My first sight of the Woolsey Airport had been four years ago on a Restless Viking YouTube video. (See “Related Links”) I knew this unique stone structure must have a story. In May 2023, My husband, Chuck, “DaViking” and I made a stop as we drove around the “pinky peninsula” known as Leelanau County. Why had this structure been built? When did this land become an airport? Captain Clinton F. Woolsey and the Woolsey Airport carry a fascinating history that stretches over a century. Join us as we learn about this most unique place that has spanned the aviation era.

Historical Marker

The historical marker gave us a glimpse into the past. Byron Woolsey had donated some of his dairy farm to be made into an airfield as a memorial to his son, Captain Clinton F. Woolsey who had died in 1926.

Lynn Cantos, Woolsey’s great niece, had started a campaign to add a historical marker to the airport grounds in 2018. At 12:00 pm on July 14, 2021 the dedication ceremony had hosted five speakers and a U. S. Coast Guard fly over at 12:15. This ceremony had taken place exactly 86 years after the original dedication of The Clinton F. Woolsey Memorial Airport which had been on July 14, 1935.

The Record Eagle had interviewed Lynn Cantos. “He (Clinton F. Woolsey) designed a plane called the Woolsey Bomber,” Contos said. “It was his plan to do the first transatlantic flight.” However, Clinton had been called to serve his country. Cantos had wanted her great uncle to be remembered for the advancements he’d made in aviation.

This historical marker had not been on display when Chuck and his pilot friends had made a landing at Woolsey in 2019. The group of four had needed to wait for the fog to clear on their way to Fox Island. At that time, the quartet of flying navigators had explored this stone structure wondering what it had once been.

Captain Clinton F. Woolsey – An Aviation Legacy

Learning about Captain Woolsey gave me a chill. He had been an amazing person! In 1924 Clinton F. Woolsey had earned his pilot’s license, which had been endorsed by Orville Wright. Flying had been a new technology at that time and C. F. Woolsey was one of only two hundred men in the nation who had this skill.

C.F. Woolsey had been known to instruct others who were capable and interested in learning to fly. One of his students was believed to have been Charles Lindbergh, who on May 21, 1927 had been the first solo pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean nonstop from New York to Paris.

Pan-American Goodwill Flight

Capt. Clinton F. Woolsey had been one of ten pilots chosen to fly in the Pan-American Good Will Flight. This had included five two-seater planes. (pictured below) Each plane was named for an American city. Woolsey had piloted The Detroit.

The five pairs would be flying 22,000 miles with open cockpits at 90 miles an hour. The teams would fly in formation land at 23 capital cities in Central and South America. They had started in San Antonio, Texas on December 21, 1926 and had a planned agenda through May of 1927.

The mission for this trip was to capture the interest of the Latin-American countries encouraging them to develop aviation accommodations as many areas in these countries didn’t have rail lines or roads for reliable transportation. The airplane could provide communication and supply deliveries to these remote locations. Flying had been a new method and needed to be ‘advertised.’ Each landing included diplomatic meetings with representatives from the regions.

The Tragic Accident

On February 26, 1927 The Detroit had collided with The New York while flying in the clouds on route to Bueno Aires . Both men from the New York had successfully ejected from their plane and survived. The landing gear of The Detroit had been damaged.

Woolsey’s co-pilot, John W. Benton, had climbed out of his seat during the flight and was reported to have been on the wing attempting to repair the damage. It is believed that Woolsey had refused to eject and had attempted to land in order to save his partner. Heartbreakingly, their landing had been fatal.

Capt. Ira Eaker, another pilot from the group, had watched the whole ordeal from his plane. “I have never witnessed a more courageous sacrifice.”

A Dedication to Aviation

Byron Woolsey, Clinton’s 85 year old father, had wanted to honor his son and continue the progress being made in aviation. Byron had dedicated 80 acres of his dairy farm along with the stone structure, believed to have been the creamery, for an airport. Leelanau Township added 120 adjoining acres. In the winter of 1933-1934 The Civil Works Progress Administration, which had been part of “The New Deal,” had assigned men to construct a grass runway and remodel the fieldstone building into an airport terminal. The airport had been dedicated on July 14, 1935.

Being able to touch tangible pieces of Clinton F. Woolsey’s story and his father’s dedication had been remarkable. These stones have observed the entire history of aviation which has transcended a century. I encourage you to take an up close look-see and to touch a piece of history. The Woolsey Memorial Airport is located at 13591 East Woolsey Lake Road, Northport, MI 49670.

Related Links:

Restless Viking video 2019 – The flight to South Fox Island with an unexpected stop at Woolsey Airport due to fog.
You can start the video at 10 minutes 50 seconds. A tour of the airport begins at 17 minutes.

Resources

Record Eagle article , “Northport Aviation Hero Honored” July 11, 2021 by Sally Barber

Lost in Michigan article

Special thanks to Captain Woolsey’s grand-niece, Lynn Contos, who had worked to have the historical marker placed

National Air and Space Museum article