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Updated 1 April 2008

The origins of Meacham Field and aviation in Fort Worth can be definitively traced to World War I. After the Federal Government entered into an agreement in 1917 with Great Britain to build and equip aviation bases in and around Fort Worth to train Canadian and American aviators for the war effort, three fully equipped aviation bases were constructed on land provided by local citizens through the efforts of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce led by Ben E. Keith, President, Louis J. Wortham, Director, and Amon G. Carter, Director. As part of a plan to entice the Federal Government to locate the bases here, the COC obtained from local citizens leases for large parcels of land that were then leased to the government for the war effort. On these lands were built, beginning in 1917, an Army training base (Camp Bowie) and three aviation training bases near Saginaw (Hicks Field), Everman (Barron Field) and Benbrook (Carruthers Field), all operating under the name of Camp Talliaferro and commanded from Hicks Field.  [NOTE: "Talliaferro" is pronounced "Toliver".]

Ben E. Keith

When news broke of the government's decision to locate the training bases in Fort Worth, Dallas leaders mounted a very aggressive campaign to convince the government to also build a training camp in Dallas.  As a result, a fourth base was built on Love's field north of Dallas to serve as a maintenance and supply depot and to conduct pilot training.

Before WWI ended, cadets from the aviation schools were utilized by the Army to fly cross-country routes that had never been mapped in order to establish a system of air routes that could be used to transport military equipment, personnel and mail. As a result of these early aerial mappings, Fort Worth's Barron Field was placed on the Army's "Model Airways" system and became an officially designated landing point for the movement of military airmail between cities south and north of Fort Worth.

Barron Field

Other notable aviation "firsts" achieved at Fort Worth's WWI airfields were successful air-to-air refueling experiments conducted by daredevil flyer Ormer Locklear at Barron Field, and development of the first military air ambulance at Carruthers Field. Both events occurred in 1918.

Amon G. Carter, Owner and Publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, had been an avid supporter of aviation since the Wright Brothers first powered flight in 1903.  As part of a joint committee of the Fort Worth Board of Trade (later renamed Chamber of Commerce) and the Manufacturer's League, Carter participated in bringing the first airplane that flew in Fort Worth to a flying demonstration on Thursday and Friday, January 12 and 13, 1911. During 1918, Carter, Ben E. Keith and Louis J. Wortham, of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, played crucial roles in bringing the three WWI aviation training fields to Fort Worth.  Having been politically mentored by Keith and Wortham, Carter, after becoming president of the Chamber of Commerce, became Fort Worth's most aggressive civic booster and leader of the city's competition against Dallas.  Until his death in 1955, Carter derived great pleasure from depriving Dallas of its industries by enticing them to settle in Fort Worth, especially if aviation industries were involved.

When WWI ended, a general demobilization closed military bases and war materiel production ended.  In Fort Worth, the aviation training bases closed as did the Army's flight school at Love Field in Dallas. Barron Field, however, remained open to serve as a war surplus depot and as a landing point on the Army's Model Airways.  Entire fleets of military aircraft and tons of spare engines and parts from bases around the country were moved to Barron Field and sold as scrap.  Many local citizens seized this opportunity to own and fly their own airplanes.

Surplus aircraft sales at Barron Field

Beginning in September of 1919, the Army issued permits to members of a flying club within the Fort Worth Chapter of the Reserve Officers Association to allow the use of surplus aircraft at Barron Field to train new private pilots.  At the same time, the Army extended an offer to the city of Fort Worth of making Barron Field a permanent municipal aviation and airmail landing field.  Fort Worth had only to formally accept the offer.  Also in 1919, the first air cargo company in the nation was organized in Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Aerial Transportation Company, and flew passengers and freight from a leased space at Barron Field.  On July 5, 1919, the company reorganized as the National Airplane Company and moved its operations to Carruthers Field.

As surplus disposal at Barron Field was coming to an end, the Army contacted the Fort Worth City Council in July of 1923 and renewed its offer to continue using Barron as an airmail landing field if the City would adopt and maintain it as a municipal airport. The offer followed recent inspections of several existing landing fields including Love Field in Dallas and the three aviation training fields in Fort Worth. As a result of those inspections, Barron Field was deemed to be the best facility available. Fort Worth would be required to install lighting, telephone service and provide lodging for Army flyers who would be landing at the field. Water and sewage facilities were already in place and a large hangar would be turned over to the City. By March 6 of 1924, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce provided funds to bring Barron Field into compliance with the Army's requirements and on April 1, 1924, Barron was again designated as a Government airmail landing field.

As airmail became available to business, industry and political entities, the value of the competitive advantage created by fast delivery of mail by air over those who still relied on train or truck delivery soon became apparent. Overnight delivery of contracts, stock certificates, mineral leases, payrolls and general freight items became the most valuable advantage to businesses since the days of the Pony Express. Local Fort Worth business leaders soon began pressuring the City Council to formally accept Barron Field from the Army. After considerable delay, the Council responded and on May 17, 1924, Barron Field became Fort Worth's first municipal airport. On Thursday, July 17, 1924, the first Government airmail-carrying airplane landed at Fort Worth's Barron Field en route from St. Louis to San Antonio. The flight, a practice exercise for the first "official" airmail landing at Barron one week later, was piloted by Lieutenant D. B. Phillips who was accompanied by M. A. Wolever of Muskogee, Oklahoma.

18 July 1924
Fort Worth Record

Fort Worth and Dallas have always been competitors for new industries. The competition began with the Chambers of Commerce of both cities working to attract new railroad routes and associated businesses and it evolved to rivalry and eventually to antagonism between the two cities as they endeavored to attract new industries. This long-standing "feud" soon focused on monopolizing aviation activities as air routes were doled out to cities by the Federal Government. The cities clambered to be placed on Government airmail routes because of new industries that local airmail centers could attract. With the establishment of Barron Field as an airmail center, Dallas leaders began intense efforts to move the airmail route to Dallas. The Fort Worth-Dallas "Airport Wars" began at this time and would not end until DFW Airport was built in the 1970s.

Fort Worth's utilization of Barron Field began slowly and ended quickly due to several factors. City services at the time were focused on fast-growing areas to the west of downtown and to the stock yards area to the north that had been annexed in 1923. Street, water and sewage projects to these areas required immediate attention and Barron Field became neglected by the city. Additionally, airmail patrons had to deliver and receive their items at Barron, requiring for most a twenty-mile round trip to the remote field. Airmail traffic never grew enough to support the expenses of operating the airfield.

Less than one year after Fort Worth accepted Barron Field as its municipal airport, the Army abandoned the airfield citing lack of city-provided facilities and released its lease on the property back to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

In an effort to retain Fort Worth on the Army's Model Airways airmail route, on Thursday, May 11, 1925, the Fort Worth Flying Club of the Fort Worth Chapter, Reserve Officers Association, asked the City Council to immediately locate and improve a landing field for airmail and commercial aircraft. Prior to the Council meeting, the Flying Club had persuaded the Army, pending the City Council's decision, to leave airport equipment removed from Barron Field in Fort Worth instead of shipping it to Love Field in Dallas for storage, and had also secured an option to lease 100 acres of land on Decatur Road near the dirigible mooring mast to be used as a municipal airport. The land was owned by T. B. White of Keller, Texas.

Source: Fort Worth Public Library.
Offer of 100 acres to City by flying club.

[ CLICK HERE for airport land offers to the City in PDF format - 2.9 Mb.  SOURCE: Fort Worth Public Library. ]

Yielding to intense local pressure, the Council agreed to accept the lease and to prepare necessary documents to establish the new airport. By Friday, June 26, 1925, Major H. C. Burwell, Airways Officer of the Eighth Corps Area, had approved the proposed flying field and pledged to again place Fort Worth on the Model Airways system once the city dug a well and built a cottage for a government caretaker on the site. Mayor Meacham then pledged $1200.00 of his personal money for improvements at the landing field and the Council continued working on the required legal documents for final adoption upon the return of the City Attorney who was out of town until Friday, July 3.

Following the July 3, 1925 signing, Mayor H. C. Meacham officially announced the opening of Fort Worth Municipal Airport during the city's annual July 4 Defense Day celebration.

[ CLICK HERE for the complete lease agreement in PDF format - 7.62Mb.  SOURCE: Fort Worth Public Library. ]

The Airmail Act of 1925 marked the beginning of commercial airmail operations.  The Act authorized the postmaster general to contract for domestic airmail service with commercial air carriers.  By the end of 1926, seven air transport companies had been awarded Contract Airmail Routes.  Receiving Contract Airmail Route #3 (CAM 3) was the National Air Transport company of Chicago that was contracted to fly mail between Chicago and Fort Worth/Dallas.

In April 1926, Mayor H. C. Meacham and Seth William Barwise Jr., a Fort Worth attorney and Aviation Advisor to the Fort Worth City Council, were named head of a Chamber of Commerce committee to plan a special celebration for the christening of a NAT airplane as "Miss Fort Worth" at the municipal airport.

While Fort Worth was establishing its municipal airport, Dallas was busy planning for its own airport and lobbying for a place on the Government's airmail routes. To thwart Dallas' plans, Amon Carter convinced the U.S. Post Office to establish the state's first airmail service at "Muny" and the first airmail from Fort Worth Municipal Airport was flown on May 8, 1926, by National Air Transport company in a National Air Transport airplane named "Miss Fort Worth".

Dallas' first airmail departure from Love Field was four days later on Wednesday, May 12, 1926, on a Dallas to Chicago trip in a National Air Transport airplane named "Miss Dallas".  The N.A.T. soon afterwards won a bid to extend its route from Chicago to New York, thus opening airmail delivery from Fort Worth/Dallas to New York City and making NAT the second-largest airline in the world after Lufthansa in Germany.

Seth Barwise submitted plans to the City Council on 18 August 1926 for a $25,000 hangar to house airmail airplanes of the National Air Transport Company.  Mr. Barwise was elected to the Ways and Means Committee of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce on 9 December 1926.

Striving to overtake Fort Worth's aviation lead, Dallas bought 173 acres of Love's Field from the U.S. government for $432,500 on July 7, 1927.

On July 16, 1927, Fort Worth Municipal Airport's name was officially changed to Meacham Field in honor of Fort Worth Mayor H. C. Meacham, and the City's new airport and its new $50,000 hangar were officially opened during a gala public event. Thirty military planes flew to Meacham Field to participate in the opening. Martin Bombers, British DeHavilands, various pursuit planes and a transport plane arrived from Fort Crockett in Galveston and Brooks and Duncan Fields in San Antonio. As part of the celebration, a Fort Worth couple, Miss Venus Cheek of 911 West First Street and Frank N. Pevehouse of Lake Worth, were married 2000 feet above the airport in a National Air Transport monoplane.

Meacham Field in 1927, looking northeast.

On the same day as Meacham Field's open house, the Post Office accepted bids on two mail routes; one from Fort Worth/Dallas to Houston and Galveston, the other from Fort Worth/Dallas to Waco, Austin and San Antonio with provision for an extension to Laredo.  These routes were potentially more lucrative than any other routes since they would open all of Mexico and South America to airmail service.

While attempting to partner with a new aviation company, Texas Airways Corporation at Dallas, Seth Barwise placed a bid of $2.89 per pound on the South Texas airmail routes and won the bidding.  The Post Office later objected to the bid because Texas Airways Corporation had too many stockholders to comply with postal regulations.  Barwise immediately abandoned TAC and announced, in August 1927, he would purchase Temple Monoplanes from the Texas Aero Corporation in Temple, Texas for a new company he would form in Fort Worth.

On 12 August 1927, Dallas inaugurated Love Field as the Dallas Municipal Airport.

Following Charles Lindbergh's successful 20 May 1927, transatlantic flight, Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis on a cross-country trip that landed in Fort Worth on 26 September 1927. Arriving from Abilene and a flyover of Jacksboro and Bridgeport, the Spirit landed at Meacham Field and greeted a crowd of several hundred thousand people who had traveled from surrounding towns to witness the event. The following day, Lindbergh flew the Spirit to Love Field in Dallas after flyovers of Alvarado, Hillsboro and Waxahachie.

Photo via Bob Adams
Spirit of St. Louis at Meacham Field

On 10 October 1927, Texas Air Transport was incorporated at Fort Worth by Temple and R. C. Bowen, owners of Bowen Bus Lines, and Fletcher Galigher Lippett, a Fort Worth resident and West Texas oil producer.  Temple Bowen was president and general manager of the company, and Lippett was treasurer.  Tom Hardin, a Waco native and war hero, was named chief pilot for the venture.

On 12 November 1927, Seth Barwise was elected as a Junior Director of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce along with James North, William Monnig, Gordon Boswell, Lewis Tandy and others.  Senior Directors elected included Amon G. Carter.

On 29 December 1927 a meeting was held at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce with postal officials and F. G. Lippett of the newly-formed Texas Air Transport to arrange final details of T.A.T.'s operations.  T.A.T. would become the contractor for two South Texas airmail routes previously acquired by Seth Barwise who merged his mail routes with Texas Air Transport.  Mr. Lippett assured the postal officials that TAT would be ready to begin operations from Fort Worth's Meacham Airport and from Love Field at Dallas on 1 February 1928.  By 17 February 1928, TAT had extended its routes to Laredo and was prepared to deliver airmail from New York, Chicago, Houston, Galveston and San Antonio to Mexico at Laredo.  Tom Hardin was named vice-president and operations manager of TAT.

On 28 February 1928, the first airline passenger ever carried out of the State of Texas on a scheduled airline flight departed Meacham Field for Oklahoma City.

4 July 1928, Ford Motor Company's National Air Tour arrived at Muny.  CLICK HERE for more about this event.

By September 1928, TAT became the third American airline to deliver mail to a foreign country when its route to Laredo began operations.

In October 1928 Alva Pearl Barrett, a Fort Worth businessman, bought controlling interest in TAT.  Tom Hardin was made general manager of the airline, C. R. Smith was secretary-treasurer.  The new board of directors was Alva Barrett, Seth Barwise, C. R. Smith, all of Fort Worth, and John Hancock and Alva Barrett's brother Thurman Barrett, both of San Antonio.

Barrett, in January 1929, started KTAT Texas Air Transport Radio, a small AM radio station that played country and western music from its office in Birdville until 1938 when KTAT merged with Tarrant Broadcasting Company and became KFJZ Radio.

In February 1929, A. P. Barrett incorporated Southern Air Transport (SAT) in Fort Worth as a holding company for the purpose of acquiring numerous independent aviation companies by merging Gulf Air Lines (GAL) with several other small airlines and a bus company. SAT operated from terminals in both Fort Worth and Dallas.  C.R. Smith was named vice-president and treasurer of SAT and Tom Hardin became a vice-president and general manager of both TAT and SAT.  Silliman Evans, a former political writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a personal friend of Amon G. Carter, was named Public Relations Director.  Amon Carter invested heavily in SAT, becoming a major stockholder.  During July of 1930, Barrett moved SAT's headquarters to Love Field at Dallas.

In May 1929, Barrett sold TAT and SAT to Aviation Corporation (AVCO), a New York-based holding company formed to acquire young aviation firms, bus lines, radio stations and airport construction companies.  Through his position with SAT, Amon Carter became an AVCO director at that time.

Braniff Airlines inaugurated services at Fort Worth and Dallas in April of 1929.

On 26 May 1929, Reginald L. Robbins and James Kelly set a new flight endurance record at Meacham Field.  By refueling in mid-air, they stayed aloft for 172 hours and 32 minutes, beating by a day a previous record set on June 27, 1923 in San Diego.  The duo landed at 4:05 P.M. before a crowd of 40,000 people at the airport and an additional 75,000 along the roads and highways around Meacham Field. This was Fort Worth's first aerial refueling since Ormer Locklear's experiments in 1918 at Barron Field.

One of Reg Robbins' airplanes at Meacham Field.

During July of 1929, the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service of New York announced plans to build one of twenty-five airports at Dalworth, just east of Hensley Field in Grand Prairie. Dallas officials, sensing an opportunity to move Fort Worth's airmail service to Dallas County, made an offer to the Fort Worth City Council whereby Dallas would abandon Love Field as an airmail field if Fort Worth would do the same at Meacham Field and join with Dallas at the Dalworth location to create a central airmail base. After participating in the dedication of the new field and a few months of discussion, Fort Worth quietly declined the offer on June 14, 1930.  [ NOTE:  At this time, Dallas claimed to own three municipal landing fields - Love Field, Hensley Field, and Marsh Field north of the city. ]

Don Pyeatt collection
One of 1000 mailed invitations to the Curtiss-Wright Airport dedication.

On 25 January 1930, American Airways, Inc. was incorporated by the Aviation Corporation (AVCO) at New York City.  SAT, TAT, Dixie Coach Bus Lines and other transportation companies became operating subsidiaries of American Airways at that time.

Also in 1930, the Weather Bureau established a permanent station at Meacham Field.

In 1931 the airport's runways were graded and flush type lighting was installed for the first time.

In 1933, AVCO had merged with three other aviation holding companies and established AA's Southern Division headquarters, with C.R. Smith as its president, in Dallas.  Amon Carter, then a board member of AA's southern district, proceeded to move the AA headquarters from Dallas to Fort Worth.  This action by Mr. Carter deeply galvanized the growing bitterness between Fort Worth and Dallas.

On 18 October 1933, American Airways, then comprised of eighty airlines, dedicated its new hangar and headquarters building at Fort Worth's Meacham Field. A plaque honoring Amon Carter was affixed to the hangar. 

Photo by Don Pyeatt
Plaque mounted on original American Airways hangar at Meacham Field

Several thousand persons attended the hangar dedication at Meacham Field, including Vice President John Nance Garner, Postmaster General James Farley, Assistant Postmaster Silliman Evans, Texas Governor and former governor Ferguson, Senator Tom Connally, Congressman Fritz Lanham, Lt. Col. Frank M. Hawks of Houston, Senator Morris Sheppard, Jesse H. Jones and comedian Will Rogers.  Also attending were the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, postal officials, Director of the Department of Aeronautics, Assistant Secretary of the Interior and the Executive Secretary of the Democratic National Committee.  That evening, Amon Carter hosted a chicken dinner for the guests at his Shady Oak Farm.

Soon after the American Airways hangar dedication, Fort Worth was placed on a west-bound airmail route and on 19 February 1934, the first west-bound airmail arrived at Meacham Field.

Photo via Frank F. Kleinwechter
Lt. W. E. Davis with H. E. Grisman, Superintendent of Airmail.
First westbound airmail arriving in Fort Worth.

American Airways was reorganized on April 11, 1934, as American Airlines with C.R. Smith as its president and Amon Carter as a member of the Board of Directors. Commercial airline service from Meacham Field provided Fort Worth much relief from an economic depression caused by the dwindling output of west Texas oil fields. (The Ranger Oil Boom).

By 1936, all runways at Meacham Field were paved, 4 large hangars constructed and the first terminal building had been opened.

Meacham's new terminal and paved runways were dedicated in 1937.

Digital art by Don Pyeatt
Meacham Field's first terminal building

On August 12, 1939, Meacham Field became an important part of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce's bid to win construction of one of three government-owned-contractor-operated aircraft assembly plants. Meacham's close proximity to the proposed plant site and its established commercial airline routes that could provide fast access for company officials and engineers became a prime justification for Consolidated Aircraft Company of San Diego, CA to choose Fort Worth as the best of all possible locations for a new B-24 assembly plant.

Meacham Field became a Navy base during W.W.II with the establishment of a mid-continent transient base of the US Navy Ferry Command known as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Meacham. This facility was responsible for ferrying new aircraft to European combat zones.

NARA photo
US Navy Ferry Command TBFs at Meacham Field

NARA photo
Office and ready room at Meacham Field, US Navy Ferry Command

By 1950, Meacham Airport became a departure point for servicemen leaving for the Korean War.

Photo by R.R. Raven
Troops preparing to depart Meacham Field for Korea, 1950.

In 1950, Amon Carter received the Exceptional Service Award, the highest award given to a civilian by the military, for his support of the Air Force at Carswell.  At the same time, he received the prestigious Frank M. Hawks Memorial Award from American Legion Air Service Post 501 of New York City as "one of the true pioneers of American aviation."

On Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 1952, a tornado made a direct hit on Carswell Air Force Base. Flight operations were hurriedly transferred to other military bases and to nearby Meacham Field.  For more on this, CLICK HERE.

In 1953, scheduled airline service at Meacham Field was relocated to Greater Southwest International Airport (GSW). Meacham Field then developed into one of the world's leading airports for general and corporate aviation, and flight training activities.  [ SOURCE: Fort Worth Aviation Department. ]

Greater Southwest International Airport - Amon Carter Field 1953.

We hope you have enjoyed this brief historical narrative.  Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an in-depth study of these key events from our aviation past on this website.  We will, however, provide a full and detailed history of this and other remarkable Fort Worth aviation achievements to the Mayor's Museum Planning Committee.  Please refer back to this website often for new articles of Fort Worth's rich, and much forgotten, aviation history.

 

 For a historic tour of Fort Worth's Barron Field, see Bill Leary's Flyers of Barron Field e-book on CD-ROM in our gift shop.

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B-36 PEACEMAKER MUSEUM INC.
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Fort Worth, TX 76106