Flying at the Waterfront

In the early decades of the 20th century, the west side of the Inlet witnessed a huge variety of planes in the sky and on the water as the municipal airport developed there. In 1914, invited by the Ithaca Board of Trade, the Thomas Brothers moved to Ithaca from Bath and set up the Thomas Bros. Aeroplane Co. and Aviation School in the former factory of E.G. Wyckhoff Incubator Co. on Brindley Street. Land by what is now Cass Park and the Hangar Theater was used for their flying field, both for training pilots and for testing airplanes. This airport was one of the first in the state and was well suited for the Thomas Bros., as they could land on both land or water, as well as on the frozen lake surface in winter. Their school was well regarded. They trained, among others, many Canadians seeking to join the prestigious British airforce in WWI. The company experimented with a series of different types of planes - seaplanes, racers, fighters and observation craft. They were best known for the 'Tommy', a 'snappy little single seat advance trainer call the S-4 scout.' About 600 Tommy Scouts were built under war contracts.

The first hangar in the flying field on the west side of the Inlet. Thomas Brothers operated an aviation school there beginning in 1914.

By 1917, when the U.S. entered WWI, Thomas Bros. had merged with Morse Corporation, becoming Thomas-Morse. They opened a new factory on south hill and with war contracts employment jumped from 100 to 1,200. Although the school closed for a time due to lack of instructors (most had left to join the war effort) the airport was busy with the test flights of airplanes during the war. Thomas-Morse designed the MB-3, the first postwar fighter ordered in quantity by the military and was very busy in the immediate postwar years. However, by 1929, Thomas- Morse was absorbed by Consolidated Aircraft Co. and moved to Buffalo. The airplane factory on south hill was converted to the manufacture of adding machines.

During the Depression, there was expansion at the airport. A Works Program was responsible for building a 2750' long paved runway, the first in Central New York, over a swampy area that was filled in by Inlet dredging. A modern two-story glass, steel and stone hangar was also built and opened in 1932. Huge crowds at the official opening were treated to parachute jumping, guest aircraft and quick trips aboard a giant Ford trimotor. During WWII, over 4,000 pilots were trained at the airport, making it the airport's busiest years. Although there was no airline as yet, the airport was home to private aircraft and occasional charter flying. In 1945, Robinson Airlines became Ithaca's first airline, offering about 5 flights daily to Albany, NYC, Binghamton, and Buffalo. In 1948, Robinson moved to the newly opened county airport on east hill and activity at the municipal airport gradually decreased. Private planes flew out of there until it closed in July of 1966.

Wharton Brothers in front of plane. Wharton Studios

Wharton Studios and Stewart Park

After the turn of the century, Renwick Park experienced a rather quick decline in popularity as cars provided people with a greater variety of leisure opportunities. Renwick became increasingly unprofitable and by 1915 was shut down. The land was leased to the Wharton Brothers, who used it as a studio site for movie productions. The Whartons had come to Ithaca the year before to film 'Dear Old Girl of Mine', a college romance set at Cornell. Recognizing the scenic potential of Ithaca's gorges, lake, trolleys and buildings, they decided to stay. Their movie making, with movie stars such as Irene Castle and Pearl White, and stunts such as trolleys falling into gorges, drew many fascinated onlookers, tourists and Ithacans alike. Wharton Bros. allowed people to continue to visit the Renwick Park site, provided they did not interfere with their work. The Whartons left by 1919, however, finding the climate of California more conducive to year round movie production.

A boat used for filming by Wharton

Renwick Park buildings remained largely intact at this time, although the grounds and landscaping had been poorly maintained. Soon there were plans to make the park into a publicly owned municipal park. In Mayor Edwin C. Stewart's' inauguration speech in January of 1920, he declared that " it is a disgrace to our city that there is not a place where Ithacans and their guests may go to enjoy our lake without trespassing on private property". He acted quickly on his commitment to provide access to the lake, and by 1921 the land had been purchased, the grounds spruced up, debris from the waterfront cleared and the park made ready for public enjoyment. The intended opening had to be postponed due to flooding, and, unfortunately, Mayor Stewart died in the interim before the official opening of the park on the fourth of July. His vision held true, and many Ithacans and visitors enjoyed the park as they continue to do today. In his will Mayor Stewart left $150,000 to the city for the improvement and maintenance of the park, and it was renamed Stewart Park in his honor. In 1923 the City acquired the Cascadilla School property which was added to the park. The park shoreline was expanded offering more bathing fishing and boating opportunities. Yet the lands were still flood prone - Jane Dieckmann recounted that ballplayers would have to retrieve balls hit too far into the swampy end. A comprehensive plan was put together for Stewart Park in 1934, at which time the level of the park was raised by two to three feet by dredging and infill operations.

Swimming at Stewart Park.

Land directly to the south of Stewart Park became a bird refuge when the descendants of Renwick deeded their remaining property to the City in 1913. The Cayuga Bird Club maintained the bird refuge, renaming it the Louis Agassiz Fuertes Bird Sanctuary after their's presidents death in 1927. It was to be left entirely undisturbed except for paths. Now under the auspices of the City, it has remained largely untouched, providing shelter for many species of birds and animals, and providing our community with a wonderful natural resource, Ithaca's only example of an old growth floodplain forest.