POINT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA WORLD WAR II MILITARY MANUFACTURING
By Lew McDaniel
Point Pleasant's Military-Industrial Complex 1942 - 1945
Wars played significant roles in Point Pleasant's history. On October 10, 1774, gunshots rang out and arrows flew as 800 colonists and 1200 Shawnee collided. It was the last battle of Lord Dunmore's war or the first battle of the American Revolution, depending on your perspective. Less than a century later, Union and Confederate forces roamed the area during the Civil War. Slaves passed through seeking their freedom and safety northwards. The area relied on farming, river related business, and stores and the like. According to the US census, 352 people in the entire county in 1900 were involved in manufacturing. By 1940, there were 407. Just before WWII began, 3,438 people lived in Point Pleasant in 1940. World War II military
production demand for workers at area plants caused the town to swell to over 6,000 by the end of the war in 1945. One day, area workers had a job at Marietta Manufacturing, West Virginia Ordnance Works, Sylvania, Quality Manufacturing, or the Navy Yard. Virtually the day after the war ended on August 15, 1945, those jobs were gone. Loss of the substantial payroll rippled through the community and the surrounding counties. This incredible rapid growth, as at many places affected by the war, was never repeated. Today, few traces remain of the plants and factories. 4,350 people live there.
These were Point Pleasant's war facilities: - The West Virginia Ordnance Works where TNT was made - The Marietta Manufacturing Company where ships were built - The "Navy Yard" where strategic materials were stored - Malleable Manufacturing, made metal castings - The Sylvania Company where electronic components were made (no image) - Quality Manufacturing which made mattress slip covers for the Navy (no image)
West Virginia Ordnance Works WWII military doctrine called for massive artillery bombardments and bombing before sending ground soldiers against the enemy. Between the start and end of the war, artillery ammunition costing $7 billion, 100 million grenades and mines, 33 million bombs and 20 billion rounds of small arms ammunition were produced. These munitions were used by 12,209,238 servicemen. The six manufacturing arsenals at the beginning of the war were not sufficient to meet needs such as these.
West Virginia Ordnance Works was one of 23 new plants that were quickly constructed. Sod for the West Virginia Ordnance Works (called the "TNT area" by local folks) was turned in April, 1942. Nine months later, the first flake of TNT was produced. During that time 67 contractors had created or built: - 15 miles of road, now WV 62 plus an additional 21 miles of access roads. - 7 miles open ditches - 19 miles of railroad facilities - 100 miles of telephone line - 150 miles of power line - A cafeteria feeding 2000 people/day - A 10 bed hospital - Employee living quarters
64000 cubic yards of concrete and 1,045,900 sq ft of blueprint were used in the construction. Originally budgeted at $55,000,000, the final cost was $99,000,000 ($802,568,098 in 2014 dollars) 2,000 of the plant's 8000+ acres were a safety zone around the production area. The facility consisted of 10 TNT manufacturing lines, a North and South acid area, acid loading areas on the Ohio River, a sellite plant, toluene storage, two coal-fired power plants, pumping stations, 100 storage magazines, wastewater holding ponds, an administrative area, and employee housing.
West Virginia Ordnance Works (WVOW) occupied In 1947, Camp Conley, a WV National Guard 8,323 acres. The images show individual land facility, was returned to the state. 97 acres were plats purchased. 150 families were displaced obtained by West Virginia University. Shops and and would have first chance to buy their land offices became WV National Guard facilities back after the war ended.
Housing was scarce due to the influx of workers. Only 3% of dwellings in the area were vacant. Some rents increased 200% and food costs soared. To cope, the Federal government erected temporary dwellings near the ordnance works (350 units) and Marietta Manufacturing (350 units). These structures were in addition to the immediate establishment of trailer camps and Burdette Addition and Country Club addition funded by the FHA.
Men and womens barracks on left with permanent housing (Staff House Row) at right
This effort was estimated to support half the estimated 3,800 workers to be employed at the TNT plant and 8,000 employees at the boat manufacturing facility (Marietta Manufacturing Company) that was being expanded.
The parking lot at shift change
Due to the inlfux of worker families, a new school was needed. Walden Roush's many trips to Washington DC in pursuit of that goal resulted in construction of Ordnance Elementary School. New water and sewer lines were built, some of which are still in use today. Ordnance Elementary School at the north edge of town
Houses being moved by barge
Some houses near Lincoln Avenue and the Marietta shipyard did not find favor with workers. These were removed and taken by barge to an ordnance facility in Kemtucky.
Sufficient skilled workers were unvailable in the area. Training for inspectors was established in Huntington, WV. General contractor E. B. Badger opened an office in Huntington to employ 50 draftsmen and engineers.
To attract workers from outside the immediate Point Pleasant area, bridge tolls were lowered 50 percent for those who showed ordnance works passes.
Raw materials to make TNT (trinitrotoluene) came to WVOW by train or by boat. For safety purposes, physically separated productions lines processed the materials into flake TNT similar to that shown at right. Tolulene, nitric acid, sulphuric acid and sellite were the main materials used in the process. $100,00 worth of platinum was used for screens. The flake was shipped to other ordnance plants for additional processing for various munitions. Some of these plants were in operation until 1977; others closed immediately after WWII. The TNT was stored in boxes made at a box factory at the plant. Each box held 59 pounds of TNT. (Charleston Daily Mail, March 5, 1943). The facility design capacity was 720,000 pounds of TNT per 24 hour period, and operated 7 days a week, 3 shifts per day. Ten TNT lines actually produced a reported average of 250,000 tons per day.
100 bunkers (called "igloos") were used to store munitions. One foot of concrete was covered with steel with a foot of dirt overtop all. The doorway was sized to admit a military 2-1/2 ton truck. The black flat object on top is an air vent. The square object on the left door is a blast door. Jointly these provide exits for explosive gases if the contents of the igloo explode in addition to helping maintain a consistent termperature and humidity within the structure. In the summer of 2010 one igloo containing about 20,000 lbs of unstable materials exploded. The igloo was destroyed. After WWII some igloos were leased for storage to various companies.
The plant was designed to be self contained. Electricity was generated by two power houses. Switching stations were built in several locations. Two large reservoirs stored the massive quantity of water needed. Each of these facilities could back up the other should the need arise. The power plants and reservoirs served the dormitories and other housing on site, office buildings, and laboratories, as well as the production line itself. Sanitary sewage facilities were constructed to meet housing and office needs. Roads to the plant south from Mason City and north from Point Pleasant (now WV route 62) were rebuilt to handle increased loads and traffic volume. Altogether the War Department allocated $880,000 ($12,841,089 in 2014 dollars) $260,000 ($3,793,958 - 2014) additional was needed due to right of way costs. 15.2 miles of secondary roads had to be reconditioned at a cost of $608,870 ($8,884,720 - 2014) to provide outlets for those cut off by
plant road use. (Charleston Gazette, March 28, 1943). State health commissioner C. F. McClintic announced contract preparation for a 60 bed hospital near the ordnance works. The Federal Works Agency allocated $250,000 to the project. (Charleston Gazette, August 2, 1942). However, it was never built. On October 12, 1942 when production began at the plant, the flag flown at the opening ceremony was from the coffin of Point Pleasant soldier Pvt. Clifford M. Quessenberry, donated by his mother, Mrs. V. E. Quessenberry who worked at the plant. Quessenberry was killed in action that summer and buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Signs such as those above were displayed in the West Virginia Ordnance Works cafeteria. On May 16, 1944, General Defense Corporation, operators of the facility, and West Virginia Ordnance Works received the Army-Navy "E" Pennant for great accomplishment in the production of war material. Built in record time, the plant was recognized for the quality of its yield and developments in outstanding production methods.
Concrete work for one of the two power houses. Construction of the power plant boilers Both were located west of the offices, each about 300 yards on either side of the main road into the plant
Power switch facility containing transformers to handle electricity from the power houses.
Acid area construction for one of the production lines.
Acid Area B storage tank
Tolulene storage tank. Tolulene was later found contaminating large areas.
Two large water reservoirs were located on a hill on the south side of the main plant entrance road above the power house. They provided water for plant processes the living quarters. Reports at the end of the war indicated the water facilities could support "a city of 400,000 to 500,000". Athens Messenger, October 23, 1945
Ponds were dug in various locations to contain waste water. Sewage from the offices, labs, and residences was handled via treatment plants
Sinking the casing for water well Building the foot of well Number 1 Number 1
Well Number 1 "shoe" the casing would sit atop.
Docks and holding reservoirs were built on the Ohio River to receive raw materials for the plant. Civilian river traffic in this area was subject to stops and inspections by the Coast Guard.
GE 45 ton switch engine used to move material around the plant railroad. The "switcher" could pull up to 20 loaded railroad cars on level grades.
A portion of the main line classification yard where materials brought by the switcher were sorted for distribution to locations in the plant where they would be used.
WVOW operations were halted August 15, 1945 after the war ended. On November 29, 1945 is was declared surplus. In May, the plant had set a single day production record and won its second Army-Navy E Star. The plant did not reach full production until late 1944. Earlier three to four of the twelve production lines were operating. The $450,000,000 ($5,946,300,000 in 2014 dollars) plant was turned over to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for disposal. Charleston Gazette November 29, 1945
Charleston and Huntington businessmen were interested in buying the 300 dwellings (one and two story) erected at costs ranging $3800$6000. They would move them by barge. The buildings were to be sold in groups and fewer than half were allowed to be sold to a single purchaser. Charleston Daily Mail, December 9, 1945 1100 men were assigned to complete decontamination of plant equipment that was to be sold and of lumber that might contain explosive residue.
Another 35 were to clear TNT from the igloos for shipment to other locations. Charleston Daily Mail, February 1, 1946 Approxiately 60 igloos contained a total of 4000 cases of TNT. 3 railroad cars per day were shipped out during the cleanup. Officials of nearby Middleport Ohio estimated 30 percent of the town population worked at the plant. Chief of Naval ordnance bureau George Hussey, speaking in Huntington, WV about Sylvania operations there said "The needs of the community where the plant is located must necessarily assume a second place". So it was with the WVOW. Former land owners were given the opportunity to buy about 2,200 acres, outside the main plant area. Hopes were that a manufacturing concern would acquire the plant structures That did not occur. By October 28, 1946, the West Virginia National Guard was working with the War Assets Administration to obtain the storage, shop, and housing facilities for what would be headquarters of the 3664th Ordnance company of the West Virginia National Guard. The unit maintained
vehicles, armament, and radios for all other WV National Guard units. The WVOW box manufacturing facility eventually became a furniture factory. When the National Guard moved to newer facilities, the shops and office buildings became the Mason County fairgrounds. Some vacant fields became game and camping land administered by what was then the WV State Conservation Commission.
pumping house. As a young boy who roamed over the area in the 1950s, the author often found the occasional lump of TNT. Looking like greasy clay, small pieces exploded nicely when smacked between rocks.
Certain ponds, several long prized by local fishermen for their bass, bluegill, and catfish, were capped and soil removed in several locations.
The two steam powerhouses were removed in 1994 due to asbestos contamination. In 1983, the former ordnance Asbestos was used extensively works was placed on the National Priority List for cleanup throughout the plant to insulate steam lines. Approximately two of hazardous materials used in inches of the carcinogen was on TNT manufacturing. the powerhouse floors. Contaminants included nitroaromatic residues including $71.4 million in cleanup TNT, DNT (dinitrotoluene), funding was appropriated at the In 1947, the Army certified the spent acids, metals, and other ground occupied by WVOW waste products associated with time, although estimated total was not contaminated. Later the TNT manufacturing process. completion is in 2020 at a cost of an additional $27.9 million. science showed that was not the case. In 1954, Noted as West Virginia's "top contamination was noticed but priority" cleanup site, it was among the nation's top ten not acted on until 1981 when most polluted sites. Portions of reddish water was found leading into a pond next to the the site have been cleaned up or determined uncontaminated TNT wastewater station and and removed from the list.
One of the 47 Army tugs built by the Marietta Manufacturing Company during WWII Marietta Manufacturing Company Founded by W. F. Robinson Company in Marietta OH in 1852 and moved to Point Pleasant in 1915. M.M.C., the initials for the Marietta Manufacturing Company, also stood for its slogan, "Made Mechanically Correct".
During WWII, employment reached 3,000. The yard produced 53 large tugs and 16 mine planters for the Army and 4 net tenders for the Navy at its 42 acre shipyard. Some of these ships were still operational in the early 2000s.
Owned by the Windsor family with Charles O. Weissenburger president during the war years, in 1944 the company was awarded the Army-Navy "E" award for exceptional service in war-time production. Marietta formally ceased operation in February 1970.
Workers during Marietta Manufacturing Company construction
Main office building
Keel up construction at the boat yard. Image from Charleston Gazette, February 6, 2006 . At peak production during the war, roughly one tug was built per month.
Launching BG Royal T. Frank mine planter 1943 Joyner Library, East Carolina University
Army tugs under construction, February 10, 1945 Joyner Library, East Carolina University
The Navy Yard Established by the Navy in the early 1940s, the Navy Yard was one of 15 locations used to store material deemed critical for the war effort. Tin, mined only in one Alaska location, was stored because it was a key solder component for electrical connections and armament production. Over the years other materials, such as ferrochrome (75,000 tons), tannin, cobalt, graphite, and cadmium were stored there until the facility was closed in 2011. The size of the staff is not available. However, the facility was guarded around the clock all year and material handlers were needed to move stored tonnage.
2011 overhead Navy Yard view.
Map showing where materials were stored at the Navy Yard
Malleable Iron Works Located along the Ohio immediately south of the Heights section of Point Pleasant, Mallieable Iron Works was founded in 1902. The firm made various iron castings for the war effort.
Sylvania The Sylvania Elecetric Company employed approximately 300 women in the Point Pleasant branch of a larger facility in Huntington, WV. The plant, at the corner of 7th and Main Streets made radio proximity fuses for the Navy. The building, built in the 1920s, was originally the Point Pleasant Wholesale Candy Company. Operations were set up in January, 1945. According to one employee, all equipment was made to be operated by right-handed people only. Very few males worked at the facility. Within an hour and a half after news of Japan's surrender on August 14, 1945 , the Point Pleasant plant was closed. Point Pleasant Daily Register Augus 15, 1945
Quality Manufacturing Quality Manufacturing, originally chartered in 1935 and located on Viand Street, made mattress covers for the Navy during the war. The company returned to production of its usual items when the war ended. Image is from the Royal Alberta Museum - no pictures of Quality Manufacturing in operation are known.
Today The only remants of the former WVOW are concrete structures that once held chemical tanks and the igloos remain. Many roads within the plant area are overgrown. The docks and ways of the Marietta Manufacturing Company are gone. All materials stored at the Navy Yard were sold and the property sold at auction in 2013. It is now owned by a railcar refurbishing company. The Sylvania facility was closed when the war ended but later reopened in another Point Pleasant location. Quality Manufacturing continued operation in other Point Pleasant locations. Malleable Iron Works is gone, as is the furniture factory that once operated in the former WVOW box factory.
Country Club Addition, Burdette Addition, Staff House Row, and other houses built for war wokers remain. The original Ordnance School structure has been replaced by a modern building.
West Virginia Ordnance Works looking eastward from west side of State Route 62. Date unknown, but likely after completion of the plant.