In response to a query on the American Road Magazine Forum from Denny Gibson, I have posted up to my flickr gallery a set of 18 images about Stinson Airport. Stinson was located on Route 66/Illinois Route 4 from the 1920s until 1958. It was started by Arthur Killups, the owner of Lyons Motor Sales in nearby Lyons, Illinois. The dealership was located on original IL 4 and 18, on a stretch of Ogden Avenue that was also Route 66 from 1926-1928. It was also U.S. 32 as of 1926, and has been U.S. 34 from the early 1930s to the present.
Killups was a barnstorming pilot himself, and he also was a dealer at his airport for the Stinson Aircraft Company, owned by Eddie Stinson. Stinson was a member of the Flying Stinson Family, famous in the early 20th century because four siblings were all pilots, including Eddie’s two older sisters.
Stinson Airport shut down when the neighboring rock quarries bought the land and expanded their operations into the airfield’s former site. The stretch of Joliet Road where Stinson once was located has been closed since the 1990s due to unsafe road conditions. Currently, the Illinois Department of Transportation is suing the quarry company, alleging that their operations have damaged the state’s right-of-way. There is a detour around Joliet Road from 55th Street to East Avenue, and there is no current information as to whether the road will ever re-open.
Later this year, Route 66 Magazine will be running an article I wrote that has a section in it about Stinson Airport. In the meantime, please take a look at the photos in my flickr gallery!
Click Here for Stinson Airport Flickr Photos
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I recently received my copy of the Spring 2008 Route 66 Magazine. The cover story on the public art of Joliet, Illinois is great, since it showcases the great work that has been going on in that city over the last several years.
