The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Friday, May 6, 2016

North Carolina's Fort Macon in World War II

From the Encyclopedia of North Carolina "Fort Macon" by Paul Branch.

In 1923, the Fort Macon, built between 1826 and 1834, was deeded to North Carolina by the federal government and became the second area acquired by the state for public use in what is today the system of state parks.  During the Great Depression, a Civilian Conservation Corps camp at the site restored the fort and constructed recreational facilities.

On 1 May 1936, Fort Macon State Park officially opened as the first developed, functioning park in North Carolina.  The park was an instant hit and grew in popularity.  The Works Progress Administration established a public beach at the site in the early 1940s.

When the United States entered World War II, the old fort went to war once again.  On 21 December 1941, Coast Artillery troops occupied the park for military defense purposes.  By November 1944, when German U-boat activities off the coast of North Carolina subsided, the fort was deactivated.

The Army terminated its lease on 1 October 1946, and the property was once again returned to the state and resumed its former role as a state park.

--GreGen

No comments:

Post a Comment