Originally published in 1996
The City of Big ·spring demonstrated tremendous commitment in making their dream of restoring an historic 1941 hangar a reality. They were diligent in pursuing the federal grant that would preserve a very significant p2rt of Big Spring’s history for future generations.
The hangar is on its way to becoming an aviation museum after receiving $458,880 through TxDOT’s Transportation Enhancement Program. Big Spring officials applied for a federal matching grant to help them restore the World War 11 Hangar to house vintage planes and mementos at McMahon-Wrinkle Industrial Airpark. The local match will be $114,720.
The Hangar was built in 1941, for the purpose of training Bombardiers for World War II. Over 5,000 Bombardiers went through the school during its tenure. The base closed after the war and was reopened during Pearl Harbor, and then became Webb Air Force Base.
The hangar will be completely restored to its original status. It will house a World War 11, C-46 Cargoturned flying hospital, called the TinkerBelle. The museum will have displays and memorabilia for visitors to see, and the Chamber of Commerce will have a visitors bureau inside.
Transportation Enhancements are eligible activities in the Surface Transportation Program (STP), which is one of the federally funded federal aid transportation programs created under the lntermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). This law allows TxDOT to expand its activities beyond traditional highway and public transportation projects to include projects that will both support and enhance the enjoyment of the state transportation system. Projects are judged on their quality, potential benefits and the transportation enhancement value of each project.
