HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The West Michigan Regional Airport is hosting a book signing and 75th Anniversary Reception.
The book, ASCENT: The 75th Anniversary of the Tulip City / West Michigan Regional Airport is written by Holland author and journalist Myron Kukla. It’s a historical account of the airport from 1942 to 2017. The book focuses on the history of how the Tulip City Airport grew from a grass landing field and a barn terminal into today’s 50,000-flight-a-year airport.
The 75th airport anniversary book covers the history of the airport’s beginning as a grass runway leveled out by Holland pilot Gradus Geurink on a farm field behind his Washington Avenue home through its ascent to the busy West Michigan Regional Airport of today.
Kukla says he learned a lot writing the book. Area businesses like Haworth looked at the Tulip City area as a very important sales tool.
“They wanted to become one of the top five office furniture manufacturers in the world and they used the airport as a tool to reach customers.”
Ascent also covers the crucial period when Holland industrialist Edgar Prince bought the airport to guarantee his company Prince Corp. a reliable airport to fly from upon Guerink’s retirement. Kukla says that was the most dramatic part of the airport’s story.
“He bought it tyo kind of protect it until the city was ready to buy it. He put some improvements in and extended the runway. Then the city was all set to buy it and a group put up an opposition to stop the airport from being purchased.”
The book also covers the struggles faced by Holland City Council to buy and generate funding for the Tulip City Airport as a community infrastructure resource.
The Book Signing and Reception takes place Monday, October 30, from 6-8 p.m. at West Michigan Regional Airport located at 60 Geurink Boulevard in Holland. The book will be for sale for $21.95 and $10 for the residents of the City of Holland, City of Zeeland and Park Township.
