FREE: 1944 Letter & Envelope to US Naval Training Station Farrugut Idaho From Okla

The listing, 1944 Letter & Envelope to US Naval Training Station Farrugut Idaho From Okla has ended.

1944 Letter & Envelope Sent to US Naval Training Station Farragut, Idaho From Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Postmarked March 22



Eleanor Roosevelt allegedly noticed Lake Pend Oreille on a flight to Seattle. Knowing that President Roosevelt was seeking a location for a secure inland naval training center, she mentioned it to him and he made a secret tour of the area. Ground was broken in March 1942, and by September the base had a population of 55,000, making it the largest city in Idaho. Liberty trains to Spokane ran three times daily. At the time Farragut was the second-largest training center in the world (behind Naval Station Great Lakes).

Over 293,000 sailors received basic training at Farragut during its 30 months of existence. The last recruit graduated in March 1945 and the facility was decommissioned in June 1946. It was also used as a prisoner of war camp; nearly 900 Germans worked as gardeners and maintenance men.[1]

In 1942, Lt. Commander Henry T. McMaster, supervisor of support services at the station, contracted photographer Ross Hall to produce group and portrait photos of all recruits and companies. Operator of a studio in nearby Sandpoint, Hall employed up to 15 workers in creating a photographic archive of more than 300,000 images.[2]

From 1946-49 it was the site of the Farragut College and Technical Institute, which ceased operations in late 1949 due to financial difficulties.

In 1950 3,854 acres (1,560 ha) was transferred to the state of Idaho and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and became Farragut Wildlife Management Area, but in 1964 2,566 acres (1,038 ha) were transferred back to the federal government. This land was then deeded back to the state of Idaho and the Department of Parks and Recreation, becoming Farragut State Park.[3]