Amelia Earhart visited our area of the Susquehanna Valley three times in 1929 -
although only one of those visits was planned. (Shown above, with her mother, at the airport in Sunbury PA)
While on her way to Bellefonte Pa in May of 1929, Amelia Earhart became lost, and made a surprise landing in Hughesville Pa. She rested at the home of Mrs. Haas and had lunch before continuing on to Cleveland to fly the inaugural mail route from Cleveland to Detroit.
That fall on September 16 1929, while traveling with her mother, she made another surprise local visit, when a storm forced her to land in Sunbury Pa. Earhart and her mother stayed at the City Hotel (today the Hotel Edison), having lunch there before continuing on with their trip.
The Evening News
Harrisburg Pa
14 May 1929
On May 14th 1929, Amelia Earhart was headed from Roosevelt Air Field in Long Island New York, to Cleveland Ohio, with a planned stop in Bellefonte Pa to refuel, but she lost her way. Noticing the landing field in Hughesville, she made an emergency landing there.
Reports are varied, some state that Mrs. Haas noticed her landing and invited her in to rest and eat. Other reports state that a crowd of people noticed her landing, and took her to the home of Mrs. Haas. Some reports state that Miss Earhart ate at the home of Mrs. Haas, others say she rested there and then went to a local restaurant to eat. (An Ida (Runkle) Haas, wife of Daniel Bowman Haas, resided in Hughesville in 1929)
From there, Earhart continued on to Cleveland, where she was scheduled to fly the first "ship of the newly organized Cleveland-Detroit Air Service". On that flight as well, she was delayed. The flight from Cleveland to Detroit, which would be the mail service route, was to take 55 minutes, but severe fog from Lake Erie added nearly three hours to that trip.
On May 13th 1929, newspapers, including the Republican and Herald out of Pottsville Pa, reported that Miss Earhart was the fly the Mail Route. She was to leave in an Avro - Avian biplane from Roosevelt Field and head to Cleveland, where she "will fly the first ship of the newly organized Cleveland-Detroit air service". The articles note that on her way to Cleveland, Miss Earhart plans to stop at Bellefonte Pa.
In Sunbury, Pa
Amelia Earhart & her mother at the Sunbury Airport 1929
In September of 1929, A Storm Forced Amelia Earhart, And Her Mother, To Land In Sunbury PA.
The history page of the Williamsport Airport includes this:
"I'm sorry I'm late", said Amelia Earhart, "but I flew here to Williamsport from New York to pay my respects to a city which I hear has one of the most modern airports in the East" So said the famous aviatrix upon her arrival at the dedication of the Williamsport Airport on July 20, 1929.
"Miss Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, was one of five trans-Atlantic fliers to attend the dedicatory event which marked the formal opening of the airfield , located in the southern portion of Montoursville borough. The newspapers of the day estimated the crowd at 30,000 people attending the ceremony, the largest crowd of any type in Lycoming County history." http://www.flyipt.com/airport-history
On July 19th 1929, Earhart flew from Roosevelt Air field to Elmira New York, where she spent the night at the Mark Twain. This is well documented, as the 1 hour and 35 minute flight was a record time. She was on her way to the Chautauqua golf course, where she was scheduled to give a talk on the afternoon of the 20th. It is of course possible that she flew from Elmira to Williamsport, then on to Chautauqua, but it would have been out of her way, and her attendance was not mentioned in any of the articles I have read about the dedication of the airport. (I have not yet seen the Williamsport newspaper for that day)
The Sentinel
Carlisle PA
20 July 1929
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More Local History & Stories
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Read More:
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A Fantastic Biography Of Amelia Earhart
The Sound Of Wings By Mary Lovell
Also - although completly fiction, Beatriz Williams latest Historical Fiction Novel is based on the disappearance of Earhart
Her Last Flight
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About Amity Air Field in Hughesville Pa
The Hughesville airport was considered an important refueling stop for flights between New York City and Cleveland.
An article at the East Lycoming Historical Society tells us that Amnity Fields was located at the present side of the parking lot of the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville Pa.
"It was popular with private small place operators during the 1920's and 1930's".
"There was a ticket office and a hanger and gas tank. Still visible is a circle marked with lime stone with a pointer through the center, pointing north. There as a wind sock located on the roof of the hanger."
"It's major claim to fame was when Amelia Earhart landed at the field during the 1930's and asked a resident of East Broadway Street to take her to a restaurant. When that was accomplished, she took off on her way again."
Great story about a great woman! Thanks.
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