it called for withdrawal of the squadron from Rota by July 1979. In January 1976, negotiators initialed a draft treaty between Spain and the U.S. Anticipating this would take place, the Chief of Naval Operations ordered studies to select a new refit site on the East Coast. A proposed change to our base agreement with Spain was the withdrawal of the fleet ballistic-missile submarine squadron, Submarine Squadron 16, from its operational base at Rota, Spain. At the time, treaty negotiations between Spain and the United States were in progress. The chain of events that led to today’s combination of high-tempo submarine operations at Kings Bay and the complex construction project that reshaped the face of thousands of acres of land began in 1975. Also, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, an Army Transportation Battalion of 1,100 personnel and 70 small boats took up position at Kings Bay. In 1964, as Hurricane Dora hammered the area, nearly 100 area residents were sheltered aboard at the base. Never activated to serve its primary purpose, the Army base was used for other missions. These mounds of dirt, still prominent features in many areas of the base, were designed to localize damage in case of explosive accidents. Spurs off the main line ran into temporary storage areas that were protected by earthen barricades. In addition, three parallel railroad tracks would have enabled the simultaneous loading of several ammunition ships from rail cars and trucks.Įlsewhere aboard the base, the Army built 47 miles of railroad tracks. The most prominent feature of the terminal was the 2,000-foot-long, 87-foot-wide concrete and steel wharf. Since there was no immediate operational need for the installation, it was placed in an inactive ready status. Construction actively began in 1956 and was completed in 1958. The Army began to acquire land at Kings Bay in 1954 to build a military ocean terminal to ship ammunition in case of a national emergency. 1982-present: Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.1978-1982: Naval Submarine Support Base Kings Bay.1954-1978: Military Ocean Terminal Kings Bay, U.S.An exhibit about the fort and battle is on display at the Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum in downtown St. Marys, the British left in early March 1815. After occupying and looting Point Peter, Cumberland Island and St. The British then destroyed the fort, barracks, and magazine. A peace treaty ending the War of 1812 was signed in Belgium in December 1814, but the soldiers, far removed from Europe, knew nothing of the treaty. The Americans retreated and made a last stand against the invaders along what is now Kamehameha Avenue on lower base. Point Peter was the site of the last major military engagement of the War of 1812 in January 1815, when the British landed in force on Cumberland Island and staged a two-pronged attack against the fort. Just west of the Stimson Gate, across Georgia Highway Spur 40, rests the two-story tabby ruin of McIntosh’s sugar mill. Investigations by University of Florida archaeologists revealed a broad spectrum of previously unknown information about the lifestyle of the plantation owner of the day.Įlsewhere on what is now base property, John Houston McIntosh built a considerably larger plantation known as New Canaan, where he grew cotton and sugar cane. ![]() Buying the land in the 1790s, King built a small-to-medium sized plantation. Along the bay, Thomas King developed his Kings Bay plantation. Archeological research conducted over the past three decades has revealed a pre-Columbian Indian presence throughout the area.Įarly in the 19th century, much of what is now a bustling modern submarine base was the site of several plantations, including Cherry Point, Harmony Hall, New Canaan, Marianna, and Kings Bay. The Kings Bay region is a pleasant place to live, as shown by the fact people have populated the area for thousands of years. Aerial photograph of the base fitness center and swimming pool circa 1985.
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