Richards Field
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richards Field was the first airport in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The field established in 1922 near the border between Kansas City, Missouri and Raytown, Missouri at the southeast corner of Blue Ridge Parkway and Gregory Boulevard. It was named for John Francisco Richards II, a Kansas City aviator killed in World War I. The airport was visited by Charles Lindbergh.
In 1927 Kansas City built Kansas City Downtown Airport which was briefly called New Richards Field and then became Kansas City Municipal Airport. Richards name was to be used for Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base.
After the downtown airport was built, the Raytown airport became known as Ong Field for aviator William Ong. The airport was abandoned in 1949 and has become a subdivision with an Ong Lake.
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