On the cusp of the great depression, denver mayor benjamin stapleton pushed for the development of the first cityoperated airport. The rossbarrett historical aeronautics collection at the denver main public library. Take a virtual tour of denver s stapleton airport before closing in 1995, stapleton international airport was colorados premier airport for 65 years. During the course of building denver international airport, congress authorized the release. Author dutifully parrots his sources, which, for the most part, are denvers two newspapers. Engineering of denver which were based at stapleton international airport. A new book on the history of denvers airports shows how air.
Lowry air force base opens in 1938 at east sixth avenue and quebec street in east denver. The first fifty years hardcover 1983 by jeff miller author. The name comes from when a family lived in the village of stapleton which could be found in the counties of cumberland, gloucestershire, leicestershire, somerset and yorkshire. Official site for the airport including current security wait times, ground transportation, lodging, flight schedules, faa frequencies, parking guide, annual reports, and press releases. The stapleton neighborhood bears his name because denver municipal airport was built during his terms, which was later expanded and renamed stapleton international airport. Denver international airport historic resources history. The airport played a major role in denver s development as a national transportation and shipping hub. Museums and welton street historic district provide a look at today and yesterday. Trace denvers beer history from the rough and tumble saloon days to the inaugural denver beer fest in 2009. Instead, theorists believe it was a ploy to cover up a larger project with a massive construction site. The properties reflect the early angloamerican development of the area beginning with homestead farming, include road and railroad developments. Properties listed under this submission are located in the land annexed to the city and county of denver in 1988 for the construction of denver international.
On the cold, forbidding night of february 27, 1995 the last commercial flight departed. Built in 192930, stapleton international airport brought international air traffic and shipping to denver. While stapleton would be honored to later have the airport named after him, by the mid1980s, the name stapleton had become synonymous with congestion, flight delays, and frequent closures when the snow moved in. A united airlines dc6 passenger plane, also known as a mainliner 300, sits on the tarmac at stapleton airport, c. Two million gallons of jet fuel blazed away and threatened to engulf 12 million more gallons of fuel at a depot just north of the airport tower at stapleton international airport. Book ends without knowing where stapletons replacement would be or when it might be ready. The surname stapleton is a habitation name that was originally derived from preexisting names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Denver airports from stapleton to dia delivers an entertaining account and perspective on the history of denver and colorado aviation. Foundation produced the stapleton development plan, commonly known as the green book. Finally, denver international airport opened for commercial flights in. Denver international airport historic resources history colorado. With the stapleton airport already nearby, such an expensive and lengthy project seemed unnecessary. Indeed, this book was designed to assist major cities worldwide as they are.
Denvers airport is renamed stapleton airfield in honor of mayor benjamin stapleton. Punch bowl social in stapleton airports old traffic. Key moments in denver airport history slideshow denver. On october 17, 1929 the denver municipal airport was officially dedicated and opened for business. Denvers stapleton international airport closed on a cold feb. A local tv news story about the closing of stapleton international airport in denver, colorado. One time when we dined there, dads seat at the table faced the runway. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias. The stapleton neighborhood was named after its location, the former airport, which in turn was named after the former mayor. The former stapleton international airport air traffic control tower has stood vacant for more than 20 years a stark monument among the manicured parks and shiny tract homes of one of denver. Leonard, along with several other works covering colorados long and rich history. Colorado, tom has written the definitive book about the mile high city, denver.
Denvers rich history includes vibrant africanamerican residents and jazz. The last 747 o departes, then the runways were closed, with an x painted on them. Stapleton international airport fuel tank fire denver. Learn more about denvers africanamerican heritage about. The old stapleton international airports air traffic control tower, which has stood vacant for more than 20 years, will soon come back to life as the new home to. Former stapleton airport control tower to become punch. Stapleton name meaning, family history, family crest. This is the story of three airports and how they brought the city from cow town to boomtown. Welcome to the 80238 where were twelve neighborhoods strong, in the heart of colorado.
While stapleton would be honored to later have the airport named after him, by the mid1980s, the name. Denverstapleton airport map united states airports. This inflammatory headline, from the denver post, november 26, 1990, greeted readers that day. Homes for sale stapleton denver exhibits a broad range of awardwinning architecture, from updated traditional favorites to bold, ultramodern designs. The sixth runway opens, and its one for the record books. By the time it closed in february 1995 with the opening of denver international airport, stapleton was the fifth busiest airport in the united states and covered approximately 4,700 acres. Jet fuel fire a monster denver public library history. Researching the evolution of denver international alrport was more than simply a project of interest. Stapleton international airport opened as a small municipal airport in 192930 and went on to become denvers primary airport for sixtyfive years, until it was replaced by denver international airport in 1995. Other airlines with smaller oper ations at st apleton included aspen airways, the current. Denver and vicinity includes maps of downtown denver and stapleton international airport. After years of expansion and improvements, the airport was officially renamed stapleton international airport.
Descriptive index and maps of colorado, colorado springs, aspen, vail, and grand junction on verso. The university of colorado a line is 23 miles of rail making local travel around denver easier than ever before. From stapleton to dia jeffrey c price, jeffrey s forrest, shahn g. See more ideas about denver history, denver, colorado. Stapleton began serving denver and the regions commercial aviation needs in 1929 on 640 acres of grassland. Youd be hardpressed to find anyone more knowledgeable about denver than historian tom noel.
Denver municipal airport opened in 1929 with three hub airlines. The images bring back not only the longing for the good olde days of aviation, but the sadness and shock of some of aviations largest disasters. How many layers deep are we going to go in the names of public spaces, neighborhoods, buildings, etc. Properties listed under this submission are located in the land annexed to the city and county of denver in 1988 for the construction of denver international airport. Historic resources in this area were identified which date from as early as 1860. Property owners in denver neighborhood vote to keep its. Dramatic growth in aviation activity in the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s posed two challenges for stapletons future as an airport. The new line will provide easy, affordable and reliable connections between downtown denver, stapleton, denver international airport, and the many communities the line the i70. Stapleton was instrumental in developing many civic improvement projects, including expanding the mountain parks system, developing i25, and facilitating the. This field, originally known as denver municipal airport, was opened on 10171929.
Spreading upwards of 35,000 acres of land, the denver international airport is enormous. I would recommend this book to any aviation enthusiast who enjoys history. While stapleton would be honored to later have the airport named after him, by the mid1980s, the name stapleton had become synonymous with. Denvers airport is renamed stapleton airfield in honor of mayor. Taken july 1993, shortly before the airport closed. Stapleton lay out park hill neighborhood history airport architecture, royal gorge, louisiana. The effort to change the communitys name goes back to the 1990s, when the community was first built on the 4,500acre site of what was once the stapleton airport denvers aviation hub.
During the energy boom of the early 1980s, several skyscrapers were built in downtown denver, including republic plaza denvers tallest at 714. Stapleton international airport project gutenberg self. Stapleton international airport fuel tank fire by james rogers on may 17, 2019 photographs of the stapleton international airport fuel tank fire of november, 1990. The history of stapleton, a neighborhood named for. Knight ranchlindbergh field grand county, colorado according to the 1933 granby section of the local telephone book in the files of the grand county historical association, five miles east and six miles north of. Map, denver, stapleton international airport, colorado. Take a virtual tour of the old stapleton airport in denver. Stapleton airport closing denver local news story 1995. Denver airport cuts ailing airlines a break on rent as it.
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