San Jose Airport Part #2 In April 1939, the heirs of Mrs. Crocker’s estate agreed to accept the city’s offer for the land. A letter to Renzel May 20, 1930, from Aikins noted the heirs of the estate had approved an option “of the entire 483.398 acres of the Stockton Ranch at $300 an acre.” The option was for four months, and was signed by all of those entitled to distribution of Mrs. Crocker’s estate and sent to Renzel in a letter from Aikins dated June 5, 1939. The option was extended in October of 1939 and again in June of 1940. The extension bore the signatures of Henry J. Crocker, Mary Julia Crocker, Scully and Marion Phyllis Crocker, individually, William L. McLaine, Henry J. Crocker, and C.H. Lamberton as trustees of the trusts created by the will of Mary Ives Crocker. The Crocker property was part of Rancho El Potrero de Santa Clara (the pasture lands of Santa Clara), granted in 1844 by Mexican governor Manuel Micheltorena to James Alexander Forbes, a Scot who became a Mexican citizen and British vice-consul. In 1847, Forbes sold the rancho to Commodore Robert Field Stockton, military governor since the U.S. conquest of California in 1846. The sale price was $15,000 for 1,939.03 acres as confirmed by the U.S. government in the1850s.Commodore Stockton established a nursery for the propagation of fruit trees and had a number of prefabricated homes shipped around the Horn from New England for a subdivision called Alameda Gardens. One of these, known as “the White House,” stood at Newhall and Spring Streets on airport property until moved to Agnew Road and Bayshore in 1946. The committee felt the Crocker land had the advantage of being close to Moffett Field, as well as San Jose, and agreed with those who had inspected the Laurelwood area a year earlier that the climate was right. There was a lot happening in Santa Clara County in 1939, both related and unrelated to aviation. The Civil Aeronautics Administration pilot training program began at San Jose State College. The U.S. Senate voted $4 million for an aeronautics laboratory (NASA) as Moffett Field. San Jose was building a bridge over Los Gatos Creek connecting Bird Avenue and Montgomery Street, and Permanente cement plant was being built in the hills above Cupertino to supply cement for construction of Shasta Dam. Col. Charles Lindbergh inspected Moffett Field July 4, and there were two plane crashes, one at the Almaden CCC camp and the other on Mt. Hamilton. A local cow Johanna Hester Prilly, set a world milk production record. Hewlett-Packard Co. began manufacturing electronic devices in David Packard’s Palo Alto garage. Nationally, aviation news in 1939 included the flight of the first American made helicopter and the beginnings of commercial trans-Atlantic commercial/passenger air service with a flight from New York to France. The first clouds of war loomed in Europe with the invasion of Hitler’s army into Poland on September 1, while Santa Clara Valley hunters were enjoying the first day of dove season. It was first proposed to ask the voters to pass a bond issue to pay for the land and build the airport, but it was recalled the last bond issue to pass in San Jose was in 1911 when the city wanted to buy some horses for the fire department. Renzel remembered he talked to John Lynch (city clerk) who said San Jose would never pass a bond issue. “But,” Lynch said, “you could go for a tax levy which only requires a majority vote.” Finally, the City Council decided on a three-year, 10 cent tax levy to buy the airport property. The election was set for May 6, 1940. 1940 Arthur Ayres, regional airport engineer for CAA, wrote, prior to the election: “Undoubtedly the proposed site had several qualifying features… accessibility to town and its proximity to the Bayshore highway … and since it is located within the city limits it should be an easy matter to zone the surrounding area.” Among the unfavorable features Ayres pointed out, were the 55-foot power line, a 45-foot water tower, and the Guadalupe River meandering along one side of the site. He said removal of the obstacles and straightening the river would probably be the greatest cost of development and should be done first. “However,” he said, “it is my opinion this site can be developed.” This statement was later repudiated by the CAA on the grounds the agency had made no study of alternative sites. A banquet was held in April 1940 to launch the election campaign for the three-year tax increase. It was held at the DeAnza Hotel and sponsored by the Central Airport Committee. Edward R. Sharp, administrative officer of the new federal air research station being built at Moffett Field, spoke at the dinner and expressed “surprise” that a city “as large and progressive as San Jose” had no modern municipal airport. He said development of the research station at Moffett would undoubtedly attract industries. Chairman Renzel said, “San Jose must capitalize on the fastest growing industry in America, the aeronautics industry.” Speakers at a later luncheon to push the vote included Jacqueline Cochran, foremost American aviatrix, and Frank Fuller, holder of the transcontinental Bendix speed record. The Junior Chamber of Commerce was in charge of getting out the vote for the May election, but it just so happened, Renzel recalled, “the weekend before the election there was a Jaycee state convention in Long Beach and because San Jose wanted Parker Hathaway to be elected state vice-president, they all went down there to support him. “The day of the election, May 6, there was nobody around so three of us went down to the Chamber of Commerce and became the get-out-the-vote committee. Clyde McDonald, Bob Robb and I sat there all day telephoning, and I’m satisfied that if we hadn’t done that the measure wouldn’t have passed. We had to switch only 112 votes.” “You’d think,” Renzel said, “it would be like shooting fish in a rain barrel … everybody would be for it …“but the vote was 11,002 yes and 10,780 no.” “There was never any open organized opposition, but there apparently was behind the scenes opposition,” Renzel said. He believes the Southern Pacific, Clayton & Co. real estate, the First National Bank, the San Jose Mercury, all of whom made up a “cozy close relationship,” may have been the reason for the slim passage of the measure. He said there were some “aginners” such as City Councilman Clark Bradley, who said, according to Renzel, “Why get a great big piece of property like this for an airport? It’s like building a four-story garage for one automobile.” Renzel, looking back at the close vote, noted if the measure hadn’t passed some smart realtor would have bought the whole works, 483 acres for $145,000. “It was the biggest steal in real estate history.” In July 1940, W.F. Carroll, District Airport Engineer of the CAA, came up from Santa Monica to inspect the airport site. He repeated what San Jose already knew … that the No. 1 problem was removal of the high-tension line along the eastern border of the air field, but he seemed generally impressed with the site. He provided a set of CAA requirements for the airport, needed to apply for federal funds, and city crews worked through the summer preparing surveys on which to base contour maps preliminary to grading. Hopes fluctuated up and down that summer as Congress kicked around a proposed $40 million fund to construct 250 new commercial airports, but when a bill was finally passed, San Jose was not on the list of sites for air fields. Also disappointing was the Army’s disqualification of San Jose for an air force base or retraining field because of its proximity to the city’s center of population. This had seemed a great advantage from a civilian standpoint, but the Army feared enemy bombs dropped on the air field could wipe out the city. In November 1940, the City Council appointed nine men to act in a consulting capacity for the airport. The nine were Renzel, Lowry, LeDeit, Wally Longwitz, Dr. Lawrence Foster, Alden Campen, Eddie Hawkins, Clyde McDonald and George Harter, the latter chairman of a new group called “Civic Progress Committee.” City Engineer W.L. Popp and his assistant, Harold J. Flannery, were also added to the committee. In 1940, the first commercial flight using pressurized cabins flew from LaGuardia Field to Burbank, California. Besides the airport, other San Jose projects underway in 1940 included a municipal ball park. San Jose State College was building a library, and a new dome was under construction at Lick Observatory. The County paid $35,000 for 97 acres of the Macomber horse ranch on Tully road for fairgrounds on October 2, 1940. Census figures for San Jose showed a population of 68,298. Ernest H. Renzel, Jr. was selected “Young Man of the Year” by the Junior Chamber of Commerce for his work on the airport project. In this year, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of England, and the first McDonald hamburger stand opened near Pasadena. The first peacetime military draft in U.S. history began October 29. The CAA, in 1940, had suggested the city prepare an obstacle map showing the height of all structures, trees and other obstacles within a two-mile radius of the airport, and indicated a definite decision would be made on the basis of this plan. In February 1941, Assistant City Engineer Flannery announced preparation of the obstacle map, and also that trees along Newhall Street were being removed as a hazard to aviation. City Manager Goodwin also announced at this time that development plans must eliminate any structure, highway or other obstruction with 700 feet of a major runway. Flannery said all plans for the airport must be approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) before application can be made for Works Progress Administration (WPA) grading and constructing of runways. (WPA assistance had been discussed and it was felt by the city it would be available to alleviate some of the costs to the city in construction of the airport.) City Engineer Popp, Flannery and Goodwin went to Santa Monica in March 1941, to meet with the CAA officials and to deliver the obstacle map. Results of that meeting were not overly encouraging. The CAA first suggested the City of San Jose abandon the Crocker site entirely. Then, it submitted its own suggested layout for the site which included clearing all approach zones to a 30:1 ratio and proper steps to protect such approaches; stringent zoning and enforcement and purchase of air rights and acquisition of the lands before construction of the port was started. It recommended more property be acquired to permit extension of runways, minimizing turning and approach hazards. The CAA’s Supervisor of Airports Arthur Ayres, said if all these things were done, “then we will not raise further objections to this site.” By the summer of 1941, WPA had been so much curtailed it begun to appear San Jose’s chances of getting a grant for construction were slim. A letter from Ayres to Renzel dated June 10 refers to plans for development of the airport prepared by Paul Birmingham, who had joined the City of San Jose as mnicipal airport engineer, and who subsequently was credited with developing the entire concept of the airport as it existed at the time of his death in the late 1960s. In the letter, Ayres said the CAA had no knowledge of any possible allocation of funds for the San Jose airport. He said a board composed of the Secretaries of War, Navy and Commerce designated the locations for development of civil airports as ecommended as essential to national defense, and “in view of the heavy construction occurs under a CAA program be owned in fee simple by the sponsoring agency. It is desirable that long-term options be arranged toward acquisition of all lands northwest encompassed in the master plan, he said. With the CAA’s continued opposition, the airport committee grew impatient and began urging the city to go ahead without the agency’s support of WPA funds. It was argued San Jose might not achieve a great airport, but they could have one that is usable. It was proposed the remaining obstructing trees be cut down, the power line removed, the runway graded and oiled. Also, it was suggested a campaign be launched to attract aeronautical industries to the area. The City Council refused to bow to the wishes of the airport committee, arguing that without the CAA’s approval the airport could not be used for commercial purposes and could not qualify for WPA aid or labor. So it was back to the drawing board and the city began work on a new master plan for the airport. It was to be ready to go back to the CAA on January 1, 1941, and an application for a WPA grant was to go to Washington on February 1. Then came Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and all civilian airport construction came to an end. Looking back on 1941, the war in Europe was touching the U.S. and its people long before that December “day of infamy.” National defense activities picked up in 1941 and both civil aeronautics and military authorities adopted more stringent policies regarding airport requirements. In March, the San Jose unit of the National Guard was inducted into the Army. On a sunny day in August, the USO Hospitality House at the south end of the City Plaza was constructed. On December 9, just two days after the Japanese attack on Hawaii, San Jose had its first wartime blackout. This same day the first U.S. troops arrived to protect the city. Precinct captains were named December 12 by the Civilian Defense Council, and on December 19 Brig. Gen. Robert C. Richards, Jr., arrived in San Jose to take command of the Army headquartered in the Commercial and Knights of Columbus buildings. 1942 Navy blimps for submarine patrol took over Moffett Field on January 11, 1942, and tire and sugar rationing boards opened in February. In spring 1942, Japanese residents of the county were evacuated to inland camps, and vacant lots were being planted to “victory gardens.” The war deflated the building boom and residential construction was frozen. The only two major building projects in San Jose in 1942 were construction of Food Machinery’s $200,000 addition and the Anglo California National Bank. The city’s 1942-43 budget of $1,028,000 was the first in San Jose’s history to exceed a million dollars. On October 10, 1942, street lights were shielded. Gasoline rationing started in November. City Engineer William Popp who had been instrumental in the early planning of the airport, died November 28 and was succeeded by Harold Flannery. The San Jose Mercury Herald bought the San Jose Mercury News. Russell E. Pettit, secretary manager of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, announced receipt of a letter from James G. Ray, vice president of Southwest Airways in Phoenix, Arizona, saying the Army and Navy had asked the Civil Aeronautics Board to investigate the need for a feeder line for airmail service on the west coast with a stop in San Jose. Pettit and the Chamber also endorsed Henry J. Kaiser’s plan to build cargo planes in the Santa Clara Valley, and suggested the plant be located on undeveloped unicipal airport land, neither of which came to pass. The war in Europe and the Pacific escalated with headlines informing Americans of the round-up of Jews by Hitler’s government and the fall of Bataan, Corregidor and the Solomon Islands to the Japanese. K rations were packaged for U.S. troops by the Wrigley Company of Chicago. The last U.S. automobile to be produced until after the war rolled off the Ford assembly line in February as auto plants turned to production of materials for war. 1943 There were floods in Alviso to start off 1943, and later that spring San Jose State College reserves were called to active duty in the armed forces. Food Machinery Corp. tested its first armored tank, and San Jose formed its first recreation department. July 1943, the San Jose Merchants Association voted unanimously against parking meters for downtown San Jose, and 600 Mexican Nationals arrived to help with the harvest in the valley. On October 4, the City Council voted to buy the 11-acre Brassy Orchard at 16th and William Streets for $12,571 to add to Coyote Park after the war. Schools were closed a week in December 1943 because of an influenza epidemic. Allied forces captured Guadalcanal and invaded Southern Italy. Benito Mussolini and his cabinet resigned July 25. Rationing of meat, shoes, butter,cheese, flour, fish and canned goods began. The Chinese exclusion acts of 1882 and 1902 were repealed. During the early war years, San Jose played a waiting game as far as its municipal airport was concerned. The CAA was still holding up approval of the site, although letters received by Renzel and the city officials from R.W.F. Schmidt of the CAA kept the locals’ hopes alive. On August 31, 1943, Schmidt wrote to Renzel, noting “While we are a long way from being sold on the airport site, the City of San Jose has now, if it can be expanded properly across Brokaw Road, the power line removed, Guadalupe River relocated, adequate clearances obtained and protected by enforceable zoning, we can ee no alternative but to proceed on the basis of developing the present municipally-owned site. “I feel this airport would be devoted primarily to industrial and cargo operation, however, and that private flying would have to be provided with one or two other airports,” Schmidt said. Then on December 28, 1944, Schmidt wrote to then City Manager John Lynch, noting among other points, the city should state “it recognizes the necessity for acquisition of lands north of Brokaw Road and south of Newhall Street to protect any building and runway investment lying between the two thorough fare and that closure of one or both may become necessary in contemplation of expansion to a larger class of airport or to increase safety in operations. ” Schmidt said there should be an admission from the city that CAA approval is qualified and not a blanket sanction. He said he was “surprised at the reluctance of the city to formally accede to these admissions because the need for clarification of position is so evident in all recommendations for city and community planning.” Schmidt in “an informal note” to Renzel March 23, 1945, said he wanted him to know “you can say to anyone, anywhere, anytime, that the CAA has approved thesite with certain recommendations which we are following … and that’s that.” In this and other letters Schmidt emphasized the amount of time … “four years and more” … the CAA had devoted to San Jose’sMunicipal Airport. 1944 Stepped-up production in county war plants marked the year 1944 with major contracts including 30 generators ordered by Russia from Joshua Hendy Iron Works in Sunnyvale and government contract awarded Food Machinery Corp. for amphibious tractors. Plans for extension of Bayshore Highway from East Santa Clara Street south were presented to the County Board of Supervisors. Politics shook City Hall with election of the Progress Committee slate to fill City Council seats. New councilmen were Renzel, Fred Watson, James W. Lively, Ben Carter, Albert Ruffo, and Roy H. Rundle. City Manager Goodwin was forced to resign and was replaced by City Clerk John Lynch. William C. Brown became police chief and Lester O’Brien fire chief. Topping world news in 1944 was D-Day, marking the June 6 landing of 176,000 allied troops on the beaches of Normandy. President Roosevelt was elected to a fourth term, and the G.I. Bill of Rights was enacted by Congress. James M. Nissen, former Naval aviator and Pan Am pilot, was test flying at Ames Laboratory at Moffett Field in 1945 when he and James Mathiesen, a college friend who had served in the same Navy squad and who had gotten out of the Navy the year before, heard San Jose was interested in trying to get an airport together and “came down to see what we could do.” On November 14, 1945, the City Council voted to lease 16 acres of airport land to Nissen. “I’ll never forget that evening with the City Council,” Nissen said in a March 1986 interview. “It was in the old council chambers (Market Street City Hall) where you sat nice and close to the council members with one rail separating the audience. “I wanted a lease of at least two years, so if the city cancelled in the event federal funds became unavailable for development I would have some damages and at least get my money back. “The council agreed on the two years and said the city would pay some damage if it had to cancel me out. Everything was fine until some John Doe in the udience got up and said ‘you can’t do that … the city cannot commit itself to any liability greater than the rent they’re going to receive on the land.’ (Nissen had offered to pay $20 an acre). “So,” Nissen chuckled, “the council declared a recess and went into City Manager John Lynch’s office to discuss it. It was decided I would get a one-year lease with the option of renewing, and that I would take the gamble and there would be no damages. Everybody thought I was crazy to get into it for only one year, and they were probably right.” The City Council in approving the lease agreed that if federal funds were made available during the year, Nissen’s rent would be refunded and any buildings he had put up could be removed. Nissen, Mathiesen, and Ray Stephens, a mechanic at Ames Laboratory, formed a company called California Aviation Activities. Each of the three put in $2,000. They planned a small runway, office and hangar. By the mid-1940s the city had paid for the last of the original parcels purchased from the Crocker estate and was buying more land, most of which was leased for vegetable growing. While Clarence Goodman was still city manager, he noted that although the airport property had not been converted to the purpose for which it it was bought, it was playing an important role in the war effort by producing food. In January of 1945 the city bought five fire trucks for $56,000. The San Jose Historic Landmarks Commission was created, the Hyde-Sullivan study for a sewage treatment plant was authorized, and a $1,700,000 bond issue to build storm sewers was passed. Ernest Renzel, Jr. was mayor of San Jose. On July 20, 1945, the city bought 69 acres of dairyman Martin J. Hass’ property to add to the airport land. World War II ended in 1945. President Roosevelt died and his vice-president, Harry Truman, succeeded to the presidency. he Beechcraft Bonanza single-engine private plane was introduced in 1945, ballpoint pens went on sale, and frozen orange juice was pioneered in that year. Late in 1945, the city sold 90 acres of airport land to Food Machinery Corp. for $62,258, the amount the property was appraised by the San Jose Realty BoardFMC wanted the land because of its need for expansion, the company officials said they would be forced to move out of Santa Clara County if the site could not be obtained. The property on Campbell Avenue with 10 acres along the Southern Pacific tracks was needed for FMC’s new Bean-Cutler Division of the company, laboratories and administrative headquarters. Its sale was protested and a lawsuit filed in 1946 charging bids should have been called for and there should have been a vote of the people. The suit also claimed there should have been a public auction. Businessman John McEnery was a major protestant, paying for a large ad in the form of “an open letter to the public” in the San Jose Mercury. The matter was argued in Superior Court and while Judge John D. Foley overruled the first two points in the lawsuit, he held that under the California General Laws the City Council should have sold the land at public auction. There was a lot of criticism that the price the city accepted for the 90 acres was too low. City Manager John Lynch answered the city was interested in factors other than price, especially in the industrial growth of the city and keeping FMC with its high assessed valuation and large payroll in San Jose. (FMC executive Emiel T. Nielsen, Jr. in 1987 disclosed taxes paid to that date on the 90 acres amount to $30 million and salaries and wages paid by FMC came to $1.7 billion.) In the midst of theFMC controversy in 1945, Lynch noted the city, even at the price paid for the 90 acres, had made a good . Continued in next installment
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 07:34:20 +0000
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