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Thank you to Bob Cassube for identifying the old Homestead Airport. Bob grew up in the area and spent considerable time at this airport in his youth. He went on to become an airline pilot and captain with National and Pan Am. Bob says that the Homestead City Hall and Harris Field now occupy the site of the old airport. Harris Field was named after his wife's uncle Tom Harris who was the Mayor of Homestead for some time.
Bob does not remember when Homestead Airport was closed but says that the new Homestead General Airport was opened in the early 1960's and that he flew off of it before the asphalt was laid for the runways. He says that the various crop dusters that formally flew out of the old Homestead Airport found other landing strips in the area to operate out of.
Bob offers these insights to other details in this photo:
The road at the top of the airport is Campbell Drive (NE 8th Street in Homestead). US1 and Old Dixie Highway the diagonal roads that are west of the airport.
The softball field is west of the airport off the end of the SW/NE runway. There was a park in the dark area to the SW of the ball field.
The railroad spur off on the left side went to a large railroad loading platform off of Campbell Drive where new farm machinery could be offloaded for area farmers and produce could be loaded on outbound trains.
John Bennett's Garage is visible in a dark spot near the intersection of Campbell Drive and US 1/Old Dixie Highway. Dick's Drive-In, owned by Dick Huff, is in a white spot near the same intersection in the 1950's and 60's. Bob said that Dick's had the best hamburgers in the area. Dick's was later replaced by a donut shop. The Wishing Well Bar is on Old Dixie Highway near the intersection also.
Bob also says: "I remember being at the old Homestead airport one day when I was a kid and a Navion flew in and out stepped Joe Kirkwood who played Joe Palouka, can't remember correct spelling. He said he was on the way to Key West. He had that good looking blonde with him. I remember an airshow there as a kid when Betty Skelton flew the Little Stinker Pitts Special. Curtis Pitts was a friend and a very popular person in the area."