One of the wonderful things about the work we do at QC PastPort is that we get to meet many brilliant people who share their knowledge and expertise with us. When we were putting together the narrative for Wallace Field, we had the pleasure of working with a historian at the Iowa Aviation Museum.
The Wallace Brothers didn’t just ferry people by air to O’Hare. This was the early days of aviation. They were pioneers. They taught flying lessons, they participated in barnstormer air shows. They even participated in the invention of historical aircrafts such as the Monocoupe airplane. There are historical Monocoupes on display at Quad Cities International Airport and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
When we began our work on Wallace Field, we didn’t know much, other than that the site in an industrial section of Bettendorf was an airfield in the early days of aviation. Our research led us to the Wallace Brothers, founders and owners of the airfield. Fred and Frank Wallace formed Wallace Brothers Aero Company and established Wallace Field. It was the first airport in Bettendorf, but it was so much more.
Much of what we learned about the Wallace Brothers, we learned from reading materials sent to us by the Iowa Aviation Museum. They were gracious in sharing information, and helped us edit the narrative for the destination. It’s such a pleasure to work with fellow historians, and a pleasure to share what we learn with you.