• Community leader recalls the history of the Afton airport.
Years of service to country, state and county were honored in October when the Afton Lincoln County Airport Board named the Afton Municipal Airport, the “General Boyd L. Eddins Airfield.”
“On behalf of the Afton-Lincoln County Airport Joint Powers Board, Town of Afton Governing Body, and the Board of Lincoln County Commissioners, we want to thank you as well as honor you for your years of selfless service to our nation, our great State of Wyoming, Lincoln County and the Star Valley Community,” the airport board, county commission and town wrote to Eddins.
They commended Eddins for having the “foresight” to work with what would become the “extraordinary Afton-Lincoln County airport which exists today” calling it a “great asset for Afton, Star Valley and Lincoln County.”
The letter acknowledged Eddins’ service as a Brigadier General of the United States Air Force, Chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, State Senator and Senate President.
Eddins was surprised and pleased with the “thoughtfulness” of the governing bodies.
“It’s simply a great honor and I’m especially proud of the airport and I’m pleased with how it’s developed,” Eddins responded in an interview with SVI Media. “It’s a tremendous asset to our community.”
He recalled the time when the opportunity to move and expand the airport was originally presented to the Lincoln County Commission.
“During my time as a county commissioner, the Cazier property estate came up for sale,” he recalled. “It was a natural for the airport, so I made the motion in the commission to appropriate the money and do the purchase and everything went very smooth.,” He added. “It’s a perfect natural location for the community”
The airport was moved from a short airstrip next to the airplane manufacturing facility in Afton to a location further west, allowing for an extended runway.
Eddins noted the move allowed for more modern aircraft that require a safer landing area.
He also acknowledged Star Valley’s aviation and business history as a driver for the airport improvements over the years.
“Between the airplane factory and the cheese factory it was just sort of Star Valley,” he noted “It didn’t matter where you went, people knew something about both of them.”
Eddins noted the location of the airport is complimented by a scenic setting and expressed his appreciation for the honor.
“It’s a natural beautiful setting. Circumstances made this a wonderful opportunity for our community,” he concluded. “I’m just very proud of it and I appreciate all the courtesy and thoughtfulness. It’s a great honor.”
