In our century

The first mention of airplanes in The American City occurred in January 1911, in which the author of an article titled “The Cities of the Future” proposes that, “The day is coming when the entire physiognomy of cities will be changed, when aerial automobiles will flit from roof to roof…” When that was written, Wilbur and Orville Wright’s flying machines had existed for only six years, and the first air mail flight in the U.S. had just occurred in New York.

According to an article in The American City’s September 1930 issue by Clarence Young, assistant secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, commercial flying was officially recognized by the federal government in 1926 with the Air Commerce Act. As a result of that legislation and dramatic flights by pioneer aviators, including Charles Lindbergh’s first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, landing fields and municipal airports quickly appeared across the country. City officials began to realize that, according to Young, “Air transportation must have some sort of terminal; and the better the airport, the more traffic will be attracted to that particular port.”

Soon, The American City created a regular section that carried reports from “airminded communities” about new airport construction projects, recommendations for runway and terminal designs, and lighting technology that would guide planes and permit airport use at night. The magazine also regularly featured articles about the varied benefits of air travel, including aerial photography and its usefulness for land planning.

The July 1929 edition featured a report about the newly authorized Bergen County, N.J., aviation police squadron, which consisted of five officers/pilots, a Fokker biplane presented by the Wright Aeronautical Corp. and three “small commercial planes” at its disposal courtesy of the New Standard Aircraft Co. The unit’s duties were to inspect all aircraft that made their headquarters in the county, force down and penalize any planes that violated regulations, and respond to emergencies that required “an exceptionally rapid trip to a scene of disorder or crime.”

Previous “In our century” Stories

• In our century — May 1928
  Police departments adopt radio technology to dispatch patrol officers more quickly and catch, deter criminals
• In our century — December 1913
  Cities adopt the city manager form of government to improve administration and bring efficiency to operations
• In our century — October 1913
  Cities take action in the earliest days of motion pictures to regulate content and ensure theater safety
• In our century — July 1935
  Cities install parking meters in business districts to improve traffic flow, reduce car damage and generate revenue
• In our century — April 1910
  Cities organize July Fourth events, regulate fireworks to reduce Independence Day injuries and deaths
• In our century — May 1915
  Cities seize revenue-generating opportunities to provide ice and refrigeration to residents and businesses
• In our century — May 1914
  Officials invest in maps to guide public projects, improve city administration and communicate plans to the public
• In our century — September 1915
  Technology develops to ensure the safe movement of trains, cars and emergency vehicles through city streets
• In our century — July 1914
  Among the early efforts to improve public health, cities invent and seek weapons of mass fly destruction
• In our century — August 1913
  When bond issues fail, cities seek alternative funding for infrastructure improvements and other public projects
• In our century — August 1914
  Cities improve cleanliness and public health by strategically placing public restrooms and encouraging their use
• In our century — December 1914
  Cities begin the tradition of decorating enormous public Christmas trees to celebrate the holidays
• In our century — June 1910
  Government accounting methods and reports mature from vague and incomplete records to standard formats.
• In our century — October 1909
  Investigations into corruption and mismanagement lead to (some) reforms in government policies and operations.
• In our century — January 1913
  Cities experiment with road surfaces and set out methods for funding road construction and maintenance.
• In our century — September 1909
  Limits on outdoor advertising are set through cities’ hard-fought battles over billboard sizes, messages and locations.
• In our century — August 1911
  Fire departments gain authority, modern equipment to prevent and improve response times to structure fires.
• In our century — June 1910
  Street lights become symbols of communities’ economic success, and lighting technology efficiency evolves.
• In our century — September 1909
  With urban growth comes city leaders’ desire to control and direct it for the community’s greatest benefit.
• In our century — September 1909
  Cities embrace playgrounds as valuable public assets for children’s safety, health and social development.
• In our century — September 1909
  Women embrace public causes, work to improve their communities and expand their societal roles.
• In our century — March 1910
  Cities develop methods, mechanisms and regulations for residential solid waste collection and disposal.
• In our century — November 1909
  Occupancy laws and social workers emerge in the early 1900s to clean up inner-city neighborhoods.
• The way we were
  Publisher’s son remembers American City & County‘s roots.