The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-07-27
LANDING FIELD FOR BARRE.
Part of Wilson Farm in Barre Town
Has Been Selected.

A permanent landing field for air
craft will be established for Barre be-
fore August 80, the aviation committee
OF the Barre board Of trade has decid.
ed, and this field will be at the Wilson
farm on the Websterville road, dis
lance of two and a third miles from
Barres postoffice by automobile. From
the center of Graniteville the distance
by road is about mile and from Web
sterville probably slightly less than a
mile.
The field, except for its distance
from Barre, is apparently ideal
for such purpose and offers large
tract of level, grassed land, which, ae-
cording to the drawings Of George ,,
DeMerell is approximately $500 feet
long and 1000 feet wide Mr.. DeMerell
presented these plans to the commits
tee Saturday afternoon, F. D. Ladd be.
ing chairman, Donald Smith, Alex.
Straiton. W. D. Smith and Mr.. DeMer-
ell being the other members Of the
committee.
The diagram shows that some i'm
provements must be made TO the field
before it can be utilized for such pur-
poses; number of holes must be filled,
and rough spots ironed out with rol.
Iers; a circle. 100 feet in diameter,
with conspicuous white band, three
feet wide, ON the outer edge must be
made. Stonedust was suggested by one
OF the committeeman as favorable ma
terial for the band covering, being a
white substance which compscts solid
Iy with proper treatment. Inside the
circle will be number 81, the official
number given to Barre by the Greater
Vermont associations aerial commit
tee.
An aircraft hangar must be erected
to house one or more machines. but a.
vet the exact size of this structure Is
, undetermined and the possibilities are
that temporary structure will be
erected for the expert sirman, who will
fly from Boston 10 Barre to attend the
Vermont state convention Of the Amer
lean Legion to be held here August 30
and 3lst.
Many plots were examined by the
Barre aviation committee before the
final conclusion TO establish it in Barre
Town was made, the trotting park off
Aver street being considered among
them. The first sirplane to land in
Barre. July 4th, 1919, at the homecom
ing celebration TO World war veterans,
proved that this field was unfayorshle
for such purposes, small, rolling hills
preventing safe landings.
This progressive step taken by the
Barre board Of trade places the granite
center of the world one step higher on
the ladder of progress, for Barre Is
among the few towns or cities to com
ply readily with the wishes of the
Greater Vermont association Its Off
cials have worked necessarily since
tnAt ApFI meeting W NHNeoAiN" SNN' "
field and. when il was learned an ex-
army aviator wished to attend the
Legion meeting here, full steam
ahead" was the order of the Barre
board of trade.
As before intimated this proposition
OF establishing a permanent landing
field for aviators has been in consider.
alton ever since James 2. Taylor Of
Burlington, secretary of the Greater
Vermont association, spoke at the an
nual meeting OF the Barre board OF
trade last April Mr.. Taylor then en-
phasized the necessity Of such fields in
o. Vermont towns and cities, declaring
that unless vermonters awoke to prog
ress Of this nature the state would
be outdone by its neighbors, most Of
whom already realize the value Of avi-
ton. One thing in particular which he
said in conjunction with this was that
Barre il in the direct line between Bos-
ton and Montreal. two cities, which,
with proper aviation fields along the
route. could establish an international
air traffic. Aero mail service has been
established in many parts Of the Unit
ed States already and there is a great
possibility that such will be estab.
lished through Vermont.