Jan 20, 2016 5 min read

Residents of the mid-Monongahela Valley have found their way to McKeesport in a variety of ways over the years – automobiles, trains and boats.

They had another option in the mid-1940s, a unique mode of travel called to our attention by a woman in Monongahela who sent a copy of an advertisement from the Thursday, Sept. 26, 1946, edition of The Daily Republican.

“My grandfather often spoke about this service,” she said. “He said he once took a ride in the plane, which was rather small and was equipped with pontoons for taking off from and landing in the (Monongahela) river. The experience, he recalled, was a tour of the area that offered a wonderful view of the towns and rural areas from the sky.”

“This service” was the Monongahela Seaplane Base operated by Johnny Evans, an obviously enterprising individual that played a key role in aviation in this area.

The newspaper ad read:

Fly With Johnny Evans

Foot of Eleventh Street at the Sea Scout Base.

Fly off the longest runway in the United States.

Government licensed instructors and planes.

Sightseeing rides.

Daily Plane Service to McKeesport.

By Appointment Only.

Evans ran a similar ad on Friday, June 6, 1947, and alerted the public that his business was at a “new location for your convenience” off Second Street “near the (Monongahela) bridge.”

There are no accounts in the archives of area newspapers as to how well Evans’ seaplane enterprise fared, but he was the subject of other items in the press.

A May 28, 1948, story in The Daily Courier of Connellsville, for example, touted a special air show that would highlight the Irwin Circus on Memorial Day. The program, held to benefit the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department, was set for the new Irwin Airport located near the Jacktown Hotel and Turnpike Route 30 junction and would feature Johnny Evans, “well-known flier and announcer” as master of ceremonies.

Apparently Evans had a knack for promotions and marketing. A classified newspaper ad on Nov. 20, 1944, emphasized that talent this way:

“Do you want to fly? Boys and girls. Get your wings for sure. Send for my complete book about airplanes and flying. $3. Send check or money order to Johnny Evans, Allegheny County Airport, Pittsburgh, Pa.”

Eight years earlier – on Friday, Oct. 16, 1936 – Evans drew front page attention in The Daily Republican with a story announcing his arrival in Monongahela.

A youngster in East Monongahela reminded the newspaper that Evans was “the guy from Pittsburgh that talked to us kids last year and told us about aeroplanes and said he liked to show us a regular one and the next time he came to town he’d sure try to – and by heck, I guess he has.”

“Further questioning elicited that this Johnny person is now co-pilot with Harold McClintock and has a big tri-motor Ford that holds 14 passengers, two pilots and a hostess, own at the landing field back of the hospital,” the story said. “At any rate he made quite an impression on the boys in town and New Eagle and Sunnyside and it’s a safe wager he will have a big time at the field when they all find out that he has come back with a plane and a big one at that.”

The “landing field” was an apparent reference to the Monongahela Airport, which opened in late 1929 or early 1930.

Plans for the facility were announced on May 23, 1929.

The airfield was owned by Samuel M. Downer, a longtime real estate and insurance agent and land developer in Monongahela who also served as Washington County treasurer.

The Daily Republican heralded Downer’s project as “an airport as fine as any municipal and commercial field in the country.” The airport, “approved by the United States War Department,” was to be located “just south of New Eagle Borough and adjoining Monongahela on the West.”

Dennis G. Yerkey, longtime aviation leader and enthusiast in the region, provided biographical information on Johnny Evans that was published in 1985 by the Taylor Publishing Co. of Dallas, Texas

According to the material from Yerkey, a 1958 graduate of Monongahela High School now living in Pleasant Hills, Evans was born in Dravosburg in 1905,

He performed for several years with flying circuses and eventually had his own air show. He also assisted Cliff Ball with the first air mail service from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. He barnstormed in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio in a Ford Tri-Motor with Harold McClintock.

He operated the aforementioned sea plane and instructed students at McKeesport as well as Monongahela. He also worked for the Duquesne Brewing Company as a sale manager and was known in the area as “The Flying Beer Salesman.”

Evans helped establish the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame in 1970 and held leadership positions in numerous aeronautical organizations for many years.

“Johnny and so many others – men like James Kirk, Jim Phillips and Ivan Livi – were true aviation pioneers in this region,” Yerkey said. “They were instrumental in the development of aviation at such places as Latrobe, Bettis, Finleyville, Washington and Beaver.”

If you have memories of the Mon Valley to share or story ideas, contact Ron Paglia at ronpaglia@verizon.net or c/o the Observer-Reporter, 122 S. Main St., Washington, Pa. 15301.