Growth and expansion History of Lincoln, Nebraska

arrow sport, lincoln airport.

in years of air travel, lincoln had 3 airports , 1 airfield. one, union airport, established northeast of lincoln in 1920 e.j. sias. charles lindbergh learned fly @ lincoln flying school april 1, 1922. lincoln flying school founded e.j. sias in building built @ 2145 o street. flying school closed in 1947. remnants of old airport can still seen today in-between n. 56th , n. 70th streets, north of fletcher avenue; mangled within developing industrial zone.

in 1924, d-l-d officially designated nebraska state highway 6 , 1926, detroit-lincoln-denver name disappeared. in 1926, highway became part of federal highway system , renumbered u.s. route 38.

arrow airport established around 1925 manufacturing , test facility arrow aircraft , motors corporation, arrow sport. airfield located near havelock; or west of north 48th street small vehicle transfer station located today. arrow aircraft & motors declared bankruptcy in 1939 , arrow airport closed several decades later. existing arrow sport can seen on permanent display, hanging in lincoln airport s main passenger terminal.

veterans administration nebraska-western iowa health care system

the city s small municipal airfield in 1930 dedicated charles lindbergh , named lindbergh field short period of time airfield named lindbergh in california. airfield north of salt lake, in area known variously on years huskerville, arnold heights , air park; , located approximately within western half of west lincoln township. air field stop united airlines in 1927 , mail stop in 1928.

in 1930, veterans hospital opened east of city , city annexed town of havelock. havelock actively opposed annexation lincoln , relented due strike burlington railroad shop workers halted progress & growth city. 1930, population of lincoln had grown 75,933.

in 1931, nebraska state highway 6 renumbered u.s. 6/u.s. 38 overlap , in 1933, u.s. 38 route designation dropped. on june 30, 1937, congress designated u.s. 6 national route honoring grand army of republic. since then, u.s. 6 has been known grand army of republic highway , @ 1 time longest national route in u.s. in lincoln, began o-l-d has taken various routes throughout city throughout time. old d-l-d route designation monuments can still found inside , outside city, reminder of old highway once ran. 1 such @ corner of n. 2nd , p streets; near emerald.

s. 13th street @ alleyway south of n st., looking north in 1942

the lincoln army airfield established in 1942 @ site. during world war ii, on 25,000 aviation mechanics trained on 40,000 troopers being processed combat. army closed base in 1945. air force reactivated base during korean war in 1952. in 1966, base closed , lincoln annexed airfield, including base s old housing units west. base became lincoln municipal airport under ownership of lincoln airport authority. around turn of 21st century, airport renamed lincoln airport. authority shared facilities nebraska national guard, continued ownership on portions of old air force base. during 1960s, 2 main airlines serving lincoln airport united airlines , original frontier airlines.

in 1956, bankers life insurance company of nebraska announced plans build $6 million shopping center next new campus on east-side outskirts of lincoln. gateway mall completed , open business @ 60th , o streets in 1960. open-air mall anchored montgomery wards , miller & paine; second location in city. tenants included s. s. kresge, walgreens, ben simons , gateway bank. later tenants included hovland-swanson , hinky dinky.