"History of Air Mail in DuBois, April 23
April 10, 2014 at 10:09 PM
A historic photo from 1949 shows All-American Aviation’s Clifford “Chip” Barraclough flying the last air mail pickup in DuBois.
Seventy-five years ago, DuBois and Clearfield County were part of history. May 14, 1939, DuBois and Clearfield were both stops on the newly conceived air mail pickup route, one where the planes did not land, but snagged the mail while in flight.
The DuBois Area Historical Society will recall this event when Mike Solensky presents the program “History of Air Mail in DuBois,” Wednesday, April 23, at 7 p.m. at the E. D. Reitz Museum, 30 W. Long Ave., DuBois. The program is free and open to all.
Solensky, a retired U. S. Air pilot lives in Treasure Lake. He grew up in Houtzdale and has spent most of his life in Clearfield County.
The first mail pick up of this type was May 12, 1939, involving Pittsburgh and Latrobe. Two days later the inaugural flight through Clearfield County originated in Philadelphia with pickups in Gettysburg, Clearfield and DuBois.
“It was express mail,” explained Solensky. “It is like Fed Ex today, well ahead of its time. Pickups were made twice a day.”
Instead of landing at airports, the airplane flew over and snagged a container of mail suspended between two poles on a nylon line. Once it was snagged, the bag was reeled into the plane with a wench by the flight mechanic, one of a two-man crew. A container of mail to be delivered was dropped off at the same time. The pickup was made at the old DuBois Airport at Spider Lake.
The service continued through 1949. All-American Aviation’s Clifford “Chip” Barraclough in a Stenson Reliant airplane with a 260 horsepower, nine-cylinder engine, flew the last pickup. Solensky co-piloted with Barraclough during his career.
Solensky reports that a replication of the inaugural flight will be held on May 17 between Clearfield and DuBois.
Upcoming DuBois Area Historical Society events include:
April 27 – Fundraiser Luigi’s Ristorante, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Society will receive a percentage of the day’s profits.
May 10 - 6th Annual Spring Walk, Soldier, led by Betty Anderson, 10 a.m., free. Meet at Soldier Wesleyan Church on the Reynoldsville-Sykesville road.
May 16 – Fundraiser Italian Oven, DuBois, all day. Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.
June 24-26 – Fundraiser DuBois Pizza Hut Wingstreet and Clearfield Pizza Hut (three days). Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.
July 18-20 – Fundraiser at Ruby Tuesday’s Restaurant, DuBois. Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.
August 22 – Fundraiser Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, DuBois, all day. Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.
September 18 – Annual Dinner, speaker Dee Matthews, DuBois Senior Center, 6 p.m. Menu and cost to be announced.
October 11 – 7th Annual Spirit of DuBois Lantern Walk, details to be announced.
October 17 – Fundraiser Italian Oven, DuBois, all day. Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.
November 21-23 – Fundraiser at Ruby Tuesday’s Restaurant, DuBois. Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.
December 12 – Fundraiser Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, DuBois, all day. Get a voucher from any board member or print one from the Society’s website: www.http://duboishs.com.