Nevada Historic Markers in Elko County: Terminus of the First Commercial Air Mail Route

Nevada Historical Marker 107
Terminus of the First Commercial Air Mail Route
Murray Way and Mountain City Highway
Elko

Terminus of the First Commercial Air Mail Route

On April 6, 1926, Varney Air Lines pilot Leon Cuddeback, carrying one bag of mail, landed his tiny Curtis Swallow bi-plane at Elko, Nevada, completing the first scheduled air mail run in the United States.

The single engine, 90-horsepower aircraft had taken off from Pasco, Washington, stopped at Boise, Idaho, for fuel and mail, then completed the 460-mile flight to Elko. The Varney contract was awarded October 27, 1925, at a rate of eight cents an ounce. Varney sold to Boeing, which merged with United Air Lines in 1931.

Prev | Next
Elko County: List | Map
State of Nevada: List | Map