An Airfield for Canton - Canton, MA - Massachusetts Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

In Canton, off Neponset Street, is an entrance to a part of the Blue Hills Reservation, which has this series of signs detailing the former use of this area as the Canton Airport.

The entrance is located about a half mile east of the intersection of I-95 and Neponset Street. The entrance is on the north side (left). There is a parking lot once you pass through the gate. From there, walk generally north along a path to a pavilion/stage on the right. A small sign along the road states that this is the Farnham, Jr., and Connelly, Jr., Memorial Park, Blue Hills Reservation.


The signs are located on the east side of this pavilion, about 5 five apart.

There are five signs. The text on these signs is as follows:

Sign 1:

"AVIATION
A Golden Age

After the Wright Brothers first successful sustained human flight in 1903, America's fascination with aviation grew rapidly. In Massachusetts, Boston Airport (now Logan International) debuted in 1923. Soon afterward, Charles Lindbergh completed his daring non-stop flight across the Atlantic and Amelia Earhart captivated public attention with her own solo exploits. Aviation quickly became a national obsession, one that at least for a time seemed to be within reach of average citizens."

Sign 2:

"AIRFIELD
An Airfield for Canton

In the Spring of 1930, entrepreneurs in Canton drew up plans for a world-class airfield located on the flat Neponset River floodplain. The master plan for the proposed Massachusetts Air Terminal and Arena envisioned converting 1,298 acres of Neponset River wetlands into an aviation mecca, with eight runways, hangers, docking bays for then-popular dirigibles, a fire station, and a private country club. Work began in 1931, and just a year later the first planes touched down on Canton's grass runways."

There is also a map showing the ambitious proposed plans.

Sign 3:

"COMMUNITY
A Sense of Place

Canton's new airfield soon became a popular gathering place for flyers and their friends. Airshows were held regularly, and the airport's flight school enrolled weekend students from Boston area colleges. Canton resident Dottie Shaw learned to fly here at age 22, then joined the Ninety Nines, Amelia Earhart's women's pilot organization. In May 1937, aviation aficionados gathered to observe the famed airship Hindenburg, which overflew Canton en route to New Jersey, where later that evening it tragically burst into flames."

Included is a picture of people on a car.


Sign 4:

"HELIOPLANE
A Plan in Every Garage

The Helio Corporation, based at Canton Airport, briefly manufactured a specialized aircraft capable of very short takeoffs and landings. designed by Otto Koppen of MIT and Dr. Lynn Bollinger of Harvard, the Helioplane needed a landing strip no longer than a tennis court. The first Helioplane flew in1949, and for a time it captured the imagination of the public, seeming to hold out a promise of personal aircraft as convenient and commonplace as automobiles."

Included is a picture of two planes.


Sign 5:

"AIRPORT
Time and Again

The Canton Airport closed for good in 1954, a victim of changing technologies and public policy, and even natural events, as flooding compromised the grass runways. it soon reverted to a junkyard where industrial wastes were casually dumped, and over time the buildings collapsed and the runways were overgrown. Today, the Park has come full circle, again serving as a vital community gathering place, and the sight and sound of aircraft overhead, en route to and from nearby Norwood Memorial Airport, is a pleasant reminder of times past."

Included is a photo of buildings with overgrown vegetation.

There are features around that suggest the placement of building foundations (these are modern structures, though). There is the suggestion of runways, as well. But, also, one of the trails is on the sewer line that was placed after the airport was closed.

This part of the Blue Hills Reservation was opened only the last couple years. For a while, the spot was just another fenced off area. glad to see this area now open for others to enjoy.

Agency Responsible for Placement: Other (Place below) Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): At least partially the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Year Placed: About 2015 County: Norfolk City/Town Name: Canton Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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