The Belleville Airport: The Other Field of Dreams

Written by: Bob Brunkow

For nearly as long as Americans have been flying, Bellevilleans have been fascinated by air transportation a nd have sought to become part of the air transportation network. Belleville leaders were largely responsible in 1917 for the establishment of nearby Scott Field, with anticipation that commercial aviation might result from that military base to the economic benefit of the city. Due to advocacy 80 years later, the opening of the Mid-America St. Louis Airport at Scott in 1997 brought commercial aviation to the area.In between the opening of Scott and the completion of the joint use airport there, civic leaders dreamed about developing Belleville’s own municipal airport. By the late 1920s, city leaders observed that Belleville still needed a municipal airport. The Illinois State Aeronautics Commission lobbied city leaders in 1934 toapply for Civilian Works Administration funds to start the project, but the city government claimed to lack the money to complete the airport. In May 1944, local investors once again saw the commercial value of an airport in Belleville. Theyincorporated Belleville Airport, Inc., and bought 77 acres near today’s intersection of North Illinois Street and Frank Scott Parkway. Opening day was October 7, 1944. The airport was prepared for emergency flights and equipped to train pilots, repair aircraft, and rent planes. In 1946, Belleville Airport Inc., sold its property and disbanded, one of the partners observing that this airport was not suitable for flying because of the “proximity of utility wires.”Volume 15 Number 3August 2025THE BELLEVILLE AIRPORT: THE OTHER FIELD OF DREAMSBY BOB BRUNKOW Belleville leaders continued to consider Belleville Airport’s possibilities, but in 1952, Belleville Airport came to an end. Hugh and Katherine Edwards bought 177 acres of the airport to farm; all traces of the airport disappeared entirely in 1958 when they sold the land for a subdivision. The physical presence of Belleville Airport was gone, but the spirit behind it lingered. In 1960, the Belleville Chamber of Commerce lobbied for a special election to establish a Belleville Airport Authority with taxing authority to establish a municipal airport. The airport authority would build and operate a $500,000 airport, believing that it would bring more industry to the area. However, voters defeated the measure by a margin of 23 to 1, demonstrating the “tax angry” sentiment of the people. Once again a lofty idea was grounded by economic reality.