Location
The original airport for the town of Waukegan was located on the northwest corner of Green Bay Road & Sunset Avenue. According to Robbie Culver, the Waukegan Chamber of Commerce chose the Burris Farm as their site for a new airport. The Chamber of Commerce purchased a Swallow biplane, and 2 World War I pilots (Johnnie Miller & Edward Hedeen) were hired for the new “National School of Aviation”.
The new “Burris Field” was opened in the summer of 1927.
Timeline
The National School of Aviation soon became a money-losing venture, and the Chamber of Commerce sold the Swallow. Linden Burris, the son of the owner of the Burris farm, took over operations at the airport and several local residents began the Waukegan Flying Club, purchasing a different Swallow biplane to use for club operations.
The club’s first instructor was Vernon Ramsey. In 1928, Northwest airways used the field as an mergency landing strip for the Chicago-to-Milwaukee airmail/passenger route.
In 1928 or 1929, a steel hangar was assembled, having been shipped by rail from Wisconsin. The hangar was intended for 8 aircraft at that time. Waukegan native Frederic Stripe assisted in assembling it. “It came in a kit like an erector set. It had no rivets, just nuts & bolts. My job was to put the bolts in & tighten them up with the nuts.”
Later, a wooden hangar was added.
In the late 1920s, air shows & barnstorming attracted large crowds to the site, featuring “air races, stunt flying, and parachute jumps.” It described Waukegan Airport as a 64 acre rectangular field measuring 2,500' east/west, owned by Frank Burris & operated by Lindon Burris. Several buildings were depicted on the east side, including a 80' x 52' steel hangar. Waukegan was described as a commercial airport in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory. A hangar was said to have "Waukegan Airport" on the roof.
By 1934, a rotating beacon & manned weather station were added to the grass field. At this time, Green Bay Road was still one of the main links between Chicago & Milwaukee, and the airport expanded to include a service station & garage. An office, living quarters, and even a small restaurant completed the operation. Frederic Stripe managed the airport in 1936 & 1937.
Things changed at the little airport in 1938 when Wayne Carpenter took over operations. Carpenter took over with Stripe remaining for 6 months as a transition. An “operator sponsored flying club” (also referred to as the “Economy Flying Club”) began operation at the airport on 5/1/46. In a 1946 article in Flying Magazine, Wayne Carpenter said that flying rates had been cut in an effort to spark interest & increase participation in the flying club.
A July 1958 or 1959 photo by Carl Kangas of the remains of tornado damage at Waukegan Airport.
Carl recalled, “One of the wooden hangers flew across Greenbay road, cleared the power lines without touching them & landed in a heap of sticks.” Wayne Carpenter continued to operate the original Waukegan Airport until 1965 when it was sold off (to the new Waukegan Port Authority) and closed.
It had been replaced by the "Waukegan Memorial" Airport, located 2 miles to the northeast.
Remediation
The original Waukegan Airport was no longer depicted on the December 1965 Milwaukee Sectional Chart or the 1969 USGS topo map.
A 1988 aerial view showed that Sunset Avenue had been built through the southern portion of the former airport, and a number of buildings had been constructed over the property. A few hangars remained standing on the southeast corner of the former airport, though. The local business still carry the Burris name. The cache is hidden next to the 1929 hangar that is being used for storage.
References:
https://www.airfields-freeman.com/IL/Airfields_IL_Chicago_N.htm#waukegan