The base began as Curtiss Reynolds Wright Airport in 1929. The Curtiss Flying Service bought farmland in the Glenview region and opened the airfield as an alternative to Chicago's Municipal Airport. But the Great Depression, which started just nine days after the airfield was dedicated, reduced the need for another regular airport for Chicago. During the Depression, the main source of income for the airport was air shows. However, in the late 1930s, there were also some commercial routes to and from the airfield.