A Dusting We Will Go

It’s the end of World War I. The skies, once filled with the roar of engines and the courage of young pilots, are now eerily quiet. The "War to End All Wars" had ended, but what would become of the hundreds of trained airmen, grounded by peace? The world was changing, and so was the role of the airplane. No longer just a machine of war, the airplane was poised to become a tool of progress in ways no one had yet imagined.

Enter Thomas Huff, an aeronautical engineer with a mind tuned to the future. He had a knack for designing aircraft that pushed the boundaries of what was possible. Beside him stood Elliot Daland, a visionary in the aircraft manufacturing world. Daland saw the airplane not just as a tool for war or mail delivery, but as something that could revolutionize everyday life—if only the right application could be found.

The two men saw a new battle on the horizon, not fought with guns or bombs, but with an enemy as small as it was devastating: the boll weevil. This tiny pest ravaged cotton crops across the southern United States, threatening the livelihoods of countless farmers. Huff and Daland wondered what if an airplane could fight this battle? Could the very machines that once dropped bombs now drop something that would save crops instead?

By 1920, they had formed The Aeroway Corporation, a company dedicated to building airplanes for a new purpose: agriculture. With a team of skilled pilots, innovative engineers, and the guidance of entomologist Bert Coad, they embarked on a mission to turn their vision into reality.

In 1923, after years of research and experimentation, their breakthrough came—a new invention, a crop-dusting airplane that could spread pesticides over vast fields with unprecedented efficiency. This was a pivotal moment in the history of agriculture, a turning point that would change farming forever. What did happen, makes this a Terrific Tale.

The advent of crop dusting meant that large-scale farming could be managed more effectively. The ability to quickly and efficiently apply pesticides from the air allowed farmers to protect their crops from pests and diseases like never before. This led to higher yields, reduced crop losses, and more stable food supplies. It also opened up new possibilities for the use of fertilizers and herbicides, further increasing agricultural productivity.

Crop dusting became a crucial tool in the fight against pests like the boll weevil, which had previously devastated cotton crops. Once a symbol of war, the airplane had become an agent of growth and prosperity. The success of Huff and Daland's crop-dusting airplane led to widespread adoption of the practice across the United States and eventually around the world. It was a revolution in agriculture, enabling farmers to manage larger fields with fewer resources and paving the way for modern agribusiness.

But where was this pioneering work done? Was it in some bustling industrial city, or perhaps in the heart of the South, where the cotton fields cried out for salvation?

No, the birthplace of this revolutionary idea, the cradle of agricultural aviation, was far from the cotton fields, far from the industrial hubs of America.

It was a small shop at the end of Adams Street…in Ogdensburg.  Yes, right here, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, Thomas Huff and Elliot Daland conceived and designed the world’s first crop duster, an airplane that would change the face of agriculture.

But the story doesn’t end there. The company that began in Ogdensburg would continue to evolve, taking flight in new and unexpected ways. In 1928, as the demand for crop dusting grew, the company’s operations shifted, and a new chapter began. This small agricultural aviation company would eventually become Delta Air Lines, one of the largest and most successful airlines in the world.

So, from a humble shop in Ogdensburg to the vast skies traversed by Delta’s jets today, the legacy of Thomas Huff and Elliot Daland continues to soar.

Now that’s one Terrific Tale.