in 1972, when Wayne College opened,
but the airport continued to operate within the college property.
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
described Blatter as having a single 3,100' asphalt Runway 12/30.
Blatter Airport was closed in 1986,
"when it became too expensive to operate", according to the college.
[Translation: this most likely meant that continuing to operate an airport
had become an annoyance to the new college.]
Blatter Airport was depicted as an abandoned airfield
on the 1993 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Blandon Ray).
In the 1994 USGS aerial photo, the airport was already closed.
The airfield consisted of a single 2,700' paved runway, which was clearly marked with three "X" closed-runway symbols.
A total of 3 hangars were located north of the runway.
As of 1997, the University of Akron reportedly continued to use the runway for police training procedures,
and an airplane hangar was used in a training drill for the Environmental Health & Safety program.
Blatter Airport is located west of the intersection of North Crown Hill Road & Back Massillon Road.
Thanks to Blandon Ray for pointing out this airfield.
____________________________________________________
Taylorcraft Factory Airfield, Alliance, OH
40.94 North / 81.09 West (Southeast of Cleveland, OH)
Taylorcraft Field, as depicted on the 1943 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
This abandoned airfield was the former factory airfield of the Taylorcraft Corporation,
a light aircraft manufacturer with a tumultuous history.
The site was first used as an airfield in 1928, by another aircraft manufacturer, the Hess-Argo Company.
Aubrey & Adrian Hess developed the Argo engine at the Morgan Engineering Company in 1928,
and they former the Hess-Argo Company to manufacture a plane powered by their engine.
They developed a small plant & flying field north of North Benton Road.
The office was located where the Armour guard office is now located.
No runways were built - their planes took off & landed from an open field.
A Hess-Argo biplane, produced in Alliance.
Their first aircraft was introduced in mid 1928 as the "Bluebird Sport"
and later officially designated as the Hess Argo.
It was a two-place, open cockpit biplane.
But the company was in operation only about a year.
At the peak about 50 or 60 men were employed, and 28 biplanes were produced.
Adrian Hess was killed in piloting an Argo in a test flight.
The stock market crash of 1929 forced the newly organized company into bankruptcy.
In the spring of 1930, J. E. Foster of Detroit took over the Hess assets & started the Foster Aircraft Company.
But the depression prevented the company from ever getting ahead.
Not more than 15 men were employed at the peak, and only 2 planes were produced.
The company only operated for a few weeks before folding up,
and the flying field lay idle again.
The next user of the Alliance site was Taylorcraft.
The story of Taylorcraft Corporation begins with the story of Gilbert Taylor,
who might have become the Henry Ford of the aviation industry in the production of small airplanes,
but fate decreed otherwise for both himself & his company.
In 1935, when Gilbert Taylor split from his partnership with Piper,
he was looking to relocate from his facilities in Bradford, PA.
Taylor learned of the idle airfield north of Alliance.
The Chamber of Commerce lined up the building & machinery of the former Hess-Argo Company,
secured a loan, and moved Taylor’s equipment to Alliance.
Several years later the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation built intersecting runways of approximately 1,000'.
These were extended to 2,500' by subsequent owners.
A Taylorcraft.
Taylorcraft started operations in Alliance producing a newly designed side-by-side Taylorcraft plane,
as contrasted with the tandem which he had designed at Bradford & which Piper had taken over.
Piper threatened suit against Taylor allegedly for infringing his rights,
but Taylor was within his rights in producing his newly designed plane.
Under Taylor’s presidency Taylorcraft Corporation grew to a production of eight planes a day & 750 employees,
one of the major industries of Alliance.
A fire occurred in the fall of 1939 or 1940 which burned numerous airplanes,
but Taylor was not disturbed by the loss of the planes,
but was greatly upset by the death of a young man, C. Woods of Limaville,
who went back into a burning hangar to save a plane,
and got so badly burned that he died.
Taylor’s management was continuously beset by financial & organizational difficulties.
Men kept working into the organization who gave him trouble.
Richard Depew was Vice-President in 1939.
Depew’s name was handwriting on the wall as he was the protégé of Fairchild interests,
eastern financiers, who took over when C. G. Taylor withdrew in 1942.
By that time Taylor’s interest had dropped from 100% to 13%,
but the growth of the company was such that the 13% was larger than the original 100%.
Fairchild sold out its interest to a new group.
Management of the Taylorcraft Corporation changed hands four times during the 11 years of operation.
The last management was that of Nash Russ of Detroit.
The Nash management kept expanding at a terrific pace.
During WW2 the company built flaps & other aircraft parts for Douglas.
Taylorcraft was depicted as a commercial airfield
on the 1943 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
After WW2 there was a runaway market.
The industry built 34,000 planes in one year, and Taylorcraft was going like a house afire.
Production of airplanes got up to 30 a day, with 1,800 employed.
Wonderful new buildings were erected.
The main building had total length of 1,717'.
Twenty-one buildings had 385,000 square feet of floor space, and the land area was 244 acres.
But the light aircraft industry had over-produced.
Suddenly the market dropped out from under the industry,
and Taylorcraft found itself with 90 planes on the field & going begging with no buyers.
In 1946, 593 employees were dropped, following a bankruptcy filing.
The filing of the petition automatically froze all available assets.
The petition for bankruptcy proceedings was denied,
and the company's assets were liquidated.
Armour & Company secured the land & buildings.
L. P. Kulka of Alliance bought the Taylorcraft jigs, equipment, goodwill, and rights to manufacture the aircraft.
He was acting for a group of Taylorcraft distributors & dealers in purchasing the rights to manufacture,
which Kulka did to keep Taylor in Alliance
(but they apparently operated at a location other than the former factory).
The Taylorcraft field was no longer depicted on the 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The runways at the Taylorcraft factory were not depicted at all on the 1957, 1982, or 1996 USGS topo maps.
Ed Drury recalled landing a Cessna 172 at the Taylorcraft factory airstrip, "years after it was closed.
I had a project for my company in Alliance
and arranged to meet a guy whose office was very close to the former airport.
He assured me there would be no problem landing there & there wasn't.
He met be on the field & I took off about 2 hours later without incident."
The former runways were still clearly evident in the 1994 USGS aerial photo.
Armour continues to operate the former airplane factory today,
using it to produce coated abrasives & cushioning products.
The former Taylorcraft factory is located on the north side of Armour Street NE,
east of Webb Avenue NE.
Thanks to Jim Baker for information about the Taylorcraft airfield.
See also: http://www.taylorcraft.org/taylorcraft_wfah_1956.pdf
____________________________________________________