EYE OF THE STORM: CHANUTE CLOSES
An aerial view of Chanute Air Force Base in 1939 United States Army Air Corps photograph
In 1917 the U.S. Army chose Rantoul as the site of Chanute Field, seeking to strengthen the Army's air capabilities after entering World War I. It was renamed Chanute Air Force Bas after World War II, and served as a training center for thousands of Air Force pilots. As a result, the city of Rantoul became economically dependent on Chanute. In 1993 the base was closed, resulting in a sharp decline for Rantoul from which it has not recovered.
In this interview, Katy B Podagrosi, former Mayor of Rantoul, Illinois, discusses the history of Chanute and its impact on central Illinois as told in her book Eye of the Storm: Chanute Closes.