From 1919 to 1922, the Lawson Airplane Company, founded by pioneer aviator Alfred W. Lawson, operated on this property. The company produced the first two commercial passenger airplanes in the U.S., which Lawson called “airliners.” These innovative aircraft first introduced many features that became standard in modern commercial airliners, including weather proof cockpits, dual pilot controls, and passenger cabins with a center aisle. Lawson, clearly ahead of his time, was known as the “Columbus of the Air.”