In September, 1933 a Civil Works Administration grant was given to the City of Cumberland to complete the Cumberland Airport at Mexico Farms by draining, building and grading the North-South runway. On January 16, 1934 Mayor George Henderson, with the City Council, authorized a lease for the Long and Johnson tracts, now known as the Mexico Farms Airport. This apparently was during the time that both East-West runways were connected by using the government field and the adjoining Johnson farm. The land would be used for a municipal landing field and would be leased for five years at a rate of $300 per year. The US Army had ceased its lease for the government field on the Long farm about this time. On February 9, 1934, 15 men began work to modernize and update the newly named Cumberland Airport at Mexico Farms. The previously named Cumberland Airport at Pinto, MD was not now functioning as a commercial airport. That field, located along the McMullen Highway (US RT 220) southwest of Cumberland, was opened in 1929 but was short lived. This upgrade became in effect the third airfield to serve Cumberland, following the Mexico Farms US Army Government Field and the defunct Cumberland Airport at Pinto.
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Wings Over Cumberland 