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All about TOWN

With Mary Jayne

On a recent ride out on Highway 13, it suddenly came to me that the airport as we have always known it is all gone. Of course, the clearing is still there but all the very tall trees lining it are taken down. In fact, I had a daughter who just came back for the summer and her home is on Highway 13 and she suddenly said, “Where has the airport gone?” Because it was always lined by this beautiful stand of trees. I know there was an article recently somewhere (probably The Mining Journal), I should have saved it as to why the trees were coming down, etc. Hanley Field as it has always been know is very much a historical part of Alger County. However, if you scan it on the computer, it gets rather humorous as it refers to flight schedules, a few of the usual airlines, etc., whereas it has always been for small, relatively local planes. I know for myself, during my career of pictures for the press, etc., when, for instance, the Alger Maximum Prison was being built, I had to go up with a local pilot — I think it was Mr. McQistion — to view and photograph the infancy of the prison. And before that, I believe, the other prison camp the same, only that has since been torn down. My main memory of Hanley Field was when my husband was half of the Bowerman-Hallifax Funeral Home here in Munising. The phone rang one beautiful February morning in probably the 60s or 70s from a young man from the military. They wanted to have a vehicle at Hanley Field at say, 2 p.m., to receive the remains of a returning serviceman to be transported home for services. My husband tried to convince the young man that that would not be practical since Hanley Field was a very seasonal airport and at the time was under probably 8 or 10 feet of snow. However the young man said emphatically that his colonel said to be there and he hung up. Probably a half hour or so later, the phone rang again and the young man apologetically stated that the higher-ranking officer said he would be alright instead to do the pick up at the Delta County Airport in Escanaba. Orders carried out. And, of course, this was in mid February. As I now say, I have no idea if the runway is usable or not. However it is the only local airport! (Photo courtesy of Mary Jayne Hallifax)

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