City of Urbana, Ohio
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Grimes Municipal Airport

Grimes Municipal Airport History

Grimes Municipal Airport is the legacy of Warren Grimes, Urbana’s premier entrepreneur and "Father of the Aircraft Lighting Industry."

At the age of 15, Grimes ran away from his orphanage home in Tiffin, Ohio, to live with his brother Frank in Detroit to work for Ford. Eventually he left Ford to become a partner in an electrical business, designing lighting fixtures. Impressed with Grimes’ work Henry Ford approached him in the mid-1920s to design new lights for Ford Tri-Motors. Forty-eight hours after the request, Grimes produced the light Ford wanted and "the rest is history."

In 1930, Grimes returned to Urbana with a plan to market his design to Waco Aircraft in Troy, Ohio. Waco found his lights to be superior, as did many other companies, and from 1932 to 1942 Grimes’ company grew from 20 employees to 1,300.

In the 1930s, Mr. Grimes purchased the Johnson Farm just north of Urbana. On August 8, 1943, opening ceremonies were held in front of a large crowd and Mr. Grimes presented Grimes Field to the City of Urbana.

Grimes’ company leased the airport from the city and continued to operate it until 1987. Operations were assumed by the city at that time. Since then the airport has evolved from tax-supported to a self-supporting operation, offering services ranging from fuel sales, corporate hangars, private hangars, a Care Flight hangar, and a full-service restaurant. 
Grimes Field Airport runways
Picture
City of Urbana
205 S Main St
Urbana, OH 43078
937-652-4300
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Urbana, Ohio
  • Home
  • Government
    • Administration >
      • Mayors & Directors
      • Resident Request Forms
    • Boards & Commissions >
      • Applications & Publications
      • Board of Nuisance Appeals
      • Building & Zoning Board of Appeals
      • Cemetery Board
      • Downtown Design Review Board
      • Municipal Civil Service Commission
      • Parks & Recreation Board
      • Planning Commission
      • Salary Commission
      • Shade Tree Commission
    • City Council >
      • City Mission Statement
      • City Council Minutes
      • City Council Agenda Packet
      • Council Committees
    • Finance
    • Income Tax
    • Law Director
    • Lodging Tax
    • Municipal Court
    • Ordinances & Charter
    • Zoning & Compliance >
      • Zoning
      • Code Compliance
      • Vacant Building Registration Program
      • Zoning Map
  • Services
    • Police >
      • Records Department
      • Community Outreach >
        • A.L.I.C.E. Program
        • Are You OK? Program
        • Safety Town
        • Speed Sentry Radar Sign
        • Vacation House Checks
        • Mascot - Officer Stanley
      • Division Roster
      • Police FAQ's
      • Fingerprinting Services
      • Crime/Drug Tip Hotline
      • Bad Check Procedure
      • Bicycle, Skateboard, Rollerblade Laws
      • Police Division Forms
      • Domestic Violence Protection Orders
      • Traffic Complaints
      • City of Peace
      • UPD History
    • Engineering >
      • City Maps
      • Flood Plain Mapping Info
      • Infrastructure Improvements
      • Permit Forms
      • Standards & Regulations
    • Fire & EMS >
      • HIPAA
      • Fire Programs
      • Fire Apparatus
      • Annual Reports
      • District Map
      • Fire FAQ's
    • Compost Facility
    • Recycling
    • Streets >
      • Mailbox Policy
      • Snow Removal Policy
      • City Streets Map
    • Stormwater
    • Utility Billing
    • Water >
      • Utility Billing
    • Water Reclamation Facility >
      • Industrial Pretreatment
      • Sewer Maintenance
      • Utility Billing
  • Community
    • Grimes Municipal Airport >
      • Info for Pilots
      • Grimes Municipal Airport History
      • Champaign Aviation Museum & B-17 Project
    • Calendar
    • Cemetery
    • City of Peace
    • Community Development
    • Dining >
      • Airport Cafe
    • Lodging
    • Parks & Recreation >
      • Pool
      • Shelterhouses
      • Sports
      • Indoor Facilities
      • Melvin Miller Park
      • Fido's Field
      • Festival
    • News & Public Notices
  • Business
    • Bid Information >
      • Awarded Bids
    • Economic Development
    • News
  • Contact Us
    • Ask the Mayor
    • Departmental Directory
    • Emergency Numbers
    • Who Do I Call?
    • FAQ's
    • Job Opportunities
    • Forms & Documents
    • Resident Request Forms
  • Employees