Stereoview of Cromwell Dixon and his airplane at the Montana State Fairgounds, September 30, 1911. Dixon was a nineteen year old aviator from Columbus, Ohio. On September 30, he became the first pilot to fly across the Continental Divide. The young pilot took off from the fairgrounds at Helena and landed thirty-four minutes later in a field near Blossberg, some 17 miles to the west. Dixon wired the officals at the fairgrounds that he had landed safely, refueled his bamboo and fabric aircraft, and lifted off for his return flight to Helena.

Strong tail winds aided his return; and after circling the fairgrounds twice, he landed safely. Governor Edwin Norris proclaimed Dixon "The World's Greatest Aviator" and presented him a check for $10,000. A Helena paper said of his flight, "Hearts stopped beating, women
turned their eyes and strong men were made faint by the daring evolutions of this stripling." Dixon died just two days later when his plane crashed in Spokane, Washington.

"The Spirit of St. Louis" at the first Helena airport, located where the Bill Roberts Golf Course is now. Shortly after his solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, Charles A. Lindbergh made a three-month cross-country tour of America in his Ryan monoplane, sponsored by wealthy aviation enthusiast Harry Guggenheim.

On Sept. 6, Lindbergh flew from Butte to Helena via the Swan Lake Valley, Glacier National Park, and Great Falls. The trip took nearly seven hours. In Helena, Lindbergh was greeted by Montana Governor John E. Erickson and Helena Mayor Percy Witmer, then driven to the Fairgrounds where he gave a short speech and greeted the public.

The Mayor and Governor then took him on a driving tour around the city, including the Fort Harrison grounds. Lindbergh rested at the Placer Hotel before a brief evening appearance at a banquet held in the ballroom of the Algeria Shrine Temple (Civic Center).

The next day, Lindberg flew back to Butte via Billings and Yellowstone Park. The flight took six hours.

These beautiful 1938 photos of the Helena Municipal Airport terminal were sent in by Charlie Beaton, who writes: "I grew up in Helena and my Dad moved there in 1938 as a radio operator for Northwest Airlines. Here are a few photos my Dad took of the original airport terminal in 1938."

Many thanks to Charlie for sharing these images.

The north (runway) side of the Helena airport terminal, 1938. A 16'x16' glass-enclosed tower was added to the top in November of 1943. The building was demolished in April of 2006, but the tower was saved by Don and Barb Hulett, who moved it to their Lakeside home...