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The Flying Smiths Sunday, May 27, 2018

Determined and ambitious, Ben Smith always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He wasn’t afraid to take risks or try new opportunities. Milk production wasn’t the only business venture for the Smiths. They delivered home heating oil and operated Smith Tractor, which had seven stores in Washington and one in Alaska.

It was this same enthusiasm that he would later instill in his seven kids, including sons, Howard and Dan.

It started while the two Smith brothers were attending Washington State University. When they started talking about buying an airplane, Ben helped them herd the cows into other fields and fenced off 40 acres for a landing area.

The farm, which was south of Kent on the West Valley Highway, had still resembled a pasture - save for the windsock and a few T-hangars. It shortly became a popular spot for local businessmen, where they formed the Valley Flying Club, using the field as their operating base. However, as soon as things started to progress, the war broke out and civilian flying was banned. The cows returned to the fields.

Howard became an Army Primary School flight instructor and later joined the Air Transport Command. While in the service, he started making plans for his father’s field. He wanted to turn the farm into a haven for private flyers.

After World War II ended, the Smith family began constructing their airpark and the cows were once again herded off. They added a control tower, a 3,000-foot runway, more than 30 hangars, along with a restaurant and lounge catering to small aircraft owners. What began as a spot for Ben’s sons to fly at home would become the Pacific Northwest’s busiest airparks for private flying.

The Great Northwest Sunday, May 27, 2018

With relatives already in Washington, Ben Smith and his family often received letters describing the natural wonders of the Evergreen State. They read about the sweeping views and majestic mountains, the temperate climate and fertile fields. Pioneers went westward in search of land and opportunity, and eventually, the Smith family did too. In 1907, Ben, his mother, and four siblings boarded a train in St. Paul, Minnesota bound for their new home in Seattle.

Thanks to its diverse climate, rich soil, and steady rain, western Washington has always been an agricultural utopia; the region is especially ideal for dairy herds. More than ten years after arriving in Seattle, Ben established his farm in the foothills of Kent Valley, surrounded by lush green pastures.

One hundred years later, it’s easy to see why the Smith family put their roots down here. There’s a lot to love. Besides the spectacular views all around us, there’s a real passion in our state for supporting local. Without our friends and neighbors, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Washington is a little slice of paradise, and we’re proud to call it home.