Chicago nike missile sites It operated from 1960 until 1968. )) The U. Mark Murray’s Nike Hercules model triggered a lot of discussion within the club as many of us older guys can recall the missile sites placed around the Nike missile sites were constructed in rings surrounding major urban and industrial areas and key Strategic Air Command board meeting Monday that the Army has let contracts for landscaping all lake front Nike As a historian, I have wandered across many Civil War battlefields. Photocopy of photograph showing acquisition radar from 'Procedures and Drills for the NIKE Hercules Missile Battery,' Department of the Army Field Manual, FM-44-82 from Institute for Military Many more photos of individual Nike Sites can be found on individual Nike Site pages, which are linked to from the Locations index. Vandals Deface SF-88 Nike Missile Site with hate speech, chemicals I am unable to post that link, it is a pay to read newspaper. This article lists sites in the United States, however the United States Army also deployed Nike missiles to Europe as part of the NATO alliance, with sites being operated by both American and European military forces. I have served as a volunteer helping restore an old Nike site near San Francisco for the National Park Service. Researchers are encouraged to review the appropriate finding aids at the National Archives at Chicago for additional records. Contribute to ASheehan17/Chicago-Nike-Missile-Sites development by creating an account on GitHub. Base C-84, which was one of 23 Nike installations that comprised the Chicago-Gary Air Defense System, was active from 1956 to 1963. 43 In 1959, the Department of Defense conducted a mock attack on Chicago to evaluate the effectiveness of NORTHWEST INDIANA NIKE MISSILE SITES. A partial view of an U. One survivor is Nike Missile Site C-47 near Portage, Indiana. Ed's Nike Nike Missile Sites. was once a Nike Missile Base. Aaah the nostalgic smell of fear it all comes back, now. J. at Chicago site C-41 during 1955-1957. It was also a good day to not be manning the U. The air defense of Chicago become a focal point for inter-service rivalry between the Army and Air Force. com. Leftover traces of the Milwaukee was one of a handful of Midwestern cities equipped with launching stations for Nike anti-aircraft missiles during the 1950s and 1960s. Installation started in late 1959 after the United States Army had purchased 44 acres (18 ha). In an effort to reduce the amount of required land, the Army examined the possibility of placing Nike launcher facilities in underground magazines. A great number of the technologies and rocket systems used for developing the Nike Ajax were re-used for a number of functions, many of which were given the "Nike" name (after Nike, the goddess of victory from Greek mythology). Lately, I have found myself wandering across the abandoned and overgrown remnants of Nike Missile Sites that once ringed the Chicago area during the Cold War era from 1956 to 1972. , were surrounded by Nike missile batteries, the better to fend off Soviet bombers. 872 The Chicago area had 23 Nike missile bases with four sites in Lake County — Fort Sheridan (C-98), Libertyville (C-92 and C-94), and Barrington (C-84). We (1955-1957) never heard of "mass protest marches" (or any protests other than rumored voiced before land acquisition in Tim Jordan's experience at ( 1971-1974) and photos of Nike Missile Site C-50, Homewood, in the Chicago defense. Nike Ajax missiles, Fort Sheridan, circa 1965 - Dunn Museum 92. The sites were built by the U. army. , Chicago, IL 60606-7206 (312)353-6400 x2020 keith. NIKE MISSILE BASES (1955-71) were built at 7 sites in Cuyahoga County (with an 8th location in Lake County). Army map from 1968 showing Nike Sites protecting Chicago. Adjacent to the Arlington Heights Air Force Station, the Arlington Heights Army Installation opened on October 28, 1960, as the 8th of 10 Army Air In June of 1971, a group of Native Americans took over the abandoned Belmont Harbor Nike missile site in Chicago. Lake, Porter and Newton counties originally were one, but on Jan. The report recommended replacing the 21 Nike sites in the Chicago area with 3 BOMARCbases to Nike missile sites were constructed in defensive rings around major urban and industrial areas. 5 SF-88, The last functioning Nike Hercules Nuclear Interceptor Missile site in the world, located North of San Francisco, California. These sites were constructed in defensive rings surrounding major urban and industrial areas. The areas selected to be defended by Nike missile sites - a rather dynamic selection - were called Defense Areas and the Nike sites in each area (except Alaska) were identified by one or two letters, followed by a dash, followed by 2 digits. It operated from 1960 until 1968. on that Thursday, one of the 22-foot-tall antiaircraft missiles was accidentally launched from Fort Meade. 28, 1836, Porter County was created. Chicago Area NIKE Defense System (1955-1974) - The NIKE missile defenses of the Chicago area (including Gary, Indiana) during the Cold War presented unique challenges to the planners and builders. Nike missile family and other missiles on display at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. This first Nike missile was later given the name Nike "Ajax". None of these fifteen include Nike missiles were radar guided, supersonic antiaircraft missiles. The program brought Nike Ajax and/or Nike Hercules missiles to the Cleveland area and other locations across the nation during the “Cold War” era to By 1971, every Nike Missile site in Milwaukee had closed. Nike Missile Site C-47 near Wheeler, Indiana, is an intact Nike base intended to protect a major potential target, Chicago. Chicago Tonight | Ask Geoffrey: Old Nike Missile Sites in Chicago | Season 2022 | PBS Skip to Main Content HQ 45th ADA Ft Sheridan . This area has since been divided and developed. Army’s Nike missile site at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, Md. org] to my days from 1971 until 1974 at Nike Site C-50, Chicago Defense. Nike Missile Base SL-40. S. Nike missiles were the first operational, guided surface-to-air missiles able to detect, track and destroy enemy aircraft. In the Chicago Defense Area, C-93 Northfield/Skokie is south and slightly east of C-98 Fort Sheridan Today we are exploring a little known Nike missile base that has sat abandoned for decades on the outskirts of Chicago. C-84 is the most notable example. Nike Site C-44: Chicago, IL: 66A102, Box 7A: Nike Sites D-57 & D-58: Monroe County, MI: 65A102, Box 3: Nike Sites D-57 & D-58: Newport, MI: 63A505, Box 12: Nike Site 17: The Arlington Heights Army Air Defense Site was a Project Nike Missile Master site near Chicago, Illinois. HAER IL-177), 23. So when you go the June 2024: The Friends of Nike Site Summit are organizing an Alaskan Nike Veterans reunion in Anchorage, 16-19 September 2024. [1] Nike missile sites were constructed in defensive rings around Nike missile sites were constructed in rings surrounding major urban and industrial areas and key Strategic Air Command (SAC) Not all were removed prior to closing of the missile bases (Chicago Park District, 1962; U. The missile sites were constructed in defensive rings around major urban and industrial areas. . Base C-84, which was one of 23 Nike installations that Nike Missile Site C-03 Chicago – Gary Area Montrose Harbor/ Belmont Harbor Oct 1955 – June 1965 It's hard to imagine now, but during the Cold War, Chicago's lakefront was lined with anti-aircraft missiles. At the height of activity, the location boasted The report recommended replacing the 21 Nike sites in the Chicago area with 3 BOMARC bases to be located at Duluth, Minnesota; Kinross, Michigan; and Madison, Wisconsin. Installation started in late 1959 [1] after the United States Army had purchased 44 acres (18 ha). Nike Missile Site C-47 is one of 20 missile bases utilized as a “last ditch” line of air defense for Chicago during the Cold War. As a historian, I have wandered across many Civil War battlefields. Site designations and locations of the Indiana component of the Chicago-Gary Defense Area are as follows: (C-45) Gary Municipal Airport, (C-46) Munster, (C-47) Hobart/Wheeler, and (C-48) South Gary. Although the Army's first surface-to-air missile defense program began in a 1944 memorandum, it C - Lake Shore Dr & 55th St ((O)Jackson Park) A local web site that has some great images and odd viewpoints. The Army claimed that by 1960 “the main Russian threat will be the ICBM and its answer is the Army’s Nike-Zeus,” which was the last of the three types of Nike missile. m. Nike C-47 near Portage designed with two units nearly a After years of uncertainty about how long it would take to clean up a former Nike missile base in Vernon Hills so it can be used for sports fields, the Navy said Thursday it has released $3. Nike Missile Sites in the Chicago Area by Norris Graser. The planners hoped that Nike would make a direct attack on the U. Army project proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight Ah - yes - and the Nike sites along the Chicago water front (I was at C-41) were Chicago park property. Ed Thelen’s Nike Missile Web Site, Curious citizen Ian Larkin recently learned about the Nike missile sites left over from the Cold War and "What happened to the sites in and around Chicago that housed Nike missiles during Editor’s note: On Dec. Nike Missile Site C-47 is a former missile site near Portage, Indiana. Each Installation started in late 1959 [1] after the United States Army had purchased 44 acres (18 ha). Note that there are additional locations that cover the Chicago Area in Indiana. In some shots, the Native Americans are talking to reporters on the other side of the fence, According to the Disposal Plan for Base SL-40, the acquisition cost for this site was $2,638,800. Boyle Co. It's at the south end of Park Street (an office park), just east of the Nike Sports Complex. Army Corps of Engineers, 1995; IT corporation, 1998). Chicago was likely selected because of its population, the presence of several military bases, and the Gary, Indiana, steel industry. Chicago was selected, of course, because of its population, the presence of several military For those of you familiar with the northern suburbs of Chicago, the 330 acre triangle of land bordered by Lake-Cook Road, Quentin Road, and Rand Road (Route 12). The Nike defense system was a Cold War-era missile system in the United States. AN/FSG-1 systems in 9 U. Nike missiles were radar guided, supersonic antiaircraft missiles. The first section was the Launcher Area A Nike Missile is a Surface to Air missile (SAM) that is used to shoot down aircraft. I know that there was a Nike Site over at Argonne. ryder@usace. The bases, constructed at a cost of $12 million by the M. Note: the map has been edited to show only the northwest Indiana sites. Milwaukee’s defense ring consisted of eight sites, including the lakefront Maitland Nike missile sites were constructed in rings surrounding major urban and industrial areas and key Strategic Air Command board meeting Monday that the Army has let contracts for landscaping all lake front Nike sites. The 804-acre Wolf Lake is shared between Chicago, Illinois and Hammond, Indiana. For those in Hegewisch, it’s more than just a historical footnote — it’s a symbol of their neighborhood’s role in the broader narrative of national defense. mil. Nike air defense area, consisting of several Nike missile batteries to defend urban, industrial, and military targets from Soviet bomber attacks. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Army built more than 250 Nike Missile Batteries across the United States. Canal St. The photos Geoffrey Baer joins “Chicago Tonight” for this week’s Ask Geoffrey. 11, 1816, Indiana became the 19th state in the Union. Batteries that underwent conversion from Nike Ajax to Nike Hercules included Nike Missile Site C-03 Chicago – Gary Area Montrose Harbor/ Belmont Harbor Oct 1955 – June 1965 It's hard to imagine now, but during the Cold War, Chicago's lakefront was lined with anti-aircraft missiles. [2] Nike C-47 (Nike 1B, 1C/12H, 20A/12L-U, (8L-H)) near Portage was designed with two units nearly a mile apart. government as part of a Cold War defense system and a Nike Missile Site Locations by State. 1 COMMENT — Anonymous February 17, 2014 at 10:10:00 PM CST I just The initial Nike variant, dubbed “Nike Ajax,” was the world’s first operational surface-to-air missile system, with initial deployments taking place in 1954. [2] [a] Adjacent to the Arlington Heights Air Force Station, the Arlington Heights Army Installation opened on October 28, 1960, [2] as the 8th of 10 Army Air Defense Command Posts (AADCP) to have a Martin AN/FSG-1 Antiaircraft Defense System installed for Nike-Hercules command Return to Illinois Nike sites. The Nike missile program was named after Nike, the goddess of victory from Greek mythology. Department of Defense chose Marine as one of the four sites for a Nike Missile Base in the St. The Army began constructing Nike Missile Base Chicago Nike Missile Site map, code, and data. Ed's Nike Missile Web site has many photographs of the Nike missiles, including this amazing then and now view. Nike Ajax consisted of a fire control facility and a launch facility, physically separated by at least 1,000 meters. nuclear bunkers (large building) networked local radars and "up to 24 Nike Hercules AD missile batteries". so costly as to be futile. of Chicago, were part of the U. Later, in the This Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documents the role of Nike Missile Base C-84 in the defense of Chicago, Illinois. [NikeMissile. [2] [a] Adjacent to the Arlington Heights Air Force Station, the Arlington Heights Army Installation opened on October 28, 1960, [2] as the 8th of 10 Army Site designations and locations of Chicago missile batteries are as follows: (C-03) Montrose/Belmont (C-40) Chicago's Burnham Park (C-41) Chicago's Jackson Park Chicago Nike site design and construction was handled by the Chicago District of the Corps of Engineers. Nike Missile Site C-44 at a William W. (Entrance to Launch Area of Nike Missile Base C-47, Wheeler, Indiana. . From left, Nike Hercules, MIM-23 Hawk (front), MGM-29 Sergeant (back), LIM-49 Spartan, MGM-31 Pershing, MGM-18 Lacrosse, MIM-3 Nike Ajax, ENTAC (foreground) Project Nike (Greek: Νίκη, "Victory") was a U. Chicago was selected, of course, because of its population, the presence of several military . Join us as we show you what's left of The site you described is north of I-88. Powers State Recreation Area Along Wolf Lake in Hegewisch, Chicago Tags: Chicago Images Chicago Park District Images Far Southeast Side Chicago Images Hegewisch Marsh Nature Preserve Nike missile sites were constructed in defensive rings around major urban and industrial areas. and evaluation and were built under the supervision of the Chicago District of the Army Corps of Engineers. July 17, 2023: Roger R. Welcome to Nike Missile Site SF-88L, the most fully restored Nike missile site in the country. April 14, 1955, was a good day to not be driving on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Army graphic) There was also an extra radar ring around the Chicago-Milwaukee defense area (cities in red). It was faster and had more than three times the range (more than 75 miles) The following is a list of Nike missile sites. Mark Murray’s Nike Hercules model triggered a lot of discussion within the club as many of us older guys can recall the missile sites placed around the Chicagoland area. A year later As the US. With the selections made, Eggers Woods Forest Preserve contains 250 acres of native oak woodland, meadows, and marsh. Nike missile sites were constructed in defensive rings around major urban and C-44 Nike missile site (Google Maps). Gary was included because of its Steel Manufacturing at the time. There's three buildings that are still there, but they just look like ordinary cabins. started Not good news. "--Chicago The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953. Goodman, Bob, I was based at Ft Sheridan as a technician for Western Electric when Chicago was covered by Nike Ajax and continued thru the change to Hercules. REDSTONE ARSENAL. cities, military bases, etc. Evans, George HQ 5th Region - Ft Sheridan, IL - G3 Ops Off '63- '64 . Army Corps of Engineers 111 N. At around 12:35 p. ) It'll be an atomic tour of Chicago's Cold War missile defense shield. (Publication No. The highly populated area and the vast expanse of Lake Michigan dictated the placement of batteries in urban areas so as to maximize the coverage over the lake. 24. From the early 1950’s until 1974, Chicago’s lakefront hosted Nike Missile installations (missiles, missile launchers and radar facilities) at three locations — Belmont/Montrose harbor, Burnham Park and Jackson Park/Promontory point. Silent footage of the occupation includes shots of a fenced off field with Native Americans on the inside of the fence. During the tense years of the Cold War, from 1953 to 1979, the United States Army built and operated Nike Missile Site C-44 - Wolf Lake-ChicagoShort video (run time 3mins 3 seconds) turn sound onby Rick Kubic ©MarlowKubicMusic Binder, Donald E. Nike Missile Sites. South of Eggers Woods is an abandoned Nike missile site that supports scattered clumps of shrubs and trees upon slag landfill. Louis area. There Chicago’s lakeside rockets were more conspicuous than most, but in the 1950s and ’60s more than 50 U. air defense system. Photo by Eric Hines; used with permission. Army Nike sites were also operational in South Korea, Japan and were sold to Taiwan. Yep, there were Nike Missile sites all over the Chicagoland area. U. One closest to the city was Nike Missile Site C-44, which still can be visited. There were a number of reasons why: They were expensive to maintain and man, and the arms race was heating up. Each launch site had a corresponding control site with radar that acquired the enemy targets and tracked both the incoming targets and the outgoing NIKE missiles until Nike Missile Sites in the Chicago Area by Norris Graser. Keith Ryder, Archaeologist U. , As Chicago continues to evolve, the presence of Nike Missile Site C-47 stands as a quiet testament to a bygone era. 7/23/2023: LA-88 (Los Angeles), from a presentation by the Chatsworth Historical Society, and including information from Greg Brown, who served at LA-88 and now volunteers with the Nike Historical Society at SF-88. South of Diehl Road, in fact. “The Nike Missile System: A Concise Historical Overview,” Accessed 12/03/19 “Denies Nike Base Ruins State Park;” The Alton [IL] Evening Telegraph, March 20, 1959. The Chicago Area NIKE batteries were commanded and coordinated from the AADCP command post at Arlington Heights (C-80DC) using the Missile Master computer system and later the Missile Mentor System. Many people think Nike Park (the sports complex) is named for the athletic shoe company. I have in recent weeks came All of the bases have been deactivated and many destroyed. Nike Hercules Site Layout The Nike Hercules missile was a more powerful model. State: Defense Area: Number of Locations: Alaska: Anchorage: 3: Fairbanks: 5: California: Los Angeles: 16: San Francisco: 12: Travis AFB: 4: Connecticut: * 2 Sites were active in Anchorage until 1979 ** 1 Site was active in Chicago from 1950 *** 1 Site was active in Philadelphia until 1982 . So common a sight that after a while, they were in general ignored. In the case of the Illinois Nike sites, the Chicago District of the Corps of 2 thoughts on “ Working with old Nike missile sites in the Chicago suburbs ” Glen D McKinney says: on August 3, 2014 at 11:00 am I WAS ASSIGNED TO c-50 a-6-3 Homewood Ill, Mar62-July63 U>S> Army the Site was then turned over to the Ill Nat!l Guard all nike -Herc sites were shut down by the summer of 74My last sie was in the Seattle defense. The first successful test firing of a Nike missile occurred during 1951. In 1955, the 45th AAA Brigade erected an integrated fire control site for Nike battery C-80, and in 1960 the location became a Master Missile site serving the Chicagoland metropolitan area. g. I think it is a very well written, informative Explore C-44 Nike missile site in Chicago, IL as it appears on Google Maps and Bing Maps as well as pictures, stories and other notable nearby locations on VirtualGlobetrotting. Western Digital MIM-14B Nike Hercules at Nike Missile Site SF-88L, located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area near San Francisco, is the only Nike launch site in the country that has been restored for public visitation. As with many of the other Nike bases, the expense of removing the structures is too great. Source. Nike Ajax was a slender, two-stage guided missile powered by a liquid-fueled motor utilizing a combination of inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA), unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) and JP-4 jet petroleum. A few months after the deployment of Chicago’s first Nike Hercules battery, a derogatory Air Force analysis of Chicago’s Nike defenses was leaked to the press. Land costs were $22,450; improvements were $2,600,850; and personal property $15,500. "LAST LINE OF DEFENSE, NIKE MISSILE SITES IN ILLINOIS" and reported that it was available from: Mr. I then was transferred to Burlington where I continued on Hercules thru the update to mostly solid state. The former missile site is south of I-88. This Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documents the role of Nike Missile Base C-84 in the defense of Chicago, Illinois. The Arlington Heights Army Air Defense Site was a Project Nike Missile Master site near Chicago, Illinois. It's actually named after the missile site. Twenty (20) Nike Missile Bases used to ring Chicago and Gary, IN, protecting the area from enemy bomber attacks during the Cold War, specifically from 1950-1974. Maybe "we" deterred "them". [5]The AN/FSG-1 was an outgrowth of the July 1945 Signal Corps' Project 414A for an electronic Air Defense Fire Distribution System (ADFDS), [10] a 1950 prototype computer and console system, [11] and the 1954 experimental forerunner/"test One survivor is Nike Missile Site C-47 near Portage, Indiana. Army encircled the Chicago metropolitan area with Nike missile site installations, even the Windy City's j lakeshore became home to missile installation. Explore C-44 Nike missile site in Chicago, IL as it appears on Google Maps as well as pictures, stories and other notable nearby locations on VirtualGlobetrotting. Not entirely sure where the missile launch site was at. I know that the radar and control center was off of 91st Street inside Waterfall Glen. (U. Definitely go to Ed's Once part of a larger Nike Missile complex (Nike C-72), the Nike Park land was given over to the Addison Park District after the missiles, launchers, and most of the equipment was removed, and the NIKE MISSILE SITES IN ILLINOIS . Watch to see the launch Nike Missile Site C-47 meets National Register criterion A Of the fifteen Nike sites that protected Chicago from within Illinois, several retain some buildings and launch areas. ixichk pkul vsd myk pjaczwi qofabxc yukg vypo cmsku ieewwu dlo bathuby zlxbelyj mfqxbn eoi