The Kenneth Scholter Collection by Julia Prefti, Project Archivist, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Early Aviation in Western Pennsylvania Uncovered: The Kenneth Scholter collection by Julia Prefti, Project Archivist, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania AREAresident Kenneth W. Scholter contributed a collection of photo graphs and personal papers that adds a unique and fascinating dimension to the research materials inthe His- torical Society of Western Pennsyl- vania's Archives. His collection fo- cuses on the founding and growth of the aviation industry in Western Pennsylvania during the twentieth century. Such personal papers pro- vide insight into various aspects of the social and economic history of the region that cannot be found in other sources. In my work as an archivist, Ihave spoken to a wide One of the airport's owners, D. aviation articles and publications, range of people whose experiences Barr Peat, livednearby withhis wife, "PlaneNews— A.E.F.1917-1919," contributed to the region's history, and they took care of Scholter by and a copy of the U.S. Army Air but none were more engaging, ener- givinghimmeals. Inreturn, Scholter Service Pilots, November 12, 1919. getic and informed than Mr.Scholter. did chores around the house. The The third, photographs and bro- Scholter, who livesinButler,Pa., chores included going down over chures, deals withthe Butler airport 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, made the hill for water, since the Peat specifically. Manyofthe photographs such a mark on the region's history home had no electricity or running inthe—collection Scholter took him- that the Butler County Airport is water. Peat helped Scholter inmany self an avid lensman, he seems to named in his honor. Scholter was ways. When Charles Lindbergh came have usually been present at impor- born inthe Monongahela River Val- to Bettis, Peat bought Scholter a tant aviation events. ley town ofDuquense on August 6, suit for the occasion, so he would The Historical Society Library 1910. His father was employed at not have to wear his mechanics' and Archives is currently expanding the Duquense Works power house overalls. Scholter discusses in detail the collections that document the but later started his own electrical his meeting with Lindbergh, and lives of people, families, and busi- repair business which left him little other amazing events, in the inter- nesses that played a role inthe social, time at home. view that follows. cultural and economic life of the As a young teenager, Kenneth Many ofthe photographs in this region. Typically the forgotten ma- Scholter discovered the Pittsburgh- section of the magazine are part of terials are stored inattics, basements, McKeesport Airport when he spot- the vast, well-documented Scholter garages, and warehouses and are re- ted a plane overhead near his family's collection nowpart ofthe Historical discovered when an individual, or- house and followed it down Leba- Society's Archives. We received the ganization orbusiness is moving out non Church Road. He then began to collection in three donations. The or remodeling. Then is the time to ride his bike to the airport, even first includes scrapbooks from the the contact the Historical Society, when school was in session; he often Aero Club of Pittsburgh, 1922- so that the materials may be pre- skipped school, he said, because his 1956, a photograph album of Gra- pared and preserved for research and mother was occupied with all the ham Aviation ofButler,plus miscel- reference. other children and did not have time laneous pictures of Butler-based Not allcollections arc as rich or as to notice his absence. Scholter Aviation Co., Bettis Field, large as Kenneth Scholter's. (For Byage 14, Scholter was spending Rogers Field (one of the earliest instance, one that is much smaller most of his free time at the airport. local air fields,inAspinwall), Butler but is also aviation- related contains He often slept in the hangar, using County Airport, and hundreds of photographs and documents from parachutes as bedding, so that he planes and aviators from the area. the late Clifford Ball, one of Bettis could be around the planes and pi- The second donation includes al- Field's founders.) Scholter's collec- lots as much as possible. He learned bums from the Aero Club ofPitts- tion contains some 5 linear feet of how to maintain planes and to fly, burgh with photographs by E.L. material. But each contribution, no while serving as extra weight on mam' Shyrock, photographs ofAllegheny matter its size, helps us fulfillour experimental flights. Thus began his County AirportinWest Mifflinand mission tointerpret the region's his- career in aviation. various plane crash sites in the area, torv." 179.

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