From Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields; Texas, Western Houston area
The original Municipal Airport for the town of Bay City was located adjacent to the east side of the town.
The airport was located southeast of the intersection of Texas 35 and Norvell Avenue.
The airport’s northern boundary was aligned just south of the Union Pacific railroad line.
The original Bay City Municipal Airport was evidently established at some point between 1944-45, as it was not yet depicted on a March 5, 1943 aerial view, nor listed among active airfields in the April 1944 U.S. Army/Navy Directory of Airfields.
The earliest depiction of the original Bay City Municipal Airport which has been located was on the 1945 Edwards Plateau World Aeronautical Chart (according to David Brooks).
The 1951 San Antonio Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks) depicted Bay City as having a 2,500-foot, unpaved runway.
The earliest photo which has been located of the Bay City Airport was a March 5, 1957 aerial view.
It depicted Bay City as having three unpaved runways, with three light aircraft, four T-hangars and a few other buildings on the northwest side of the field.
The last photo which has been located showing the Bay City Airport while in operation was a 1965 aerial view.
Several more small hangars had been added at some point between 1957-1965, and four light aircraft were parked outside.
The 1966 AOPA Airport Directory described Bay City as having three turf runways: 2,470-foot Runway 17/35, 2,300-foot Runway 13/31, and 2,200-foot Runway 8/26.
The 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of David Brooks) depicted Bay City as having three unpaved runways, with the longest being the 2,470-foot Runway 17/35.
Four buildings (hangars?) were located on the northwest side of the field.
The 1989 Texas Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks) depicted Bay City as having four unpaved runways, with the longest being the 2,495-foot Runway 17/35.
Ten small buildings were clustered around the northwest side of the field, with another three small buildings on the east side of the field.
The manager was listed as Jim Warnock.
In the 1995 USGS aerial photo, it is not apparent if the original Bay City Airport was still in use, or had been closed already, as the field was still completely intact.
The outline of the three grass runways was still recognizable, and several hangars were clustered around the northwest corner of the field.
The original Bay City Municipal Airport was closed at some point between 1989-2004, as it was no longer listed among active airfields as of 2004.
An October 2004 photo by David Brooks of the abandoned Bay City Airport, “taken from the where the runway used to come to the road, so the picture is looking southeast.”
David Brooks visited the site of the original Bay City Municipal Airport in October 2004.
His report: “Well - it is closed. Amazingly, the field is pretty much in tack.
“The old hangars are in disrepair & rusting. The field has some fences across it.
“So this field can definitely be put down in the closed list.
“I could not get to the end of runway 35. The road has been torn up and a fence put in.”
A Dec. 31, 2008, aerial photo of the original Bay City Airport showed it to remain completely intact, including the outline of the three grass runways and several hangars on the northwest corner of the field.