An Illinois aviation centennial -- One year before New York to Paris.

The article focuses on the centennial history of early aviation landmarks in Illinois, specifically two former airfields near Springfield and Peoria that played key roles in the development of U.S. airmail service and Charles A. Lindbergh’s career. The Springfield site, originally Bosa Field and later renamed Conkling Field and then Lindbergh Field, served as a critical stop on Contract Air Mail Route 2 (C.A.M. 2) and hosted Lindbergh before and after his 1927 transatlantic flight. Similarly, Peoria’s early airfields, including Kellar Field and later Big Hollow Airport, were important in regional airmail and aviation activities before being replaced by larger municipal airports. Both sites have since reverted to non-aviation uses but are commemorated with historical markers recognizing their contributions to early commercial aviation and Lindbergh’s legacy.