MULLEN AIRPORT

by Ray H. Sexton

Entry T13 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

The Mullen Community Club purchased
the property in the 1930's where the Mullen
Airport, Rodeo grounds and Fair buildings
are now - approximately 80 acres, 1/4 mile
north and south and 1/2 mile east and west.
Several members of the Community Club
also belonged to the Commercial Club when
I did.

In 1945 George Marshall bought a TC Cub
airplane and wanted to park it on the
Community Club grounds and try to sell a
few. The Club gave him permission and
appointed Ross Hager and myself as airport
managers and we were supposed to figure out
how we could fix a landing strip. I had a TD14
Crawler and I leveled a narrow dirt strip
about 1800 feet long east and west which we
used for a while.

In 1946 I got my pilots license and late that
year I bought a plane. Both of my sons, Ray
Henry and Clyde also got their pilots licenses
and we all still have them.

In the early 1950's I believe there were
eighteen of us that were interested in flying
and went together and put in enough money
to get the grounds. Soon after that we had
Missouri Valley Construction to oil our first
1800 foot runway. Ross Hage, Jim Vinton and
Tom Roseberry bought planes. Soon there
were 4 hangers on the grounds. Many other
ranchers bought planes also and it got to be
a busy place.

When we had the 1949 blizzard the Na-
tional Guard came in to open roads. I had had
two dozers out on roads a week before they
came. I got to haul the Major from here to
Hyannis - north about half way to Gordon,
east to Brownlee to check the dozers that the
Guards were operating to clear roads. I did
this three times. All together I flew 122
missions to take people home or bring sick to
town. Medicine and groceries, also tobacco
(ask Owen Van Natta, he was foreman at the
Carver ranch) .

Ross Hager and I were kept on as Managers
until Ross's death and I carried on. We also
leveled a short north-northeast, south-south-
east strip north of oil runway and east of air
sock and I got the Railroad to lower their
wires about 6 feet along the north side of
tracks in line with short runway. With a hard
north or south wind it came in handy lots of
times. Still does for small planes.

Several of the eighteen of us that had
control of the property were deceased and I
was the only active member left so in 1981 I
deeded the grounds over to Hooker County
with the understanding that the present
ground that is fenced out for airport would
remain airport under the county jurisdiction.
The Hooker County Commissioners formed
an Airport Authority in 1982 and appointed
5 board members - John Sautter, Charles
Munn, Neal Hayward, Jim O'Brien and Ray
H. Sexton. The major improvement we have
made is to lengthen the runway 400 feet on
each end making oil runway 2600 feet. At this
time I am still airport manager.