Harbor Beach’s Aviation Ambitions: Foschke Airport, 1939
In the late 1930s, Harbor Beach, Michigan, was home to a surprising feature for a small Thumb community—its own airport. Shown in this 1939 photograph, Foschke Airport was an early aviation hub that served private pilots, charter services, and possibly even regional air mail or agricultural flights.
The photo features a curved-roof hangar with “Foschkes Harbor Beach” prominently painted across the front. Parked in front are several period aircraft, including biplanes and a high-wing monoplane, as well as 1930s-era automobiles. The airfield likely reflected growing local interest in aviation, as rural airstrips became more common across Michigan during the interwar period.
While the airport no longer exists in this form, and Harbor Beach now operates a smaller municipal airstrip west of town, Foschke’s facility remains a fascinating piece of the area’s transportation history. It also hints at a time when small towns saw flight as the next leap forward—well before the jet age arrived.
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