http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120724/NEWS02/707249884
Charles Lindbergh speaks at the Springfield airport in July 1927 while on a nationwide tour promoting air transportation.
Photo: Provided photo
Published July 24, 2012 in the Times Argus
Springfield to mark 85th anniversary of Lindbergh’s Vermont visit
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Don Whitney was not quite 5 years old when Charles Lindbergh flew into Springfield with his “Spirit of St. Louis,” two months after his famous 1927 solo trans-Atlantic flight.
Now 89 years young, Whitney is again going to be at Hartness State Airport on Thursday, as the town commemorates the 85th anniversary of the famous visit from the world-famous aviator.
Whitney said his entire family put farm chores on hold that summer day in 1927, piled into the family’s Model T Ford and drove over Skitchewaug Trail to North Springfield and the airport.
The Whitneys weren’t alone: In all, 30,000 people came to see Lindbergh and his equally famous plane. Lindbergh was on a state-to-state barnstorming tour to promote aviation. He was 25 years old.
“I remember it was bumper-to-bumper traffic of Model T Fords going up to the airport,” said Whitney.
“I remember the plane landing,” he said. “I had never seen a plane up close before. I had heard them before.”
Whitney is one of six people who were at the 1927 celebration who will return and share their memories during the celebration, said event organizer Sandy MacGillivray.
The 2 p.m. celebration will include a re-enactment of Lindbergh’s landing at Hartness Airport, which at the time was the only airport in Vermont. Walter Striedieck will fly a 1968 Piper, tracing Lindbergh’s flight into the rural airport.
At the time of Lindbergh’s visit, he was considered “the most famous man in the world.”
Panoramic photographs from the July 26, 1927, event show massive crowds, with Lindbergh posing for photos with his famous plane, Gov. Hartness and other dignitaries. He spent the night at Hartness’ home in Springfield, which is now the Hartness House Inn.
There was also a community banquet in Springfield that evening, with Lindbergh the honored guest. Whitney said his father, a Spencer Hollow dairy farmer, was one of 400 people to attend the dinner.
Sandy MacGillivray said that back in 1927, the town had two weeks to plan for Lindbergh’s visit. Photos from the Springfield Art and Historical Society show downtown Springfield covered in flags and bunting.
Back then, the airport had a single east-west runway, said Springfield Select Board member Peter MacGillivray, who is chairman of the Springfield Airport Commission. The airstrip was nothing but a glorified cow or sheep pasture, he said.
“I’ve seen photographs of the field, and there was long grass on it and it was not very smooth,” said Peter MacGillivray. Lindbergh’s airplane was remarkable because it had a metal windshield, and Lindbergh had to navigate and land by looking to the side, he said.
The airport was eventually named after Gov. Hartness of Springfield, who was one of the country’s first licensed pilots and was instrumental in the creation of the airport.
One of Lindbergh’s daughters, Reeve Lindbergh, of St. Johnsbury, will also be on hand and will go up in a plane piloted by Striedieck, a Springfield pilot who will take the role of Lindbergh. Local actor Don Gray will play Hartness.
Sandy MacGillivray, who is also president of the Springfield Garden Club, said Reeve Lindbergh has always been a friend to Springfield and spoke last summer during the town’s 250th birthday celebration.
MacGillivray said Reeve Lindbergh bought two memorial pavers for the club’s Memorial Garden on the Toonerville Trail, one for her father and the other for his famous plane. The dedication of that garden is earlier in the day.
Peter MacGillivray, who has been a pilot since 1970, said the town celebrated the Lindbergh visit at its 50th anniversary, and at that time a replica of “The Spirit of St. Louis” flew into the airport, although this week it will be a 1968 Piper. There will be vintage planes at the airport for viewing.
A resolution passed by the Vermont Legislature will be read, said Sandy MacGillivray, along with the town’s proclamation.
The commemoration starts at 2 p.m. at Hartness State Airport in North Springfield.
