On his father's farm in 1922, Roy Larson, his brothers, Clarence, Newell and Leonard cleared an 80 rod strip for a runway. Roy received flying instructions at Chicago in 1919, paying $50 per hour. Roy and Clarence attended the Sweeney Mechanics School in Kansas City, Mo. Purchasing their first airplane, a Canuck, in 1922, Roy taught his brothers to fly. The plane, with wings removed, was stored in the barn during the winter. In 1924, a 52 x 60 hangar was constructed. They now had a real airport, instructing students, and giving pleasure rides, $5 for 10 minutes, for an extra $5, you could have loops and rolls. The brothers left the plow to go roaring over the fields in their flying machines. They barnstormed at county fairs, picnics and for political campaigns throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. They had the agency for Waco Planes in Wis. and Upper Mich. during 1926-27. Roy was a well known pilot throughout the midwest, his aviator friends used this airport to refuel and as a place to rest. During Word War II, Leonard instructed glider pilots for the army at Antigo and in Missouri. Leonard, the sole surviving brother, and his wife, Viola, have continued to operate the oldest exiting airport in the state.
On April 5, 1984, The Larson Brothers Airport was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This marker is dedicated to the memory of the Larson Brothers and other early pilots, who pioneered aviation in Wisconsin.
Comments 0 comments