Capt. William Robert "Bob" Hausler has been selected for his role in the development of airmail service and expanding general aviation throughout the southwest. In the 1800s, the transcontinental railroad "opened" the West. This one event allowed transport of people, goods and mail to San Francisco, the West coast hub of banking and shipping. By the early 1900s, the federal government wanted to improve the transportation of mail and in 1916, the Post Office Department obtained funds to establish a few airmail routes. No one bid on these first routes.

As a result of WW I, aviation was shown to be relatively safe and reliable. Congress appropriated $100,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918 to establish an experimental airmail route. The first operational route was from New York City to Washington, D.C. with a stop in Philadelphia. The War Department provided planes and pilots and conducted all flying and maintenance operations. This route proved so successful that the Post Office began planning for a transcontinental route from New York to San Francisco, the endpoint of the transcontinental railroad.

In October, 1918, the U.S. Army Air Service sent five aircraft from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City and then to San Francisco, to map out possible airmail routes. William Robert "Bob" Hausler was one of the pilots involved in this effort. Hausler was born on February 19, 1881, in San Antonio, which became the home of the U.S. Signal Corp's Aviation Division in 1909. When Hausler left the Army Air Service, he went to work as a boilermaker with the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad in Los Angeles, and then transferred to Las Vegas, NV, where he worked for the railroad as a mechanic.

Hausler believed the Salt Lake City to Los Angeles airmail route was superior to the Salt Lake City to San Francisco route because of the lower altitude and better weather conditions. He realized that he could benefit financially from a Post Office decision to fly the west coast mail through Las Vegas, so in 1919 he leased a piece of property one mile south of town from Mr. Harry Anderson. He laid out a field to Army Service, Aero Club of Southern California, and Aero Club of America standards in hopes that the route would pass through Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the Post Office went forward with San Francisco as the terminal point and, on September 8, 1920, initiated its transcontinental service.

Hausler continued his work on the Las Vegas airfield through November of 1920, at which point he was ready to put the city on the airplane route map. The Nov. 11, 1920 Las Vegas Age newspaper announced that "appropriate dedicatory exercises for the new field will be held Thanksgiving Day, when it is proposed to bring several planes here and give exhibitions in stunt flying as well as carrying passengers." The November 25 air show was a success in spite of the fact that one biplane crashed immediately after takeoff. That evening a celebration dinner was held at the Railway Eating House. In attendance with Hausler were the aviators and others who had made the airfield a reality.

Hausler continued to press for the Las Vegas route while attempting to develop a flight school and service station for aircraft at the new field. At the same time, he served as an agent of the Walter T. Varney Airplane Company. He routinely met with the business community in Southern California to encourage their support in increasing the demand for direct air service from Salt Lake City. In addition, Hausler worked with communities on the Los Angeles to Salt Lake City route-including Victorville, CA and Caliente, NV-in planning airfields for their areas. Private and military aircraft routinely used the field but the flight school and service station both failed. As late as October 18, 1924, the Las Vegas Age reported on Hausler meeting with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce to gain their support for the Los Angeles to Salt Lake City airmail route.>

Hausler's lease for what became known as Anderson Field expired at the end of 1924. He left Las Vegas to supervise the construction of the Winslow, AZ municipal airport. He then became a Field Secretary for the Western Aero League, dedicated to fostering aviation throughout the Western United States. Anderson Field was sold in 1925 and later that year the new owners signed a contract with Western Air Express for their use of the airfield in support of their new airmail contract for service from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Western Air Express initiated airmail service through Las Vegas on April 17, 1926.

As Aero League Field Secretary, Hausler supported a route from Los Angeles through Albuquerque and points east, completing an aerial survey of the proposed route in early 1925. He was also involved in a series of PR events including a free airplane trip for a young lady from Kingman, AZ, an in-flight wedding over Albuquerque, and attending the movie "Air Hawk" in Albuquerque with other pilots. During this period, Hausler established Tri-State Airways to promote regular tourism service from the Santa Fe Railroad stations in Winslow and Kingman to fly over the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. He was unable to obtain sufficient financing to make this dream a reality and the effort failed in 1926. In 1925, Arizona newspapers also mention the Tri-State Airway Circus air shows in Winslow and Kingman. Hausler went on to plan airfields in Mexico and also worked on developing aviation in Central America.

By 1929, Hausler worked as an airport officer for the Washington Airport in Arlington, VA. In 1942, at age 61, Hausler completed his draft registration card, ready to serve his country again as he had during WW I. By 1950, he had retired to Poland, AZ. William Robert Hausler died on March 25, 1961 in Prescott, AZ, where he is buried.