July 17, 1947
AN INAUGURAL CELEBRATION COMMERMORATING the start of direct airline service to and from McMinnville by West Coast Airlines begining today was held at the municipal airport Saturday, Ralph Wortman, in picture at left, plays chauffeur in his steam powered Locomobile, vintage 1901, to Ben Evans as he delivered the first mail pouch to a WCA Scenic Liner. Evans startyed delivering mail to McMinnville in 1898 by horse from Grand Ronde. He retired in 1938. Postmaster Winifred Wisecarver stands at left as WCA First Officer Don Peters takes aboard the first mail pouch handed him by Evans. Second photo shows the interior of a 24-passenger scenic airliner on the first courtesy flight made Saturday. This was the first time aloft for Albert Youngberg, Ben Evans, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Knickerbocker and
Margaret Linbaugh, who will sell tickets for flights on WCA at the office located in the lobby of the Oregon hotel. On the first air express shipment out of McMinnville, shown in third picture, went some extra special walnuts, along with greetings, from Jim Stanard, chamber of commerce president, to the heads of other chambers in cities along the airline’s new route south from Portland to Medford. From left to right are Joe Fox, route agent for Railway Express Agency, Barney McPhillips, WCA Captain David Bath, Stanard and Chester Wills. At right are the executives of WCA. From left, Chet Gunderson, director; Jack Sugg, advertising; Ernie Code, operations manager, Lloyd M. Kuhnley superintendent of flight control; Gilbert Cook, administrative vice president; Mayor Rudy Windishar and Ed Younger, chamber of commerce manager. WCA 24-passenger DC-3 ships began flying twice daily schedules from Portland today, carrying passengers, air mail and express.