Military
These are samples of the types of photographs included in the Abandoned Washington State book. Many of these photographs have a fascinating story behind them, which you can read in the book.
Fort Casey
Fort Casey was one of three forts that comprised the "triangle of fire", designed to protect Seattle, Tacoma and the Navy shipyard in Bremerton from invading ships. Contruction started in 1898 and was finished in 1903. Fort Casey was the fourth largest military installation in Washington State, with 428 soldiers. The large gun shown below is a 10-inch disappearing gun. It fired shells that weighed over 300 lbs. with a range of about 8 miles.
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Photo credit: Patricia Frisk
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The Hanford B Nuclear Reactor
Shown below is the building that houses the Hanford B Nuclear Reactor. The photograph on the right is the face of the reactor, which is 46 feet wide and 41 feet tall. Inside is the reactor core, which consists of 72,000 graphite blocks weighing 1,200 tons. Its sole purpose was to convert uranium into plutonium for use in nuclear bombs. This is the only nuclear reactor in the world that can be accessed by the public.
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Titan I nuclear missile complex
Titan I nuclear missiles were the first ICBMs in the United States to be housed in underground silos. 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. Access is strictly forbidden, unless of course, you are the daughter of one of the owners. Photo credit: Ehren Hotchkiss
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USS Plainview hydrofoil
The USS Plainview was hydrofoil 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.
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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