Grand Forks' Airport: 1928-1963

Opening on July 10, 1928, the Municipal became the first official airport in Grand Forks. Here many kinds of different operations run by the local community club happened through its first three-year span. Aircraft Pleasure trips frequently occurred on Sundays with club pilots taking up townspeople over the city. Even air meets occurred with pilots from local towns competing in flying derbies for competition. Flight Training started with five club instructors and six students, which grew into two schools and up to fifty students. Regular Passenger services began here where the airport was added as a stop on the Twin Cities to Winnipeg route. Due to damages by a fire in late 1930, some services were lost in early December and parts of the field needed reconstruction. Rebuilding and reopening of services started right away the next year. Many of the same operations continued until the Grand Forks expansion plan which included relocation of the field in 1963.

The Administration Building for the City of Grand Forks at the Grand Forks Airport is worthy of attention for its design and role as part of a small North Dakota city. The architecture is an excellent and understated example of modest and economical Moderne design. The building is a statement of aviation’s progress in the area and association with the transportation, and programs offered which brought together residents along with travelers of the city. Today it distinctly stands out from the buildings around it revealing a past history from remnants such as the tarmac and tie-downs. It is a reminder of Grand Forks’ aviation beginning that helps strengthen the community.

Initial securing of the municipal airport field was done by the commercial club in Grand Forks for $500 with a one-year option on 160 acres in 1928 located about one mile to the west of Grand Forks. State law of the time did not permit the city to be able to purchase the land. Land outside of a town could only be purchased by a city with plans to make parks. With a legislature passing in 1929, airports could be secured by the city. Late summer of 1929 Grand Forks finally acquired the airport’s land title for a sum of $8,000.

Popularity in flying greatly increased following World War I and the Air Mail Act of 1925. To further facilitate flying to the public, air tours across the United States occurred with Grand Forks becoming a stop in 1925. Residents of Grand Forks and the Commercial Club of Grand Forks already contributed and allocated for air mail service and possibilities of commercial flights. With the purchase of land by the club and steady growth throughout the next year, airline services opened a routine air mail service arrived, and a training school began instruction all in 1929. The airport was a considerable factor in Grand Fork’s flow of goods, tourism, and connection to other cities.

In 1928, the local commercial club included six pilots and five students with considerable flight training. By the summer of 1929, the Grand Forks Air Transport was created opening a training school for pilots. This helped with an influx of about 50 students that would plan to receive the air diplomas by the end of the year. During the 1930s preparing for possible war became more necessary. Grand Forks had a good standing for these types of pilots. In 1929, Canadian American Airlines opened a weekly passenger service in Grand Forks, adding a stop for the Winnipeg to Twin Cities route. Airmail service was done jointly with this new route.

In December of 1930, a transportation company and machine shop caught fire. The buildings and a few planes were destroyed with losses totaling close to $10,000. Reconstruction began shortly after the accident occurred.

More improvements to the airfield were made between 1936 and 1941 with help from the Works Progress Administration. Three paved runways were added in 1943. Over the years larger aircraft of the various airlines caused great damage to the runways with each landing. Upgrade and lengthening were considered to accommodate these plans until the State Highway Department offered a bridge-highway-airport “package.” This plan included a new highway, bridge, and airport location. It was accepted in 1961. The development of the Interstate Highway System and city expansion in 1961 and 1963 led to the relocation of the airport to where Grand Fork International sits today. The Administration building is the last of what consisted of the old municipal airport. It was renamed the Brekke Building. It has been run by Brekke Tours and Travel which offers Scandinavian/European travel assistance and has done so since the 1970s.

United States Department of the Interior. Administration Building for the City of Grand Forks at the Grand Forks Airport, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. https://www.gfpreservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GF-Municipal-Airport-final-nomination.pdf.

Godon, Vincent, Nancy Godon, and Kelly Kramlich. “Grand Forks Municipal Airport Began in 1928.” Reshaping The Tornado Belt, 2011-2020. http://www.reshapingthetornadobelt.com/