CHAPTER I – The 1920’s

EARLY HANGARS

   Between 1928 and 1934, seven large corrugated tin hangars with cable-supported roofs were built south of the strip by individual aviation enthusiasts who flew mostly World War I surplus aircraft.  These hangars were removed when the public works reconfiguration of the Mexico Farms Airport on the Jerome Johnson Farm occurred in 1934, as they were at the location of the new N-S runway and the E-W runway intersection.  Seven new hangars were constructed about 100 yards south of middle portion of the E-W runway.  The construction was of wood structure with corrugated tin covering.  The roofs were painted black and each hangar had very large letters painted in yellow on the roof and when viewed from the south side, and especially from the air, spelled ‘AIRPORT’.  The ‘A’ Hangar had a wooden floor and was owned by Captain Arthur Amick.  The ‘I’ hangar was owned by Minnie and Curly Bill Johnson, the ‘R’ by Woodrow Rayburn, the ‘P’ by Ronald ‘Torque’ Landis, the ‘O’ by William Whitehead, the second ‘R’ by Bernard Miltenberger, and the ‘T’ by Forrest Miller.

    After the 1936 flood, which with its rising currents caused water to enter these hangars, Rayburn had Jerome ‘Bogus’ Johnson move his hangar (the first ‘R’) to higher ground at the south east corner of the south runway next to the paved road.  This was accomplished by moving the complete building very slowly, rolling it over several large wooden logs, while being pulled by a team of horses.  This hangar remains in good condition at the present time and is owned by Joyce Johnson. The only remaining building of the original row of hangars is the ‘T’, the hangar originally occupied by Forrest Miller.  It remains in its original location and is owned by Donald Johnson, a brother of Floyd Johnson.  Donald is now the owner of most of the real estate currently comprising the Mexico Farms Airport.   

* * * * *