Flying the Friendly Skies
The Boise Municipal Airport as it looked in the 1950s. Note the complete lack of security, metal detectors, barriers, etc. … but plenty of ashtrays.
Since commercial airfare was relatively new, airports were modeled after train and bus stations. Prior to 1969 the airport didn’t have a concourse, so passengers (and non-passengers) would walk directly out to the plane to board. Hummel, Hummel & Jones (predecessor firm of the current Hummel Architects) and Wayland & Fennell worked on airport projects from 1951-1964.
“The current airport has its origins traced back to 1936 when Boise began buying and leasing land for the airport. By 1938, Boise had the longest runway in the United States at that time, 8,800 feet (2,680 m) long. The steel hangar for Varney Airlines was moved to the present field in 1939. As the size of aircrafts grew, the hangar was no longer able to hold aircrafts and was converted into a passenger terminal. It was part of the modern terminal facility until the completion of the new terminal in 2003.” (Source: Boise Airport Website, Accessed 8/3/2022)
Photographer: H.W. Stewart, Boise, Idaho