Layton Ave., E of Howell Ave., N of Mitchell Field, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County

In 1920 Thomas Hamilton established a flying field on East Layton Avenue, the field was purchased by Milwaukee County on October 29, 1926. As commercial aviation grew, the field and its operations expanded. The first scheduled passenger service began on July 1, 1927, and Thomas Hamilton started production of his all-metal passenger airplane the same year. On August 31, 1929, the Kohler line start­ed passenger service across Lake Michigan, basing their winter operations here. On March 17, 1941, the airport was named in honor of Milwaukee's famous air-power pioneer, General William Mitchell. Other famous fliers, such as Charles Lindbergh, Lester Maitland, the Bremen fliers, Wiley Post, and Eddie Rickenbacker, visited this field. Today General Mitchell Field is the principal airport in the state, serving the metropolitan area of southeastern Wisconsin.

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[Source: McBride, Sarah Davis. History Just Ahead (Madison:WHS, 1999).]