Raised in an Ohio orphanage, Warren G. Grimes ran away after finishing the ninth grade and at age 16 went to work for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. He later became a partner in an electrical business where he was instrumental in designing and developing the first lights for the Ford Tri-Motor airplane. In 1930 he moved to Urbana and founded Grimes Manufacturing, a small lighting fixture plant. He invented the familiar red, green, and white navigation lights found on the wingtips and tails of aircraft and developed other aircraft fixtures, including landing, instrumental, and interior lights, earning recognition as the “Father of the Aircraft Lighting Industry.” Every American-made airplane flown during World War II was equipped with Grimes lights. He also served as mayor of Urbana and chairman of the State of Ohio Aviation Board. In the late 1930s he bought this parcel to build a home on the east side and an airport on the west side, and on August 8, 1943, he presented Grimes Field, then consisting of one hanger and a small office building, to the city of Urbana. The Grimes Company used the airport extensively to test aircraft lights, and it also provided charter service to area industries, people in distress, instruction, and certified federally approved aircraft and engine service. Grimes Field became a center for civilian flying, helped make Urbana one of the most air-minded communities in the country, and served as a model for other cities planning municipal airports. In 1961 the main runway was paved and lengthened to 3,200 feet, and in 2001 the runway was relocated and lengthened to 4,400 feet.
