The Waters/Suppes family, which has lived Johnstown for generations, recently shared this video of Amelia Earhart at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown on July 17, 1929. The occasion was the dedication of Johnstown’s first airport, which bordered the club along the 12th hole of the golf course. Earhart flew into the airport as part of the opening day’s festivities and stayed to visit with the crowd as seen here. Westmont Municipal Airport (as it was originally called) operated until 1948, when the Johnstown airport was moved to its current location in Richland Township.
The three-minute video includes some shots of speck-like airplanes high in the sky at the very end, but the best parts are the shots of a very recognizable, hatless Earhart and other guests on the ground on Sunnehanna’s porch — as well as children playing in the swimming pool. We thank the Waters/Suppes family for sharing!
