Mid-Continent Airlines was originally founded as a flight school at Rickenbacker Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, during 1928, by Arthur Hanford Jr., a dairy operator.

The airport was a division of Hanford's, Inc., but the service stations and garages were later sold to finance airline operations.

Soon the company became known as Hanford's Tri-State Airlines, which offered charter service and scheduled flights from Sioux City to Omaha, Nebraska, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Bismarck, North Dakota.

Intermediate routings included Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin; Rochester, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fargo, Grand Forks and Pembina, North Dakota, and finally Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

However, when the Chicago to Winnipeg route was sold in December 1934 to Northwest Airlines, general offices were moved back to Sioux City.

At the time of the change in ownership, Hanford's employed 64 people, served nine cities and held route certificates that totaled 838 miles.

The Ryan's only purchased six of Hanford's aircraft including two Ford Trimotors and four 4-passenger single-engine Lockheed Vegas.

The company officially began air carrier operations on July 1, 1936, under the corporate name of Hanford Airlines, Inc.

On July 10, 1936, the new aircraft was pressed into service amidst colorful ceremonies for the newly dubbed "The Sioux Chief" airliner.

Mr. Ryan led a contingent of VIPs and airliner management on the inaugural flight from Kansas City to Minneapolis/St.

Just before Mid-Continent introduction of L-10 service, the famed James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle established an all-time speed record for a passenger airliner flying between Chicago and New Orleans.

[3] On August 30, 1936, Hanford inaugurated new air mail, express and passenger service between Kansas City and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hanford began the tradition of inviting a Native American Chief to fly on its inaugural flights.

Also on board was Mr. Alexander W. Graham, Mr. Homer Bredow, Chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce; Colonel Ruby D. Garrett; Mr. Clarence R. Mooney, Public Relations Director of the Kansas City Chamber; Mr. Thomas R. Ryan III; Mr. J. W. Bill Miller; Mr. W. N. DeWald, Operations Manager at Hanford and Mr. Malcolm L. Boss, Traffic Manager.

Paul - Rochester - Des Moines - Ottumwa - St. Louis - operated with Lockheed Lodestar airliners The Corn Husker : Minneapolis/St.

At that time, J. W. Bill Miller was elected President and General Manager, which he held until the merger with Braniff Airways in 1952.

[3] From May 1942 to September 1944, Mid-Continent flew a cargo route for the Army Air Transport Command, which carried nearly 17,000 pounds of critical war materials.

The Airline also operated scheduled passenger services with a greatly reduced fleet and it also trained Army pilots and mechanics and modified military aircraft.

[3] In January 1945, Mid-Continent began replacing its Lockheed Lodestars with luxurious 21-passenger twin-engine Douglas DC-3 airliners.

Seven months later in March 1946, the company began stopping at Mason City, Iowa, on its Des Moines to Minneapolis route and in July 1945, service was added at Muskogee, Oklahoma, on the Tulsa to New Orleans flights.

[3] Colonel Thomas F. Ryan III returned from military service in February 1946 after having served as Staff Officer under General Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific.

[3] On January 1, 1947, Mid-Continent rang in the new year with the inauguration of air cargo service over its route system.

Service began between Sioux City and Chicago and Rockford and Milwaukee on September 26, 1950, which was the day the new award became effective.

The aircraft, previously owned by Pan American World Airways Systems, featured a comfortable pressurized cabin and cruise at a speed of 300 miles per hour.

The cost of the new facility was US$375,000, with construction beginning in December 1950 and only seven months later, the company took possession of the new hangar in July 1951.

The aircraft were scheduled for delivery beginning in 1953 and the order was taken up by Braniff Airways, which was the first airline to put the model in service on November 1, 1952.

Oklahoma service would now include McAlester and Muskogee with Paris added in Texas, connecting Tyler and Houston.

The amalgamation of the two carrier's created a solid north and south flow to feed Braniff's Latin American route system.

Mid-Continent Chairman Thomas Ryan and President J. W. Miller became officers of Braniff Airways, Inc., at that time.

On August 16, 1952, Mid Continent Airlines operated over 6200 route miles to 35 cities in the Midwest United States.