Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Eastern Washington State
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 12/28/08.
Ash Airport - Asotin County Airport (revised 12/28/08) - Curlew Airport (revised 2/11/04)
Northport Airport / James A. Lowry Municipal Airport (revised 8/9/07)
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Northport Airport / James A. Lowry Municipal Airport, Northport, WA
48.93 North / 117.78 West (North of Spokane, WA)
Northport Airport, as depicted in the October 1954 Kootenai Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
No airfield was yet depicted at this site on the October 1948 Kootenai Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
According to David Field, “A Civil Aeronautics Administration Site Report dated October 21, 1948
recommended the site for development of a Class I airport.
The preliminary estimated cost was $14,424, including 124 acres of land for $1,000.
The airport, with a 2,500' x 300’ graded strip was constructed in 1950.
A planned airport inspection in 1952 was not conducted
because the inspector 'couldn’t land due to cattle on the runway'.”
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the October 1954 Kootenai Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Northport Airport as having a 2,500' unpaved runway.
At some point between 1954-63 the field was evidently renamed James A. Lowry Municipal Airport,
as that is how it was listed in the 1963 WA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ron Dupas).
The directory depicted Lowry as having a single 2,500' soil northeast/southwest runway.
A tie-down area was depicted along the southeast side of the runway,
but there were no buildings depicted.
An aerial view looking north at the James A. Lowry Municipal Airport,
from the 1971 WA State Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The directory described James A. Lowry Municipal Airport as having a single 2,500' soil Runway 4/22.
The airport offered no services, and the manager was listed as Robert Weilep.
James A. Lowry Municipal Airport still listed in the 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy),
but as a private airport (which appears to be a contradiction for a "Municipal" Airport - ?).
The 9/29/76 FAA Airport Inspection Report (courtesy of David Field)
depicted the James A. Lowry Municipal Airport as having a single 2,500' turf Runway 4/22,
with a tiedown area & a single hangar on the southeast side.
The airport property was said to consist of 30 acres, owned by the Town of Northport,
and the Manager was listed as R. Norberg.
The field was said to have only 1 resident aircraft.
The 1982 USGS topo map still depicted the "Lowry Landing Strip".
According to David Field (from the FAA's Airport Inspection File), “The airport was closed by the City on 10/30/82.”
Lowry Municipal Airport was no longer depicted at all on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.
As seen in the 1998 USGS aerial photo,
Lowry Municipal's former runway remained intact.
There did not appear to be any buildings or other aviation facilities at the airfield.
Jim Scott reported in 2004, "As the State Airport Maintenance Manager for Washington State
I am always on the lookout for abandoned strips that can be re-opened.
I have been working on a plan for the Northport site, formerly James A. Lowery Municipal,
and hope to make a pitch to the State and the town later this year to open the airport again.
The land the airport sits on was deeded to the city in perpetuity for use as an airport only
and the city, until I came along, has no idea where to start the process.
I have another 9 or 10 sites that I have marked on the map
that used to be airstrips of some kind and have been closed over the years.
I will be surveying the sites as I get time and investigate the feasibility of re-opening them as State Airports."
Lowry Municipal Airport is located west of the intersection of Route 25 & Flat Creek Road,
directly across the Columbia River from the town of Northport.
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Asotin County Airport, Clarkston, WA
46.42 North / 117.06 West (South of Spokane, WA)
Asotin County Airport, as depicted on the April 1945 Spokane Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
This small airport “was built in 1938 by Asotin County & the City of Clarkston”, according to Clarkston resident Steve Smith.
Steve recalled, “When I was a little boy I would go there all the time,
my dad would take me there when he went to the dump (the dump was right next to the airport).
The only operator was Bert Zimmerly. Burt's operation was called Zimmerly Air Transport.
They did training & maintenance. And he also had a small airline, hence the name Zimmerly Air Transport.”
The Asotin County Airport was not listed in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the April 1945 Spokane Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
which depicted Asotin County as a commercial or municipal airport.
The 1945 USGS topo map depicted Asotin County Airport as having a single east/west runway,
with a few small buildings along the north side of the runway.
According to Steve Smith, Asotin County Airport operator Burt Zimmerly
“was killed after the war in an accident in bad weather between Spokane & Clarkston.
The transport business was sold to some people in Boise & was called Empire airlines
(no relation to the Empire airlines of today that operates out of Cour d'lene Idaho).”
Dennis Johnson recalled, “Asotin County... that was the place I first learned to fly.
I remember several hangars (this would have been in 1959).
There was a complete Ford Tri-motor kept alongside one of the hangars.
I flew in & out of there all through high school.”
According to Steve Smith, a 1950 windstorm blew the roof off the original hangar
but the small control tower survived.
Steve recalled, “I remember seeing some great old airplanes there... a P-51, TBM, B-25 just to name a few.”
The 1963 WA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ron Dupas)
depicted Asotin County Airport as having a single 3,600' gravel east/west runway.
A hangar, administration office, and shop were depicted along the north side of the runway.
According to Steve Smith, “The control tower... somone removed it in the late 1960s
and in was used as a childrens playhouse in Lewiston.”
Dennis Johnson recalled, “Viet Nam interrupted my life for a few years, and the next time I went back -
the hangars were really in a sad state, and the venerable TriMotor was long gone.”
An aerial view looking north at the Asotin County Airport, from the 1971 WA State Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The directory depicted Asotin County Airport as having a single 4,000' gravel Runway 7/25,
and several buildings (hangars?) were depicted on the north & south sides of the runway.
The manager was listed as Bill Behrens.
Asotin County's runway was apparently paved (but somewhat shortened) within the next year,
as the 1972 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted the field as having a single 3,600' paved Runway 7/25,
with a parallel taxiway along the north side.
Two buildings were depicted along the north side of the taxiway.
According to Steve Smith, “The airport closed in the early 1970s.
The maintenance part which was renamed Hillcreast Aircraft operated jointly at Clarkston & Lewiston ID (across the river)
for many years during the 1950s & 1960s.
In the late 1960s The Army Corps of Engineers started building dams along the Snake River
for slack water navigation to the Pacific Ocean for barges that would haul grain & logs overseas.
Asotin County & the city of Clarkston thought they should be in on this action so guess which site they chose?
Yep you guessed it!
They closed the runway but kept the hangars open for awhile (Hillcreast was doing mostly helicopter stuff).”
Asotin County Airport was closed before 1976,
as it was no longer listed in the 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
The 1981 USGS topo map still depicted the former runway, but labeled it simply "Airfield".
According to Steve Smith, “The runway was 3,600' long by 100' wide, gravel, and at one point was lighted.
In about 1983 I was walking along
what used to be part of the old runway & found an old runway
light!”
At some point between 1981-98, Asotin County's former runway was reused as a street, named Port Drive,
and several buildings were constructed over it,
as seen in the above 1998 USGS aerial photo.
What appeared to be the former hangars still stood, on the north side of the former airport.
Dennis Johnson reported in 2005, “I was just back there last year -
and the runway has indeed been paved, and is now a boulevard.
I'm not entirely sure that any of the buildings alongside the avenue were ever the hangars.”
Clarkston native Brad Clark reported in 2005, “One of the hangars & I think the original FBO / administration offices still stand,
as they are occupied by an antique store.
The front desk of the store has a lot of memorabilia about the airfield.”
Steve Smith reported in 2007, “The big hangar was sold to Poe Aspalt & is still there today.
The small original hangar sat empty for years,
then was bought by the Day family of Clarlston & they operate an Antque Mall there.
I was home last weekend & went there.
They have some pictures on the wall & a nice book with alot of interesting pictures in it.”
Asotin County Airport is located at the intersection of Port Drive & 13th Street.
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48.89 North / 118.61 West (Northwest of Spokane, WA)
Curlew Airport, as depicted in the 1963 WA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ron Dupas).
This former general aviation airport is located only 6 miles south of the Canadian border.
It was evidently built at some point between 1948-63,
as it was not depicted on the 1948 Kootenai Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy)
or the 1948 USGS topo map.
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was in the 1963 WA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ron Dupas).
It depicted Curlew Airport as having a single 2,700' east-northeast/west-southwest runway,
along with two hangar on the southeast side of the field.
A "huge rock" was also depicted just northwest of the runway.
An aerial view looking north at Curlew Airport, from the 1971 WA State Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The directory depicted Curlew Airport as having a single 2,000' dirt Runway 7/25,
and said that limited services were available, including fuel.
The manager was listed as Carl Lindsey.
At some point between 1971-93, Curlew's runway had been paved & lengthened,
as the 1993 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted the field as having a single 2,700' paved Runway 7/25.
Five small buildings were depicted along the south side of the runway.
However, although the airport's infrastructure had been expanded,
it was apparently in a state of decline, as it was listed as unattended, and to be used at "own risk".
Curlew Airport was apparently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1993-98,
as it was not depicted at all on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.
As seen in the 1998 USGS aerial photo,
the alignment of the runway was still visible,
but it appeared as if the paved runway surface had been removed.
A single T-hangar was still standing, south of the middle of the runway,
along with what may have been other former hangars.
Curlew Airport is located northeast of the intersection of Customs Road & Curlew Airport Road,
appropriately enough.
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46.24 North / 118.83 West (Southwest of Spokane, WA)
USGS aerial photo 1996.
The name & history of this small airfield is unknown.
It was evidently built at some point between 1948-71,
as it was not depicted on the 1948 Spokane Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the 1974 USGS topo map,
which labeled it simply as "Landing Strip".
Anson Statema (a CFII in Pasco, WA) reported in 2004,
"Ash Airport is an interesting one; I have never seen an aircraft there.
I was told by a local that the runway was excess pavement,
and was put down there when someone asked for a paved landing strip at the same time the excess occurred.
I can't verify that, but as I said I've never seen an aircraft parked there.
I heard indirectly that certain charter operators drop off passengers there.
It certainly isn't an active airport at this point."
As seen in the above 1996 USGS aerial photo,
the airfield consisted of a single NE/SW paved 3,300' runway,
and a small paved ramp with several small buildings at the northeast end of the runway.
Ash Airport was not depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield) on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.
There was no current airfield (public or private) listed at the location in the 2000 Airport Facility Directory.
Ash Airport is located south of Route 124, 13 miles east of Pasco, WA.
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