Charles A. Lindbergh, renowned Air Mail Pilot, handpicked a 40-acre plot on Airport Road to serve as an emergency landing field during his mail flights between Chicago and St. Louis. In August 1926, this flat parcel of land was leased by the United States Government from William L. Waters, who owned the Benjamin (Godfrey) residence at 6808 Godfrey Rd.

The landing strip was clearly visible, thanks to floodlights stationed 200 feet apart and a striking beacon with a brightness of 1250 candlepower, mounted on a 60-foot steel tower. This strip was used by mail pilots when factors such as weather, visibility, or mechanical issues made a safe landing at Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri, unfeasible for mail delivery.

A small, timber-framed station was constructed on the field, featuring a telephone line for communications. It served multiple purposes: storage for airplane supplies like oil, fuel, and parts; accommodation with a cot for pilots to stay overnight; and a designated area for mail storage.