Camp Myles Standish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Myles Standish |
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| Taunton, Massachusetts | |
Troops leaving Camp Myles Standish for the Boston Port of Embarkation
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| Coordinates | 41°56′52.38″N 71°7′56.66″W / 41.9478833°N 71.1324056°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Massachusetts |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| Built by | United States Army |
| In use | 1942–1948 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Taunton, Massachusetts |
| Occupants | U.S. Army |
Camp Myles Standish was a large U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It was very important during World War II. This camp was the main gathering spot for soldiers using the Boston Port of Embarkation.
About a million American and Allied soldiers passed through the camp. They were either going overseas to fight or returning home after the war. Camp Myles Standish also served as a prisoner-of-war camp for captured enemy soldiers. After the war, it was even considered as a possible location for the United Nations Headquarters.
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History of Camp Myles Standish
In June 1942, the U.S. War Department announced plans to use land in Taunton. They needed about 1,500 acres (6.1 square kilometers) for a new military staging area. A staging area is a place where soldiers gather and get ready before moving to another location.
The J.F. Worcester Company designed the camp's layout. The Matthew Cummings Company of Boston built the many buildings needed. Camp Myles Standish officially opened on October 8, 1942. It was named after Myles Standish, who was the first military leader of the Plymouth Colony.
A Busy Hub for Soldiers
Camp Myles Standish became the main staging area for the Boston Port of Embarkation. American soldiers, along with troops from Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, came here. They processed their paperwork and prepared before heading to the European Theater of World War II. Soldiers also returned here after the war for demobilization. Demobilization means sending soldiers home from the army.
The camp covered about 1,485 acres (6 square kilometers). It could hold many people at once. It had space for 1,298 officers and 23,100 enlisted soldiers.
Train Traffic and Prisoners
Because so many soldiers passed through, train traffic was very busy. Trains regularly arrived from Providence, Rhode Island, Springfield, Massachusetts, and Boston. The train yard, run by the New Haven Railroad, had about ten miles of track.
During the war, German soldiers captured in battle were held at this camp. Italian soldiers were also detained here. They were called 'co-belligerents' because Italy had surrendered by the time they arrived.
Camp Closure and Future Plans
Camp Myles Standish closed in January 1946, after World War II ended. For a short time, the site was considered as a possible location for the United Nations.
As of 2009, some of the original buildings from Camp Myles Standish are still standing.
Redevelopment of the Camp Site
After the war, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts took over the site from the federal government. They decided to create a school there. It was called the Myles Standish State School for the Mentally Retarded. The students lived in the former hospital area of the army camp.
In 1951, Governor Paul A. Dever helped build more than two dozen new brick buildings. These were on the southern part of the old army camp site. After Governor Paul A. Dever passed away, the school was renamed in his memory. It became the Paul A. Dever State School.
Myles Standish Industrial Park
In 1973, the City of Taunton bought over 700 acres (2.8 square kilometers) of the former army camp land. Their goal was to build a modern industrial park.
This area is now known as the Myles Standish Industrial Park. It has grown a lot and is one of the most successful industrial parks in Massachusetts. Many businesses and companies are located there today.
