JOSEPH VICTOR SANDBLOM

J.V. Sandblom landed and signed the Clover Field Register once, Sunday, July 7, 1929 at 1:40PM. He carried one unidentified passenger in the Stearman C-3B he identified as NC8813. Sandbloom recorded his homebase as Los Angeles and wrote "Rogers Airport" in the destination column of the Register. Although his name was clearly spelled "Sandblom" in the Register, and his U.S. Census and other official records spelled it that way, journalists consistently misspelled his name. His airplane was also recorded once in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register on April 10, 1930, flown by Jimmie Angel.

Sandblom was born November 20, 1890 in Sweden. I have no information about where he spent his early life or his early education. I found no 1900 U.S. Census information for him.The 1910 U.S. Census placed him at age 19 living in Mt. Vernon, NY with his mother, father and two younger sisters. His occupation was coded as "machinist."

He was registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, below. He and his wife lived in Brooklyn, NY. Interestingly, his registration identified him as an alien. In fact, according to the 1920 U.S. Census, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1899 and was naturalized in 1911. We learn that, at age 27, he was medium height and build, with grey eyes and brown hair.

J.V. Sandblom, Draft Registration, June 5, 1917 (Source: ancestry.com)

As with many things, the details are in the fine print. If you look carefully at the diagonal printing at the lower left of this card, the text says, "If person is of African descent, tear off this corner." Some things change; some things remain the same.

His occupation on his draft registration was cited as "Mechanic" at the American Parlograph Corporation. The company, with corporate offices in downtown New York City, made dictating machines like the one below, left. The man was unidentified.

San Mateo Times (CA), January 30, 1932 (Source: newspapers.com)

American Parlaphone Dictating Machine, Ca. 1915 (Source: Web)

Sandblom moved across the country sometime during the next decade. He also was married on April 28, 1917 to Helen Agnes Derer. The 1920 Census placed him living in Venice, CA with Helen. His occupation in Venice was coded as "Proprietor" of an amusement device company.

He moved again and took up new work. The Santa Monica city directory for 1925 listed him and Helen living at 1008 Stracey Avenue, Venice. That address today appears to be at the rear of a school that has pre-fab auxilliary classrooms installed on the property. His occupation was documented as "Mechanic."

"J.V. Sandblum" [sic], Altoona Tribune (PA), February 5, 1932 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

The 1930 Census placed him (age 39) living at 1315 West 81st St., Los Angeles, CA. This Census listed his birthplace as New York, in contrast to his draft registration, above, that listed Sweden as his birthplace.

Regardless, he owned his home, which was valued at $7,650. He lived with his wife, Helen (38; immigrated from Ireland in 1914, and a naturalized U.S. citizen) and their daughter, Helen Audrene (6; 1922-1991). They had been married 14 years.

His occupation was coded as "Pilot" at an "Airplane Field." With over 4,000 flight hours logged, he was commonly respected for being one of the most experienced pilots on the west coast.

Sandblom appeared in no other Registers, probably because he lost his life early in an air transport crash. In July 1931, Sandblom began working for the newly formed Century-Pacific Airlines. Century-Pacific was organized by Albuquerque, NM (Oxnard Field) Register pilot E.L. Cord. The initial airplanes purchased for the line were Stinson model SM-6000 trimotors. The Century-Pacific Stinsons are logged numerous times in the Grand Central Air Terminal Register (see, e.g. NC10844). The one that Sandblom crashed was NC10813.

Sandblom's trimotor was lost on a regularly scheduled flight on January 29, 1932. His plane went down in rugged terrain between Bakersfield and Los Angeles, CA.

Sedalia Weekly Democrat (MO), February 5, 1932 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

Sandblom carried seven passengers. His accident, from the time when the airplane went missing until the wreckage was found and bodies recovered, made national headlines, from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (NY) to the San Mateo Times (CA). His photograph above was from one of the articles that appeared in Pennsylvania. The San Mateo Times (CA), January 30, 1932, above right, documented the loss a day after the airplane went missing.

The Sedalia Weekly Democrat (MO), February 5, 1932, left, documented the discovery of the aircraft and the people onboard. Foul weather, including a blizzard, hampered the search efforts.

Below, a photograph from the Rhinelander Daily News (WI), February 8, 1932 shows Sandblom and the aftermath of the crash.

Rhinelander Daily News (WI), February 8, 1932 (Source: newspapers.com)

Helen remarried sometime before 1935 to Fred Frieble. The 1940 Census placed them living in Los Angeles with daughter Helen (16).

 

 

 

 

 

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