When you’re out enjoying a walk along the river or running an errand in near an industrial part of Bettendorf, you might not even realize you’re stepping foot in a place where an amazing moment in history took place.
One such place is along the river in Bettendorf. At Pat and Jack Bush Scenic Overlook, you can get amazing views of the beauty of the Mississippi as cyclists pedal by on the river path. Take a few steps down the hill and you’re in the industrial section of Bettendorf. Where you now see piles of rock and bulldozers, there was once an airfield in the early days of aviation.
In the 1910s, brother Frank and Fred Wallace were enamored with the burgeoning aviation scene. Frank had a vision for an airport in the Quad Cities with a flying school and hangers for local planes. Wallace Airfield became the first airport in the Quad Cities in 1919.
The Wallace Brothers taught flying lessons to eager aviators and hosted barnstormer air shows where people could watch aerial stunts in amazement. When you step down the hill at the park, look to the industrial section of Bettendorf, then look to the sky and picture biplanes whizzing around the skies more than a century ago.