Middlesex County Supervisors voted unanimously on June 3 to approve a proclamation declaring that Hummel Field, the county owned airstrip in Topping, was officially founded on July 22, 1941.
Airport representative Jamie Barnhardt informed the board at the meeting that he was able to confirm the date through a 1941 Southside Sentinel newspaper article that stated Hummel Field was sanctioned by the state corporation commission to operate as an airport. “That makes the airport 84 years old,” said Barnhardt.
Hummel Field was founded as an official Middlesex County airport in January 1970 when Fred E. Hummel and his wife Maria Jones Hummel gave the 85 acres of land at Topping to the county and specified it be utilized as a public airport.
Barnhardt said there had been some confusion as to exactly when Fred Hummel started using the land as an airstrip. The land was purchased by the Hummels in 1940, he said.
“Mr. Hummel probably used the field to land his own plane there before 1941 but the Sentinel article did confirm a founding date. He said the airport committee thinks a founding date will be helpful in publicizing the long term importance of the airport to the county and to promote local aviation.
