Description
Originally known as “Port Erie Airport,” what is now Erie International Airport was developed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930s.
“Besides the privately-owned airport at Fairview, a modern airport, Port Erie, was completed in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration and the city. Air mail service was inaugurated on May 19, 1938.” (WPA Guide)
“On January 15, 1936 the mayor, Charles R. Barber announced that the City of Erie planned to sponsor under the Work Projects Administration, … In March of 1936 it was announced that engineers of the Federal Government were to make a survey of the field and that the Work Projects Administration had estimated an approximate cost of $491,000 for the project which the City and County would spend a combined amount of approximately $25,000.” (erieairport.org)
Source notes
"Erie; a guide to the city and county, written and compiled by the Erie County unit of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" (page 47)
https://archive.org/details/erieaguidetothe00fedemisshttps://erieairport.org/airport_history.html
Project originally submitted by Evan Kalish on November 17, 2014.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
SUBMIT MORE INFORMATION OR PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THIS SITE