Howard Hughes in the cockpit of the Spruce Goose – Source: Welcome Home, Howard Digital Collection, UNLV University Libraries Special Collections.
Howard Hughes
Hughes was the only child of Howard Robard Hughes Sr. and Alene Gano Hughes. Hughes’ father amassed a fortune after inventing special machinery that was used in oil and gas drilling. Hughes was an inventive child and took to mathematics and engineering…
Hughes Aircraft Company
Through his wealth and social contacts, Howard Hughes was able to secure military contracts despite past failures. His most famous commission during World War II was for the production of three “Flying Boats,” large wooden boats that, as the name suggests, could fly…
Source: Welcome Home, Howard Digital Collection, UNLV University Libraries Special Collections. – http://d.library.unlv.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hughes/id/20.
Source: Welcome Home, Howard Digital Collection, UNLV University Libraries Special Collections. – http://d.library.unlv.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/hughes/id/204/rec/40.
The Spruce Goose
The infamous aircraft that is now commonly known as the “Spruce Goose” originated in the mind of Henry J. Kaiser, owner of an Oakland-based ship manufacturing company, in response to the escalating threat of Axis Powers submarines in the early years of World War II.
Southern California Aerospace Industry
Several factors shaped aviation industry growth during the early 20th century. On the heels of the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight in 1903, the U.S. government purchased its first airplane in 1908. Demand for pilots and airplanes would increase at the onset of World War I…
Source: Unknown.
Historical Development of the District
At the end of the 1930s, Hughes Aircraft operated out of leased space at Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale. The growing company did not have sufficient space for production facilities, making it difficult to secure large government contracts.
Theme Sources
For additional reading on the Hughes Industrial Historic District, Howard Hughes, the Spruce Goose, and the history of aerospace in Southern California, see the following sources, which were used in the preparation of this website.