Title: Aeronautics Commission. Airports Files
Dates: 1937-2006
Record Series: 31406
Quantity: 17 feet
Abstract: Consists of subject files which contain advertisements, agreements, contracts, correspondence, environmental impact statements, memoranda, minutes, operational procedures, orders, petitions, plans, releases, reports, and specifications.
Provenance: The North Dakota State Archives acquired this record series from the Aeronautics Commission on February 25 and March 31, 1987. This series was processed and the inventory prepared by Karen Mund, Grace Wanttaja, and Kari Rombs Kohlhoff in November 1988.
Copyright: Public records are not subject to copyright restrictions, although record series may contain copyrighted material. Consideration of such copyrights is the responsibility of the researcher.
Access: These records are available for public inspection under provision of the North Dakota Century Code, 55-02.1-08.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the record group, series name and number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Transfers: One-half foot of material was removed from the Aeronautics Commission Airports Files and transferred to the appropriate collection management area of the State Archives. Roughly half of the transferred material consisted of publications such as bulletins, a directory, manuals, newspapers, and published state and federal documents. All publications were transferred to the library.
Transferred to the Photo Archives were 52 photographs, 45 black and white and 7 color, and 20 negatives. The majority of photographs were of airstrips, potential airstrip sites, and documents such as plats, reports, and warranty deeds.
Four state highway maps were transferred to the map collection. Several postal covers were placed with the philatelic collection.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
The Aeronautics Commission was created by Chapter 1, S.L. 1947. Prior to that time, the Public Service Commission supervised aeronautics in North Dakota. The policies and direction of the Aeronautics Commission is governed by a five-man policy-making commission, members of which are appointed by the governor for five-year terms of office; a director is appointed by the Commission. The Commission's original duties were: to encourage establishment of airports and air navigation facilities; to cooperate with and assist the federal government, municipalities, and individuals in the development and coordination of aeronautical activities, including federal aid to airports; to represent the state in aeronautical matters before state and federal agencies, and in court actions in controversies affecting the aeronautical interests of the state; to have jurisdiction over state airways system in matters of safety; and to register all airmen, aircraft mechanics, and aircraft in the state. In later years the Aeronautics Commission was also charged with licensing all aerial crop spraying operations; licensing and regulating all persons engaged in weather modification or cloud seeding; providing state aid airport matching funds to such airport improvement projects as approved and in such amounts as determined by the Commission; assisting cities and counties in the creation of municipal, county-wide, and regional airport authorities; taking active part as intervener in airline proceedings which affect scheduled airline service in the state; allocating state-aid airport grants to public airports and airport authorities for airport construction; owning and operating airports at the International Peace Garden and Border Airport near Noonan, where there are no public agencies to support same; and providing a 20-year long range state-wide airport system plan for major and secondary airport improvements.
Aviation has forged ahead in North Dakota. In 1941, there were less than 100 privately owned aircraft in the state and by 1960, a total of 872 civil aircraft were registered by the Commission. By 1980, a total of 1,655 were registered, of which 1,351 were owned by businesses, professional persons, and flight training schools, and 304 owned and operated by persons engaged in aerial crop spraying. Out of the 101 publicly owned airports in North Dakota in the early 1980s, 62 had paved runways, taxiways, and aprons which included 8 airports served by scheduled airlines and 54 general aviation airports. In addition, there were over 140 privately owned airports owned by farmers and ranchers located at their farms. In the 1970s, the staff held over 125 meetings with cities and counties encouraging the creation of airport authorities. By January 1981, in North Dakota there were 75 municipal airport authorities, 9 county-wide, one township, and one interstate airport, and four regional authorities for a total of 90. The number of airline passengers, both enplaned and deplaned, in the state has also increased over time: in 1970 enplaned passengers numbered 200,678, increasing to 517,367 in 1980 and enplaned and deplaned passengers increased from 401,000 in 1970 to 1,035,292 in 1980. Figures indicate a 158 percent increase in both categories.
Sources: North Dakota Blue Book, 1954, 1961, 1973, and 1981.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Aeronautics Commission Airports Files date from 1937 to 1986 and measure 14 ft. This series documents the involvement of the Federal Aviation Administration and the State Aeronautics Commission in the planning, development, and operations of North Dakota airport authorities. The Airports Files consist of subject files which contain advertisements, agreements, contracts, correspondence, environmental impact statements, memoranda, minutes, operational procedures, orders, petitions, plans, releases, reports, and specifications. In addition to files on international, municipal, and private airports in North Dakota, this series contains files on related topics such as beacons, municipal airport authority resolutions, a private airports directory, runway length criteria, Unicom radio systems requests, and weather modification. Oversize items dating from 1941 to 1982 were placed in oversize folders and include: annotated state and county highway maps; mechanical and architectural drawings of airstrips, runways, and airports; ownership plats; annotated sectional aeronautical charts; obstruction removal plans; runway lighting plans; zoning maps; transmission line location study maps; concrete paving and hangar relocation plans; gap filler facilities; proposed airport plans; terminal architectural drawings; street lighting project plans; concrete excavation plans; national and state air traffic routes; worm wheel and collar mechanical drawings; and a rotating beacon assembly mechanical drawing.
BOX / FOLDER INVENTORY
Box 1:
1 Abercrombie 1945-1949
2 Adams 1956-1973
3 Air Transportation Regulatory Reform Act 1977
4 Airport Authorities 1966-1984
5 Airport Use Panel 1951-1955
6 Airports, City Ordinances Regarding 1945-1946
7 Alkabo, Westby, (Mont.) Airport 1947-1948
8 Almont 1947
9 Ambrose 1948
10 Amenia 1971
11 Amidon 1946
12 Aneta 1946-1959
13 Ardoch 1947
14 Argusville, Walkinshaw 1979
15 Arthur 1969-1976
16 Ashley 1947-1977
17 Attendance Highway-Airport Meeting 1957-1958
18 Balfour 1973
19 Bathgate 1976
20 Beach 1961-1979
21 Beach Specifications 1972
22 Beacon Bids Advertisement 1951
23 Beacon Change Order 1952
24 Beacon Contracts 1950-1951
25 Beacon Conversion Parts 1950-1952
26 Beacon Non-Directional Application 1976
27 Beacon Release Under Contract 1951
28 Beacon Site Releases 1951-1952
29 Beacon Start and Stop Orders 1951-1956
30 Beacon Tower Bid Openings 1951
31 Beacon Transfer Agreements 1951-1952
32 Beacon Transfers, Final 1951
33 Beacons, Airway 1950-1951
34 Beacons, Airway 1950-1951
35 Beacons, Airway 1950-1951
36 Belfield 1946-1962
37 Beulah 1947-1980
38 Beulah Specifications
Box 2:
1 Beulah Study 1978
2 Bisbee 1948-1963
3 Bismarck 1947-1979
4 Bismarck 1947-1979
5 Bismarck Environmental Impact Statement 1975
6 Bismarck Report 1962-1972
7 Bismarck Specifications 1950
8 Bismarck Specifications 1951
9 Bismarck Specifications 1949-1952
10 Bismarck Specifications 1950-1962
11 Bismarck McDonald, Private 1956
12 Bottineau 1945-1958
13 Bottineau 1942-1972
14 Bowbells 1946-1978
15 Bowden 1952
16 Bowman 1955-1974
17 Bowman 1965-1974
18 Bowman 1962-1976
19 Bowman Environmental Impact Statement 1947-1974
20 Bowman Study 1971
21 Buffalo 1947
22 Butte 1948
23 Cando 1945-1979
24 Cando Report 1979
Box 3:
1 Cannonball 1946
2 Carrington 1945-1977
3 Carrington Specifications 1949
4 Carson 1946-1948
5 Casselton 1949-1978
6 Cavalier 1946-1978
7 Cavalier Specifications 1948
8 Center 1945-1984
9 Coleharbor 1948
10 Colfax 1981-1983
11 Columbus 1948-1974
12 Columbus Specifications 1953
13 Conservation Reserve Airstrip 1959
14 Cooperstown 1948-1977
15 Cooperstown Environmental Impact Statement 1974-1975
16 Crosby 1946-1977
17 Crosby Specifications 1965
18 Dawson 1946-1976
19 Dazey, Sibley Resort 1963
20 Delamere
21 Devils Lake 1966-1975
22 Devils Lake 1946-1976
23 Devils Lake 1954-1981
24 Devils Lake Specifications1953-1955
25 Dickey 1960-1967
26 Dickinson 1946-1971
27 Dickinson 1956-1980
28 Dickinson Environmental Impact Statement 1977
29 Dickinson Environmental Impact Statement 1977
30 Dickinson Specifications 1949-1953
31 Dickinson Study 1968-1974
Box 4:
1 Douglas 1947
2 Drake 1947-1981
3 Drake Specifications 1948
4 Drawings, Airport 1953-1963
5 Drayton 1945-1976
6 Dunn Center 1947-1958
7 Dunseith 1945-1978
8 Dunseith International Peace Garden 1961-1978
9 Dunseith International Peace Garden 1961-1978
10 Dunseith International Peace Garden Specs. 1963-1967
11 Edgeley 1947-1967
12 Edmore 1948
13 Elgin 1949-1979
14 Ellendale 1961-1974
15 Ellendale 1946-1978
16 Ellendale Environmental Impact Statement 1974
17 Ellendale Specifications 1964
18 Enderlin Lindemann, Private 1959
19 Enderlin Oehlke, Private 1946-1964
20 Enderlin Sky Haven 1959-1979
21 Enderlin Sky Haven Study 1955
22 Esmond 1945-1962
23 FAA Area Office 1966
24 FAA Area Office 1960-1968
25 Fairmount 1947
26 Fargo Hector 1946-1959
27 Fargo Hector 1960-1969
28 Fargo Hector 1970-1978
29 Fargo Hector Environmental Statement 1973-1974
Box 5:
1 Fargo Hector Reports 1975
2 Fargo Hector Specifications 1951
3 Fargo Hector Specifications 1952-1956
4 Fargo Hector Specifications 1970
5 Federal Aid Airport Program Application 1955-1956
6 Fessenden Mohr Field 1946-1976
7 Finley 1945-1958&
8 Flasher 1945-1958&
9 Flaxton 1946-1959
10 Forman 1946-1955
11 Fort Totten 1971
12 Fort Yates Standing Rock 1967-1968
13 Fort Yates Standing Rock 1966-1968
14 Fort Yates Standing Rock 1966-1968
15 Fort Yates Standing Rock 1968-1984
16 Fort Yates Standing Rock Reports 1964
17 Fund Allocations 1963-1973
18 Gackle 1959-1964
19 Gardner Dullum, Private 1955
20 Garrison 1977
21 Garrison 1977
22 Garrison 1972-1979
23 Garrison 1984-1985
24 Gilby 1976
25 Glen Ullin 1946-1979
26 Glen Ullin Environmental Statement 1975
27 Glen Ullin Specifications 1951
28 Glenburn 1968-1979
29 Golva 1949-1966
Box 6:
1 Grafton 1947-1956
2 Grafton 1962-1983
3 Grafton Environmental Impact Statement 1974
4 Grafton Environmental Impact Statement 1973-1976
5 Grafton Specifications 1949
6 Grand Forks 1946-1959
7 Grand Forks 1946-1959
8 Grand Forks 1960-1969
9 Grand Forks 1971-1982
10 Grand Forks Environmental Statement 1972
11 Grand Forks Environmental Statement 1973-1974
12 Grand Forks Report 1961
13 Grand Forks Report 1962-1969
14 Grand Forks Specifications 1948
15 Grand Forks Specifications 1949-1952
16 Grand Forks Specifications 1960-1962
17 Grand Forks Study 1956-1957
Box 7:
1 Grand Forks Study 1960
2 Grenora 1947-1977
3 Gwinner 1958-1983
4 Hankinson 1946-1973
5 Harvey 1945-1979
6 Hazelton 1968-1979
7 Hazen 1946-1979
8 Hazen Specifications 1946-1947
9 Hebron 1947-1979
10 Hensel 1948-1958
11 Hettinger 1946-1977
12 Hettinger Environmental Impact Statement 1973
13 Hettinger Specifications 1985
14 Hillsboro 1947-1979
15 Hillsboro Environmental Impact Statement 1974
16 Hillsboro Report 1975
17 Hoople 1969-1971
18 Hope 1965-1968
19 Horace 1983
20 Hunter 1947-1949
21 Hurdsfield 1948-1949
22 Inkster 1947-1979
23 Jamestown 1945-1958
24 Jamestown 1960-1982
25 Jamestown Specifications 1948-1962
26 Jamestown Specifications 1970
27 Johnstown 1984
28 Kenmare 1946-1978
29 Kenmare Environmental Impact Statement 1964
30 Killdeer 1946-1979
Box 8:
1 Kindred 1945-1979
2 Kulm 1968-1975
3 Lakota 1947-1977
4 LaMoure 1948-1979
5 Lamp Want Orders 1972-1974
6 Landing Facility Information 1937-1941
7 Langdon 1946-1972
8 Langdon Environmental Impact Statement 1971-1972
9 Langdon Chaput 1947-1948
10 Lansford 1946-1970
11 Lansford Specifications 1951
12 Larimore 1946-1973
13 Leeds 1949-1978
14 Leeds Specifications 1950
15 Leonard 1966-1979
16 Linton 1946-1976
17 Linton Environmental Impact Statement 1972-1973
18 Linton Specifications 1950
19 Lisbon 1946-1971
20 Litchville 1961
21 Maddock 1946-1979
22 Maddock Study 1983
23 Makoti 1969
24 Mandan 1946-1959
25 Mandan 1960-1969
26 Mandan 1977
27 Mandan 1970-1979
28 Mandan 1979-1980
29 Mandan Environmental Impact Statement 1976
Box 9:
1 Mandan Specifications 1949-1962
2 Mapleton 1967
3 Marmarth 1948-1950
4 Maxbass 1983
5 Mayville 1946-1981
6 McCanna Janice Field, Private 1973
7 McClusky 1946-1976
8 McGregor 1961
9 McHenry 1946-1948
10 McVille 1945-1978
11 Medina 1946-1948
12 Medina, Lake George 1969
13 Medora 1982-1985
14 Medora Environmental Assessment 1984
15 Medora Study 1982-1983
16 Medora Annear, Private 1967
17 Michigan 1945-1958
18 Millarton, Fretzek, Private 1973
19 Milnor 1962-1971
20 Minnewaukan 1946-1950
21 Minot Air Mart, Inc. 1950-1962
22 Minot International 1945-1959
23 Minot International 1961-1962
24 Minot International 1969-1977
25 Minot International Specifications 1950-1962
26 Minto 1973-1977
27 Miscellaneous 1947-1984
28 Mohall 1946-1980
29 Mohall Environmental Statement 1973-1974
30 Mott 1947-1969
31 Mott 1970-1976
32 Mott Environmental Statement 1973-1974
33 Municipal Airport Authority Resolutions 1967-1971
34 Municipal Airports Directory
Box 10:
1 Napoleon 1948-1979
2 Neche 1946-1973
3 New England 1946-1947
4 New Leipzig 1947-1981
5 New Rockford 1946-1947
6 New Rockford Specifications 1949-1953
7 New Salem 1946-1947
8 New Town 1951-1979
9 New Town1959-1980
10 Noonan Border International 1947-1981
11 Noonan Border International 1961-1974
12 North Central Airlines Traffic Data 1953-1954
13 Northwood 1948-1978
14 Oakes 1945-1977
15 Oakes 1974-1980
16 Oakes Environmental Impact Statement 1974
17 Oakes Specifications 1976
18 Oakes Study 1974-1979
19 Oakes Spear, Private 1983
20 Oberon Private 1945-1948
21 Osnabrock 1947-1948
22 Pacific Air Freight, Inc., Complaint 1966
23 Page 1947
24 Park River 1946-1976
25 Park River 1960-1977
26 Park River Environmental Statement 1974
27 Park River Specifications 1975
28 Park River Study 1955-1972
Box 11:
1 Parshall 1946-1979
2 Parshall 1954-1982
3 Parshall Specifications 1949-1951
4 Parshall Study 1980-1985
5 Pavement Evaluation Surveys 1966-1968
6 Pekin 1949
7 Pembina 1946-1965
8 Pembina 1953-1974
9 Pembina Environmental Assessment 1974
10 Pembina Specifications 1964-1965
11 Plaza 1947-1977
12 Portal 1946-1966
13 Powers Lake 1946-1971
14 Private Airports Directory
15 Private Airports, New 1968
16 Radio Range Elimination, Low Frequency 1954-1965
17 Ray 1946-1969
18 Reeder 1948-1979
19 Regan 1961-1964
20 Regent 1960-1980
21 Rhame 1946-1967
22 Richardton 1968-1972
23 Riverdale 1947-1980
24 Robinson Lake Williams Whitman Field 1946-1963
25 Robinson Lake Williams Whitman Field 1972-1973
26 Robinson Lake Williams Whitman Field 1973
27 Robinson Lake Williams Whitman Study 1971-1973
28 Rolette 1947-1977
29 Rolla 1945-1977
30 Rolla Specifications 1949
31 Rugby 1946-1979
32 Rugby Environmental Assessment 1985
33 Rugby Specifications 1951
Box 12:
1 Runway Length Criteria, FAA 1964-1966
2 Runways Lighted
3 Ryder 1947-1979
4 St. Thomas 1968-1977
5 Sarles 1946-1947
6 Scranton 1945-1947
7 Selfridge 1946-1948
8 Seven States Area Investigation 1956
9 Sherwood 1946-1979
10 Sheyenne 1946-1947
11 Stanley 1946-1949
12 Stanley Specifications 1950-1970
13 Stanton 1959-1966
14 Starkweather 1976
15 Steele 1952-1974
16 Strasburg 1948-1949
17 Subordination Agreements 1951-1954
18 Taylor 1946-1947
19 Tioga 1947-1971
20 Tioga 1962-1985
21 Tioga 1981-1985
22 Towner 1946-1979
23 Turtle Lake 1976
24 Tuttle 1946-1949
25 Underwood 1963-1979
26 Unicom Radio Systems Requests 1964-1968
27 Upham 1947
28 Valley City 1944-1950
29 Valley City 1956-1980
30 Valley City 1950-1981
31 Valley City Lake Ashtabula, Private 1962
32 Valley City Environmental Assessment
33 Valley City Specifications 1948-1953
34 Valley City Specifications 1980
35 Van Hook 1946-1951
36 Velva 1974-1975
37 Veterans Administration Flight Schools 1967-1969
38 Wahpeton-Breckenridge 1946-1960
Box 13:
1 Wahpeton-Breckenridge 1951-1968
2 Wahpeton-Breckenridge 1971-1972
3 Wahpeton-Breckenridge Environment Statement 1972
4 Wahpeton-Breckenridge Joint Agreement 1967-1983
5 Wahpeton-Breckenridge Specifications 1948-1952
6 Wahpeton-Breckenridge Study 1972-1981
7 Walhalla 1946-1985
8 Washburn 1945-1979
9 Watford City 1947-1963
10 Watford City 1983
11 Watford City 1947-1984
12 Watford City Specifications 1966
13 Weather Modification 1974-1975
14 Werner Johnson, Private 1970
15 West Fargo 1983
16 West Fargo Barnes, Private 1969-1979
17 Westhope 1946-1976
18 Wheatland 1966
19 Wildrose 1947-1986
20 Williston 1946-1959
21 Williston 1947-1976
22 Williston Specifications 1948-1956
23 Williston Study 1976-1980
24 Willow City 1946
25 Wilton Spitzer and Sons, Private 1977
26 Wimbledon 1961-1979
27 Wing Patterson Ranch, Private 1947-1970
28 Wishek 1946-1979
29 Wyndmere 1974-1977
Box 14:
1 Arthur 1984-1998
2 Ashley 1980-1996
3 Beach 1980-1999
4 Bismarck 1988-2002
5 Bottineau 1980-2005
6 Bowbells 1980-1997
7 Cando 1980-1997
8 Carrington 1985-2000
9 Carrington FAA Grants 1988-1999
10 Casselton 1983-2003
11 Cavalier 1981-2004
12 Columbus 1981-1996
13 Cooperstown 1980-1999
14 Crosby 1986-2006
15 Devils Lake 1986-1994
Box 15:
1 Drayton 1981-1997
2 Edgeley 1982-1998
3 Elgin 1980-1999
4 Ellendale 1981-1997
5 Enderlin 1988-1998
6 Fessenden 1982-1998
7 Fort Yates 1981-1996
8 Gackle 1988-1998
9 Garrison FAA Project 1991-1993
10 Garrison 1981-2007
11 Glenburn 1980-1995
12 Glen Ullin 1981-2005
13 Grafton 1985-2000
14 Grand Forks 2003
15 Grenora 1983-2009
16 Gwinner 1983-2002
17 Harvey 1979-2002
18 Hazelton 1977-2002
19 Hazen 1981-1999
20 Hebron 1980-2003
21 Hettinger 1981-1999
22 Hillsboro 2002
23 Inkster 1981-1997
24 Kenmare 1975-1999
25 Killdeer 1983-1998
26 Kindred 1980-1999
27 Kulm 1986-2003
28 Lake Williams Township, Kidder County 1973-1992
29 Lakota 1981-1998
Box 16:
1 LaMoure 1985-2001
2 Langdon 1966-1999
3 Larimore 1987-2003
4 Lansford 1985-1996
5 Leeds 1982-1998
6 Leeds Airport Relocation 1983-1988
7 Leonard 1982-2006
8 Lidgerwood 1982-2000
9 Linton 1984-1998
10 Lisbon 1982-2002
11 Maddock 1982-1998
12 Makoti 1981-1986
13 Mandan 1983-1999
14 Mandan FAA Projects 1988-1998
15 Mayville 1977-1998
16 McClusky 1967-2006
17 McVille 1987-2000
18 Milnor 1985-2000
19 Minto 1976-2004
20 Mohall 1981-2001
21 Mott 1990-1999
22 Napoleon 1981-2004
23 New Rockford 1982-2001
24 New Town 1982-2005
25 Noonan 1959-1986
26 Noonan Closure (Border Airport) 1983-1986
27 Noonan Leases (Border Airport) 1957-1976
28 Northwood 1983-1999
Box 17:
1 Oakes 1980-1997
2 Page 1983-2005
3 Park River 1980-1998
4 Parshall 1970-2000
5 Pembina 1985-2001
6 Plaza 1985-2000
7 Portal 1983-1989
8 Reeder 1988-1995
9 Regent 1980-1998
10 Richardton 1980-1998
11 Rolette 1980-1997
12 Rolla 1967-2001
13 Rugby 1980-1998
14 St. Thomas 1977-2004
15 Stanley FAA Project 1993-1995
16 Stanley 1981-2000
17 Steele 1980-1982
18 Tioga 1984-2001
19 Towner 1981-2000
20 Underwood 1984-1996
21 Valley City 1981-1999
22 Wahpeton 1981-2000
23 Walhalla 1982-1998
24 Washburn 1971-2006
25 Watford City 1980-1998
26 Westhope 1981-2000
27 West Fargo 1978-2003
28 Wimbledon 1979-2001
29 Wyndmere 1981-1995
OVERSIZE
418 Aneta-Fargo Hector Plans and Maps 1953-1973
418 Garrison-Minot International Plans/Maps 1949-1973
418 Miscellaneous 1937-1964
418 Oakes-Williston Plans and Maps 1945-1982
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