100 Years Ago: Oct. 25-Oct. 31

From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, October 29, 1919:  The Lawson Air Liner, the largest passenger carrying airplane in the world, may leave Indianapolis tomorrow, weather permitting, for Chicago on its return to Milwaukee where it departed six-weeks ago on a 2,500 mile demonstration trip.  The huge bi-plane, with seating for twenty-six, landed at the Speedway last Friday on a flight from Dayton, Ohio carrying eleven passengers.  Alfred Lawson, president of the Lawson Air Line Co, designed the big airship and was the navigator on the flight.  He plans on putting 100 passenger airships in operation between New York and San Francisco in May.  “I’m favorably impressed with the geographical and industrial location of Indianapolis as well as the facilities I find here, and am considering making the city one of the connecting trunk stops on the through service,” Lawson said.