Military
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Fort Casey Fort Casey, located on Whidbey Island, Washington, was established in 1890 as a U.S. Army coastal defense fortification to protect Puget Sound from naval invasion. Named after Brigadier General Thomas Lincoln Casey, U.S. Army Chief of Engineers, it was part of the "Triangle of Fire" alongside Forts Worden and Flagler, designed to create a crossfire defense at Admiralty Inlet. Construction began in 1897, and by 1901, the fort was equipped with 34 artillery pieces, including 10-inch "disappearing" guns, which could retract for protection. Fort Casey was the fourth largest military installation in Washington State, with 428 soldiers. Despite its strategic importance, Fort Casey never saw combat. The guns became obsolete by the 1920s due to advancements in aircraft and naval technology. During World War I, many guns were removed for use in Europe, and the fort served as a training facility during both world wars. All present-day photographs are by the author. |
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Public domain photo
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Public domain photo
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Public domain photo
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Test firings of the 10" gun The black and white series of photographs shown here are screen shots from a 1930s era US Military film that recorded test shots from a 10" disappearing gun. The soldiers first loaded one of the 300 lb. shells followed by two bags of gunpowder. The gun was then moved to the raised position and fired. |
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The recoil pushed the gun back down to the lower position where it could be loaded again. It took 26 men to load and fire these guns. The barrel alone weighed 33 tons. Fort Casey had six of these enormous guns, which could hit a ship 8 miles away. The reverberations from the guns during test firings were so powerful that residents in Coupeville were warned to open their windows to prevent the glass from being shattered. Coupeville is four miles away. |
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Hanford B Nuclear Reactor The Hanford B Reactor, located in the desert in eastern Washington, was the world’s first plutonium production nuclear reactor. Its sole purpose was to convert uranium-238 into weapons-grade plutonium-239. It was a critical part of the top-secret Manhattan Project in 1943. A total of nine nuclear reactors and 900 support buildings covering 640 square miles were eventually constructed at the Hanford site. There were over 45,000 workers employed during peak construction in 1944, many of whom had to live in barracks, huts, or trailers in the dry and inhospitable desert. The construction camp and surrounding area was essentially its own city, which became the fourth largest city in Washington State until it was demolished after construction was completed. Fewer than one percent of the workers there knew they were working on a nuclear weapons project. All historical black & white photos of Hanford are in the public domain provided by the US Dept. of Defense. |
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Titan I Nuclear Missiles Titan I nuclear missiles were the first ICBMs in the United States to be housed in underground silos. A total of fifty-four were deployed in the western states, which included nine in Washington State. There were three missile complexes in Washington State, with each site housing three Titan I missiles. Each carried a 3.75 megaton nuclear warhead with a range of 6,000 miles. They were active only from 1959 to 1962, when they were replaced by more advanced ICBM’s. The three Titan I missile complexes in Washington were sold off by the US Government and are now all privately owned. The missile complex featured here was part of the 568th Strategic Missile Squadron located at Larson Air Force Base in Moses Lake. They were active only from 1959 to 1962, when they were replaced by more advanced ICBM’s. Access is strictly forbidden, unless of course, you are the daughter of one of the property owners. We are most grateful to Ehren Hotchkiss for her permission to include her photographs. All historical black & white photographs are in the public domain provided by the US Dept of Defense. |
Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Eddie Codel
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Photo credit: Peter Zbedski
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Photo credit: Peter Zbedski
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Photo credit: Eddie Codel
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Photo credit: Peter Zbedski
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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Photo credit: US Navy, public domain
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USS Plainview Hydrofoil The USS Plainview (AGEH-1) was the world’s largest hydrofoil at the time of its launch and the U.S. Navy’s first hydrofoil research ship. Named for Plainview, New York, and Plainview, Texas, it was designed to explore hydrofoil technology for naval applications, particularly anti-submarine warfare. Built by Lockheed Shipbuilding in Seattle, Washington, the vessel was laid down on May 8, 1964, launched on June 28, 1965, and commissioned on March 3, 1969, at a cost of $21 million. It was powered by two gas turbine marine engines. Propellers attached to the hydrofoil fins would raise the 320-ton ship ten feet out of the water, which allowed it to ride over rough waves at speeds up to 50 knots. The USS Plainview was the world’s fastest and largest hydrofoil when it was built. Due to budget cuts, it was decommissioned in 1978 and sold to a private party who then resold it to an individual who sold off pieces for scrap. This first photograph shows the fins in the raised position. The second photograph shows the fins in the water with the ship lifted up ten feet out of the water. All historical black & white photographs are in the public domain provided by the US Navy. |
Photo credit: US Navy, public domain
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Photo credit: US Navy, public domain
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Photo credit: Kenji Shiroma
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Photo credit: Marc Charbonneau, www.unfamiliar.land
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Photo credit: Marc Charbonneau, www.unfamiliar.land
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Photo credit: Marc Charbonneau, www.unfamiliar.land
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