The pilots who transported the mail navigated by following roads, rivers, railroad tracks, and prominent landmarks as they made their way across the country. In an age before sophisticated navigation systems, flying after dark was just too dangerous. Post Office introduced airmail service in 1920, the mail could only be flown during daylight hours, when pilots could see where they were going.
The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader To see a Google map of historic airway beacon sites and their GPS coordinates, go to. Reno’s airmail field and first airport was named in Blanchfield’s honor after his death. It has been a Reno tradition to place a sprig of shamrock from Blanchfield’s native Ireland on his grave at Mountain View Cemetery. March 16, the Sons and Daughters of Erin, a local Irish heritage group, will honor one of Nevada’s best known air mail pilots - William Blanchfield - who died in a crash of his plane in August 1924. It should be shared with everyone.”Īt 11 a.m. “This isn’t something that should be a secret. Mattson said he’s happy there is an interest in preserving and recognizing the sites. They must submit requests and proposals as to why the site should be preserved and once the project is approved, the next effort will be to begin looking at funding for the historic marker. Mattson approached local scout troops and at least two scouts are looking into making the arrow’s preservation an Eagle Scout project. Marvin Mattson, a Nevada history buff, who prompted the RGJ story on the Steamboat Ditch arrow, said since the story ran, progress has been made in an effort to preserve and memorialize the site. “I’ve seen at least one of these locations vandalized the point that I am concerned about its future.” “Something should be done to preserve the historical aspects of these sites,” he said. But he has also seen sites on the verge of disappearing forever. Rajki said he has found some lights still intact and one beacon from the air mail days still in operation at Lovelock. I’ve visited and photographed 18 of those sites and know of at least six more concrete arrows besides the one near Mogul.” “Since that time, my curiosity has fueled a fascination with the history of the route, and I’ve identified 23 sites associated with the transcontinental across Northern Nevada. “Eight years ago, I stumbled across information concerning the airmail route while trying to figure out what an old airway beacon near Fernley was used for,” said Fernley’s Ed Rajki. From the area of Patrick outside of Reno to Lovelock, to Golconda Summit to Battle Mountain, a number of other arrows or remnants have been reported. The remaining air mail arrows in Nevada have piqued the curiosity of people who have come across them in their explorations of the state. Unlike the Pony Express Trail, which has a number of historical markers across Nevada, the Air Mail arrows were unmarked and largely forgotten. Most of the towers were torn down and the metal scrapped for use in World War II. The concrete arrows generally were placed in remote areas, many of which remain remote today, such as the Steamboat Ditch arrow. Cleveland Bryan, Ohio Chicago Iowa City, Iowa Omaha, Neb. In Nevada, the stops were in Elko and Reno. In addition to New York and San Francisco, the transcontinental route included 13 intermediate stops where mails were exchanged and aircrew relieved. Aviation buffs compared the fearless fliers to the famous Pony Express riders of the 19th century. The lights and the bright yellow paint were to help the air mail pilots, who flew open cockpit biplanes on the route, ensure they were on the correct route. As part of the effort to help pilots successfully navigate the route between New York and San Francisco, the arrows (usually painted yellow) and an accompanying tower equipped with a gas-powered beacon were installed at roughly 10-mile intervals across the country. The large arrows are relics of the transcontinental delivery of mail for the U.S. There are more than a dozen in various conditions between Reno and the Nevada-Utah state line.Īnd an effort is now under way for a historical marker to placed at the Steamboat Ditch Trail site.
We also learned that the Steamboat Ditch arrow, while unknown to most, is not the only such arrow still in existence in Nevada. Last month’s Reno Gazette-Journal story about a concrete air mail arrow above the Steamboat Ditch Trail sparked more than a passing interest from Nevada history buffs, historic preservationists, geocachers and other outdoor enthusiasts.Īlong with dozens of people who wanted to hike to the marker, we heard from aviation fans and people who love exploring the outback of Nevada in search of interesting tidbits of history.
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