| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, July 4, 2017, represents the centennial of the first |
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| 6 | 7 | | landing by an aircraft at Mineola-Wisener Field Airport in Wood |
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| 7 | 8 | | County; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, On the Fourth of July, 1917, Lieutenant Ralph W. |
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| 9 | 10 | | Stone of the U.S. Army Signal Corps landed his Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" |
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| 10 | 11 | | biplane at what was then known as Massingale Meadow, proving the |
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| 11 | 12 | | field's suitability as an emergency landing site between Love Field |
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| 12 | 13 | | in Dallas and a military base in Shreveport, Louisiana; witnessing |
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| 13 | 14 | | this first landing was a 12-year-old local farm boy named Robert |
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| 14 | 15 | | Henry Wisener Jr.; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Over the next few years, the field was used by such |
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| 16 | 17 | | pioneer aviators as Wiley Post, who was the first man to fly solo |
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| 17 | 18 | | around the world, and Hollywood stunt pilot Roy Wilson, who in the |
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| 18 | 19 | | summer of 1923 taught Henry Wisener how to fly; in 1926, Mr. Wisener |
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| 19 | 20 | | leased the site, renamed it Royal Field, and began providing flight |
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| 20 | 21 | | lessons, aircraft repairs, and aircraft fuel; together with his |
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| 21 | 22 | | brother, Bryce, he also established the Royal Flying Circus, which |
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| 22 | 23 | | offered airplane rides and performed aerobatics; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, In 1941, Henry Wisener bought the site and 50 |
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| 24 | 25 | | adjacent acres and lengthened the runway to accommodate newer |
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| 25 | 26 | | aircraft, and after World War II, the brothers added an aircraft |
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| 26 | 27 | | repair shop, a classroom, a flight office, and a beacon tower; from |
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| 27 | 28 | | 1963 to 1983, the airport was leased to the City of Mineola and |
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| 28 | 29 | | called Mineola Municipal Airport, and since 1983, it has been known |
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| 29 | 30 | | as Mineola-Wisener Field Airport; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Over the years, this historic airfield and the |
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| 31 | 32 | | family behind it have been honored on a number of occasions; Charles |
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| 32 | 33 | | Lindbergh presented the airport in 1928 with a certificate from the |
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| 33 | 34 | | Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, and the |
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| 34 | 35 | | Texas Historical Commission has conferred on the airport both an |
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| 35 | 36 | | Official Texas Historical Marker and a Texas Treasure Business |
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| 36 | 37 | | Award; on May 2, 1980, the city of Mineola celebrated Henry and |
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| 37 | 38 | | Bryce Wisener Day, in recognition of their contributions to |
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| 38 | 39 | | American and Wood County aviation; today, the site of the airport is |
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| 39 | 40 | | also home to the Royal Flying Circus Aviation Museum and to a |
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| 40 | 41 | | chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Still owned by the Wisener family, the |
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| 42 | 43 | | Mineola-Wisener Field Airport is the oldest privately held |
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| 43 | 44 | | public-use airport in Texas and the home base of more than 70 |
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| 44 | 45 | | aircraft, and it continues to support the local economy and to |
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| 45 | 46 | | contribute to the rich history of aviation in the Lone Star State; |
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| 46 | 47 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first landing at |
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| 49 | 50 | | Mineola-Wisener Field Airport and extend to the Wisener family and |
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| 50 | 51 | | to everyone associated with the airport sincere best wishes for the |
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| 51 | 52 | | future; and, be it further |
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| 52 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 53 | 54 | | prepared for Mineola-Wisener Field Airport as an expression of high |
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| 54 | 55 | | regard by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |
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