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Installations

There are many military installations such as forts, bases, missile parks, shipbuilders and dockyards throughout the great lakes.  Here is what we are writing about lately.

  • Fort Mackinac from 1815 to the Civil WarMartin Donajkowski
    After the War of 1812, the military significance of Fort Mackinac slowly declined. As it was no longer needed to defend against British forces in Canada, it was used as ...
  • 665th Aircraft Control and WarningMatt Garn
    The 665th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron was active for nearly four decades. From the moment of its activation in 1951 the 665th AWCS played a significant role in the ...
  • Training at Camp Grayling Before and During WWIIGabe SimmeringTraining at Camp Grayling Before and During WWII
    Camp Grayling is the largest National Guard Training Center in the United States spanning 147,000 acres.  Today it is an installation used almost exclusively for training.  It has training facilities ...
  • Willow Run After WWIIRobert Billings
    Willow Run was an iconic WWII aircraft Production factory, following the end of the war it began a difficult road into a new age in american history. The plant was passed ...
  • Point Douglas Superior Military RoadVince Virga
    On July 18, 1850 Congress approved funding, through the Minnesota Road Act, to build a road from Point Douglas, MN to Superior, WI.  This road along with four other roads ...
  • Fort NiagaraTJ Buckley
    Painting of Fort Niagara (from Rice University, Google Images) Old Fort Niagara, considered gateway to the upper great lakes, has a rich history befitting a fortification that has stood since the early 1700’s. ...
  • Saginaw Gun Plant M1 Carbine ProductionEd Glowacki
    In World War Two the United States Military saw the benefit for a carbine in its ranks to better suit the needs of troops. This led to the adoption of the ...
  • Johnson’s Island POW CampOwen Buckley
    Named for the man who previously owned the island, the Johnson’s Island Prison was constructed to hold Confederate officers captured during the Civil War. Overall, the Johnson’s Island Prison facility ...
  • Fort Custer during World War IIColin Brevitz
    On August 17, 1940, Camp Custer in Augusta, Michigan was designated Fort Custer and became a permanent military training base by an Act of Congress. At this time, bids were opened for the re-building ...
  • General Motors Saginaw Gun PlantJoshua Mapes
    General Motors Saginaw Steering Gear Plant 2, nicknamed the Gun Plant, was a major manufacturer for the United States war machine during WWII. M1919A4 machine guns and M1 Carbines were ...
  • Calumet Air Force Base 1960-70Thomas Tetzloff
    The Air Force Station located in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, called Calumet Air Force Station (or CAFS for short) had an important mission; watch the northern skies for enemy attacks. Between ...
  • Fort Howard, WIMichael Hoffman
    Originally the location of a French encampment, Fort Howard was the first fortification in the region that would become the state of Wisconsin. Founded in 1816, near the mouth of ...
  • Cone Drive Military Gear SetsJosh Dillon
    Cone Drive is a manufacturing facility located in Traverse City, MI specializing in worm gear and precision drive technologies. This facility has produced worm gear sets for all branches of ...
  • Fort Custer’s Modern RoleKyle Janowicz
    Fort Custer is an Army training facility and National Guard base. In present times, the base is used to train ROTC students from all over the Midwest, as well as ...
  • Joliet ArsenalDaniel Pugsley
    10 miles South of Joliet, Illinois stand the remains of the Joliet Arsenal. Considered one of the largest and most advanced facilities of its time, this plant fueled the United ...