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US Airways has long history with southwestern Pennsylvania
Dr. Lytle Adams, of Irwin, is credited with developing that service with his experiments at the Irwin airfield, later at Pittsburgh-Greensburg airport and Morgantown, W.Va., and its then-new municipal airport.
Its record of operational growth began with the first air-mail pickup, in Latrobe, May 12, 1939, 63 years ago tomorrow, followed by the second in Connellsville. Three scarlet Stinson monoplanes began that service, inaugurating a four-state, 54-city operation that was quite successful.
With pilot Hap O'Bryan, of Greensburg, Adams demonstrated the process to the House Post Office Committee at College Park, Md., June 3, 1937. O'Bryan flew low over the ground apparatus, deposited a container filled with six quarts of Scotch whiskey, and grabbed a sack of mail before zooming away. The condition of the container's contents is not recorded in history.
Less than a week later, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives for that experimental air-mail service. It was passed, President Franklin Roosevelt signed it on April 15, 1938.
It took a year to get the process in operation, All-American Aviation having been formed to bid for the mail pickup contract.
Two routes were initially developed, the first through Fayette and Westmoreland counties to West Virginia. The other, which started two days after the first, was to Pittsburgh by way of New Kensington and Butler.
That was the beginning of All-American Aviation, which attracted a great deal of national publicity as "winged mailmen."
Feeder or local passenger service was one step, and another came in August 1939, when express shipment service was added. The routes expanded into West Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky and New York in addition to Pennsylvania.
A night pickup test was held at Natrona Heights Airport on Nov. 15, 1939, with a large crowd in attendance. The post office, however, did not adopt the nocturnal method.
The developer of the pickup system and part owner of All-American, Dr. Adams, lived in the Irwin area until 1951. He moved to Tucson, Ariz., where he died at age 87 in 1970.
At its peak in 1949, air-mail pickup served 121 towns and cities in six states, including Masontown, Connellsville, West Newton, Uniontown, Scottdale, Mt. Pleasant, Washington, Canonsburg, Greensburg, Latrobe, Irwin, Pitcairn, Blairsville, Saltsburg, Indiana, Punxsutawney, Johnstown and Vandergrift.
The war had added to the scope of All-American operations, as did post-war activity. In 1948, the line was awarded routes for passenger service in six states.
The name was changed to All-American Airways, and in 1953 to Allegheny Airlines.
Allegheny's Pittsburgh-Philadelphia route was quite popular, with 18 daily flights by 1962. In 1965, Allegheny began service to Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, replacing TWA.
In 1963, Allegheny opened at Greater Pittsburgh Airport a $6 million operations and maintenance center, and by 1966 it opened a computerized reservation service. By the end of the 1960s, Allegheny had emerged as the country's largest regional carrier.
In 1978-79, the airline added nonstop connections to a number of southern airports. On Oct. 28, 1979, to present a new image as a national carrier, Allegheny changed its name to USAir, then, more recently, US Airways.
FIRST RELIGIOUS BROADCAST
The first religious services to be broadcast over the pioneer Pittsburgh radio station KDKA were those of Calvary Episcopal Church on Shady Avenue on Jan. 2, 1921, just days after regular programming began.
Westinghouse received many favorable comments, and the broadcast became a regular feature on KDKA's schedules. The Rev. Edwin J. Van Etten was the clergyman who became an immediate radio success.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
Cheswick post office was established May 11, 1891, on a date that was quiet in early times.
In 1898, the Spanish-American War caused the Tenth Regiment of the National Guard from southwestern Pennsylvania to be called up for active duty.
Three men were killed in a mine explosion at Wehrum No. 3 mine in Indiana County in 1904.
In 1910, fire damaged the Indiana Bent Rung Ladder Co. The next year, on the same date, flames ravaged the American Window glass plant in Arnold.
In 1931, a young boy was killed by a moving propeller blade at Greensburg Airport. In Pittsburgh, the city's first police radio cruisers added broadcasting to their use against crime.
In 1938, Pittsburgh Railways Co. again went bankrupt.
Dr. Edward Litchfield in 1957 was inaugurated as the 12th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh.
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