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[BigRedDog]

The biggie was later the location of the Nike Base at Newport and Telegraph roads.  Some of it still stands today.  I've been aware of it since even before we moved here when we would drive by and see the working radar units.  We've discussed the former Nike Site a few times on here...   I'll try and find the links when I can.

I stumbled on a site recently that has some very interesting info...   but I've only been able to figure out part of it.  I did know that the main navy flight training site for the area was at the old naval station on Grosse Ile.  And I knew there were some auxiliary fields around...   the Nike site and the old Marshal Field on N. Dixie at Pointe Aux Peaux (Firefox spell check doesn't like that) road. 

I wasn't aware of several others though.  From the map below I can see references to:

Navarre field (not the athletic field on Jones, but looks like maybe near the N. Dixie and I75 interchange
Custer field (at least that's what it looks like) and it looks like it's where Custer Airport is today!!!
Monroe Field (looks like where Marshal Field was)
four more unidentified (they are but the names weren't included) east of Telegraph Road
one on Carleton Rockwood Rd. about where 275 is now
Scofield field which I haven't quite figured out a reference point for yet.
Blackmore Field on the east side of Exeter Rd and just west of Carleton
one more unknown west of Custer along the river it kind of looks like (all I see is the word field)

I wonder if maybe there may have even been more?

Anyone with any tiny bit of info about any of these please post.

I'll be looking over some old aerial and plat maps trying to figure out more info when I have time.

I know the history of Monroe County about Custer and the War of 1812 is important to the area...

but there is a lot of history from a much later era that will soon be completely lost if we don't do something about it now.  That's exactly what happened with the old battlefield.   Just an old battlefield so they built a paper mill over it

Ok, here's the map I found and the website it was on and the one they reference finding it on although I can't find it there (the Grosse Ile naval station site).  I'll look more when I have more time.



http://nasgi.net/olfnewport.htm

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MI/Airfields_MI_Detroit_S.html#newport

http://nasgi.net/ww2.htm

The last time we discussed the Nike base someone asked if the missle silos were still there...

according to this they were removed, but not until quite recently:

According to the info on the website this was taken in 1996!!!   Seems like there were 32 or 36 of these there before that.

[BigRedDog]

I found the larger map:



I mentioned the one along the river which clearly shows here as Leathers Field.  Looks like they have Blazer road wrong though...

The ones I couldn't see before were

Flat Rock Field
and
Brownstown Field (in Wayne County so I'll look for info on those once I've found all the others).
Maybee Field (maybe it's there and maybe it's not) 
Bolles Harbor Field

also, there are names for the ones east of Telegraph that I couldn't see before:

Masserant Field (probably on a current Masserant farm somewhere)
Sheep Ranch Field
Sanders Field
Dauncy Field

The one on Carleton-Rockwood road was named Ash Field.

I found some more direct references to some of these when I found the larger map...

from: 
http://nasgi.net/ww2.htm

about a quarter of the way down the page is:

as also being used for the crash boat.

The base also supported 16 outlying airfields (CLICK HERE FOR MAP), some which the Navy retained on into the 50's. The map contains the official Navy names. As with many names associated with the base names differ depending on when and who is talking about them. Some of the names are OLF Custer Airport, OLF Marshall Airport, OLF Carl's Field, OLF Newport Field, Flat Rock Field, Dauncy Field, Ash Field, Brownstown Field, Sanders Field, Sheep Ranch Field, Masserant Field, Monroe Field, Scofield Field, Maybee Field, Leathers Field, Blackmore Field, Navarre Field, Boiles Field and OLF Nan-Bar Airport. 

There are several hyperlinks included (not sure if they'll work after I cut and pasted but if not just go to the original page.

[The Fuzz]

Interesting post BRD, thanks.

[Tiny]

Amazing how most have been totally erased from the landscape.
I grew up near Maybee and never heard anything about the one that looks to be at the corner of Doty and Stadler Rds.

[lordfly]

Yeah, me neither.

Although looking around where I lived in that area brings back some nice memories... and amazed at some of the changes of even just a few years (I don't visit Maybee often).

[lordfly]

Also, looking at the Google Maps of the area, I'm pretty sure they JUST updated it; the copyright is 2011 and the leaves are changing color...

[Tiny]

Apparently North Town Mall (National airport) and Franklin Park Mall (Franklin) were built on two old air fields in Toledo, completely erasing them also. I see why they were so easy to erase, because they were just grass runways and small wooden shacks. Nice pictures in this link. Amazing how much this area has changed in 60 years. Is that the "Ground Round" in the color 1964 picture?   

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/OH/Airfields_OH_NW.htm

[Monique]

Interesting stuff. I remember when a plane was forced to land at Northtowne Mall in the '80s or early '90s. Wondering now if they just had an old map? 

[Maverick]

Leathers field off of N Custer at Meuhleisen rd still has a building standing that was part of the old airport. Ottos own the land but a red block building with an arched roof still stands there in the field.

Mav

[BigRedDog]

Leathers field off of N Custer at Meuhleisen rd still has a building standing that was part of the old airport. Ottos own the land but a red block building with an arched roof still stands there in the field.

Mav

Thanks Mav...   that is great info...   exactly what I was hoping for.  I've looked at that building many, many times and wondered about it....   just never gave a thought about that being an "airfield" at any time... 

I'll take a much closer look (and a few photos) the next time I'm out that way.

Here's a Google street view for those interested...   even the curve on the river matches

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=48162&hl=en&ll=41.968904,-83.571861&spn=0.004355,0.016361&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.683309,100.546875&vpsrc=6&hnear=Monroe,+Michigan+48162&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.969686,-83.571393&panoid=bwwrYWZw0Uj6Ts6aMbcKsA&cbp=11,326.63,,0,0.2

[ducksoup]

On Sigler rd.  Where Sander's field is marked, or close there is still a small airport with some really old hangers that you can see on street view.  Sorry, I am no good at linking that, but it is easy to find.

[BigRedDog]

On the 1955 Raisinville Twsp. plat map it shows a D. B. Leathers owning 305.13 acres right there.

A sidenote on the map...   US 23 was still on Lewis Avenue as far north as M-50...   and N. Custer was still showing as M-130.  Something very interesting that isn't real apparent as you drive along although you can see the poles and the fire hydrants are farther back from the road.  The right of way for N. Custer is 100 ft. wide while most roads only have a 66 ft right of way.  That goes back to the days when it was a "federal road" running to Ann Arbor. 

Here's the link to the plat map...   you'll have to zoom it and drag it to the airfield...

http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/446621/Map+Image+009/Monroe+County+1955/Michigan/

[BigRedDog]

On Sigler rd.  Where Sander's field is marked, or close there is still a small airport with some really old hangers that you can see on street view.  Sorry, I am no good at linking that, but it is easy to find.

That is Carl's airport...  they mention it a couple of times on the main site...   the name is confusing because apparently Carl owned it back then too so not sure where the Sander's name came from.  I'll check some of the old plat maps when I'm in them.

Here's the link to Google Streetview for Carl's:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=48166&hl=en&ll=42.037939,-83.298994&spn=0.00196,0.012274&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.683309,100.546875&vpsrc=6&hnear=Newport,+Michigan+48166&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=42.037168,-83.300687&panoid=EqIovYMyjLiLZB_gyEC9vg&cbp=11,37.76,,0,-4.66

[BigRedDog]

This is info is reference Blackmore field which was just west of Carleton.

Exeter road is immediately to the west and Burns road to the east...   looks like the field was maybe notched out at the corner around what looks like the old farmstead buildings on Burns road.  Looks like it was what is pretty much just the brown field today.

Current aerial view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maybee,+mi&hl=en&ll=42.054535,-83.413653&spn=0.008635,0.024548&sll=37.230328,-95.712891&sspn=37.618449,100.546875&vpsrc=6&hnear=Maybee,+Monroe,+Michigan&t=h&z=16


The 1955 plat map clearly shows T Blackmore owning 68.89 acres...  you need to zoom in and drag the map to section 18 to find it....   if the red on the map of the airfields is accurate (some of their road names don't match up with today but I suppose that is possible too) then it went down in the parcel owned by Smith too...    maybe Smith bought later or maybe they just couldn't name it for both of them...

http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/446616/Ash+T5S+R9E/Monroe+County+1955/Michigan/

[BigRedDog]

Also, looking at the Google Maps of the area, I'm pretty sure they JUST updated it; the copyright is 2011 and the leaves are changing color...

Google did new photos last fall lordfly...   if you look at some of the corn mazes many of them have the year included in the artwork. 

Check out the view of the Macomb street bridge...  no orange barrels

http://g.co/maps/c95rq