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| Alexis Park Inn & Suites |
| 1165 S. Riverside Drive |
| Iowa City, Iowa 52246 |
| Toll Free: 888-9ALEXIS |
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(888-925-3947) |
| Local: 319 337-8665 |
| Fax: 319 351-4102 |
| Email: |
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Proud Members of: |
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Iowa Bed & Breakfast Guild |
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Iowa City Chamber of Commerce |
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Iowa City Convention & Visitor's Bureau |
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| Herb Davis' Recollections |
| The Boeing Hangar |
| Iowa City resident Herb Davis was 6 years old in 1930, when the new Boeing/United hangar was built. His best friend in the whole world was Jack Curtis -- son of the Boeing Company employee in charge of the new facility. |
| In 1931, Herb and Jack made a terrific discovery: The Boeing hangar, with the giant doors closed, was a PERFECT environment for flying the balsa-wood planes they were fond of building! Four stories high, and with no wind currents to fight, their model airplanes would often fly for minutes, unimpeded by the wind. |
| Mr. Curtis would be working in the office area, selling tickets, weighing baggage, and labeling mail bags. When one of the big green twin-engine passenger planes would arrive, Mr. Curtis would shoo the boys away, put on his Boeing hat (that looked like a policeman's hat) open the gigantic doors by hand, and direct the airliner inside. |
| In bad weather he would then close both doors, allowing the passengers to load and unload indoors -- with the boys observing from their hiding place in a corner behind some equipment. After the planes departed, they would once again resume their play, inside the largest playhouse in Iowa City! |
| Airmail in the 1950s |
| Mr. Davis worked at the Post Office for many years, and recalls that there were two official U.S. Air Mail planes each day coming through Iowa City. Both would arrive around noon, one headed eastbound, and one headed west. Employees would have to get the mail out to the airport before noon every day, or the mail would be delayed! |