History of the Grantsburg – Burnett County Airport

In the early 1940’s the Wisconsin State Planning Board (WSPB) was looking to put in an airport between the twin Cities and Duluth. They were looking at sites around the Burnett County area. The U.S. Weather Bureau had an observer in Grantsburg collecting weather data since 1934. The WSPB did a study of the wind patterns for the years 1934 and 1943, and in September released the findings. The following represents the percentage of time the wind is blowing from a particular direction.

{ N - 2%, NE - 18%, E - 3%, SE - 12%, S - 4%, SW - 31%, W - 4%, NW - 26% }

On October 25, 1943 , the WSPB proposed two potential sites for the new airport. The first site was 320 acres located to the NW of the business district in sec. 15/38-19 just west of Wood River, the fire tower was north of the hwy 70 at that time. Site two was where the airport is presently located.

In March, 1944, Local Grantsburg officials were notified that there was $279,000 available from the Federal Dept. of Commerce. Civil Aeronautics Administration for a Burnett County airport at Siren, WI. It is unclear why Siren was designated since the study had shown Grantsburg was a better location.

On January 16^th, 1945, Walt Jensen of Grantsburg wrote to Mrs. Earl Amundson of Portland, Ore, offering her $1,600 for the airport land with the buildings or $1,400 without or he would begin condemnation proceedings.

On August 8^th, 1945 Congressman Alvin O"Konski came to Burnett to discuss the two sites. It was noted that due to the swampy areas, the power and phone lines, along with the nearby railroad and highway that Siren would be a poor choice. And that it would take considerable excavation work filling the swamp and installing drainage making this a costly choice. The Grantsburg site is on higher ground, it is ideally midway between the Twin Cities and the Twin Ports, and that the village already owns 160 acres of the proposed site. This was the turning point and Grantsburg became the designated building site for the airport.

By March first 1946, Grantsburg was a Wisconsin designated airport with a 3,960' runway running E-W. Then in April of 1946 village President Walt Jensen wanted permission from Civil Aeronautic Adm. of Chicago to do extensive improvement to the airport and to install lighting. This issue was taken up Congressman O’Konski. In a letter to the village from O’Konski on April 8^th 1946, stating that “he’d plugged like hell" for the new Federal Airport Aid Act, which had been recently passed by both the house & senate so Northern. Wisconsin could get some federal aid. The plan was approved by the Civil Aeronautic Admininstration. By April 18th, 1946 the village of Grantsburg had put aside $11,000 but wanted matching funds for help from federal or state to assist with the expansion. The airport expansion was proceeding and by the end of April the village owned 280 acres and had two ¾ mile runways cleared and ready for grading. The runways although not completed were already in use by CUB planes.

With airport traffic already in place and the runways nearing completion, the St Croix Valley Aviation Company of Grantsburg asked for permission to use the airport commercially for student training, charter flights, sales, and services including mechanical.

On June 7, 1946 a lease agreement between the Dept. of Commerce, the CAA & the village of Grantsburg was reached for $1.00 per year for the 280 acres called Twin Cities - Duluth Airway Site # 7. establishing the lease between the village of Grantsburg & the United States of America.

In September a plan was drawn up and submitted for the airport lighting, this was intended to be installed by November 1947.

Sydney Lee & Darwin Reed of Grantsburg sold their had build a hanger at the airport on a leased sites, they sold the hangar & lease for $800 to the village on Dec. 14, 1946.

By April 1949, There were two flights daily between the twin cities & the twin ports. The CAA had appropriated another $75,000 for communication center & lighting for the GTG airport to establish it as part of the National Airway System of lights. These were installed and maintained by the CAA until November 29, 1956 at which point they turned over control of the airport, beacon and lighting to the village.

On January 25, 1961, the village of Grantsburg petitoned the WSPB for discontinuance of the airport field lights & gas pump.

Effective Oct. 3, 1965, the Minneapolis Area office of the FAA assumes responsibility for the RCO (Remote Communications outlet) at Grantsburg airport.

On August 31, 1971, the FAA released the buildings, tower, sidewalks & parking lot to the village of Grantsburg. Values for the facilities were as follows: bldg. 44' x 16.5' $22,000; Bldg. 12.5' x 7' 4" $1,800; tower, antennas, etc. $1,500; sidewalk $102 gravel parking lot area $497.

On June 6, 1979, a request was sent tot eh FAA for the establishment of an instrument approach for the airport.

In April 1981, The Wisconsin DNR notified the village of Grantsburg of their intent to close the airport. No record was found as to why this decision was reversed.

In October 1981, a radio controlled lighting system installed. The estimated cost for this was about $3,863.

In late 2004 and early 2005 the village of Grantsburg was working on budget and funding issues. They decided that the airport was a drain on the community and should be closed. By March of 2005, Chapter 875 had sent a questionnaire to local businesses and users of the airport to show the village council the importance of the airport. A letter was sent to the council from the chapter commenting on the importance of the airport to the village and surrounding communities. The National EAA and AOPA organizations also became active in the save the airport campaign, working with the village council on how to obtain state and federal reduce the cost to the village.

In early 2005 the village was informed that the Wisconsin Aviation Bureau had targeted the Grantsburg for some upgrade maintenance funding. In June 2006 Governor Jim Doyle approved $40,000 for seal coating and remarking the runway. The state was going to pay 32,000 with the village responsible for 8,000. The village applied for additional funding from the FAA and in anticipation of a grant resurfaced the runway in October 2006.