Indiana Army Ammunition Plant 1940-2016 timeline, Charlestown, Indiana

Description:	This a timeline of the significant dates in the history of Indiana Army Ammunition Plant in Charlestown, Indiana. It starts in 1940 when the construction of the plant began and goes until 2016 when the land was sold off by the US government. The timeline includes some statistical data as well. The United States federal government began acquiring land in Charlestown, Indiana in 1940 to build a smokeless powder ordnance plant to supply the US military during World War II. Indiana Ordnance Works (IOW) Plant 1 and Hoosier Ordnance Plant (HOP) began production in 1941. In 1944, IOW Plant 2 construction began. On 30 Nov 1945 at the end of WWII, the three plants were combined and renamed Indiana Arsenal. Between 1 Nov 1961 and 1 Aug 1963, the plant was designated Indiana Ordnance Plant. After this time, it became Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP). Production of ordnance continued at the plant until 1992. After that time, the land and facilities were leased to private industry. A large portion of the land became Charlestown State Park. In October 2016, all the land and facilities were officially sold by the government. This item is part of a larger collection of items from INAAP that are kept at Charlestown Library. SNAPSHOT HISTORY OF INAAPSpring 1940: The U.S. government begins buying large tracts of land along Indiana State Road 62 south of Charlestown.July 1940: Washington announces an agreement between the War Department & Dupont Powder Co. to build the largest powder plant in the world near Charlestown.Aug26,1940: Construction begins.Spring 1941: More than 800 buildings are operating, producing propellant charges for artillery shells.May 1, 1941: Employment reaches all-time high of 27,250.August 1943: Production reaches all-time high - 999,840 pounds of powder is produced in one day.November 1944: Construction begins on a rocket-propellant plant. Work is stopped when the war ends.May 1945: A prison camp is built away from the ammunition operations for more than 1,000 German prisoners of war.August 1945: The war ends. 15,328 employees are laid off. Skeleton work force remains.June 1952: Production, which had been growing since the beginning of Korean War in 1950, reaches its height 17,134 employed at the plant.September 1965: Plant producing only 600 mortar-propellant charges a month. That will grow to 8 million propellant charges a month by June 1968 as the Vietnam War rages.1970-1971: More than 15,000 of 19,880 employees are laid off as the Vietnam War winds down.1976: Employment drops to 810.1987: After steady climb, employment peaks at 1,861.January 1990: Defense Department targets 50 military installations for closure. INAAP is on the list.February 1991: USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin fire salvos at Iraqi positions in Kuwait. DOD orders 40,000 propellant bags ft 16 Navy charge.October 9, 1992: Production to cease. Number of workers to reach all time low of 380. Closure to begin.February 1993: ICI Americas signs Facility Use Contract with Army to allow private companies to use existing facilities & equipment.October 1997: Plant declared excess to Army mission.December 1997: Plant has 85 businesses w/ 900 employees on site. This includes privatization of electric, water, sewer & rail.October 1998: Congress passes public land conveyances to Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) & INAAP Reusi Authority. Plant has caretaker staff of 20 employees.October 2000: INAAP Reuse Authority signs Interim Lease for redevelopment.May 2003: INAAP Reuse Authority signs Master Lease.August 2004: IDNR signs Master Lease for development of Charlestown State Park.October 2004: INDR receives Quitclaim Deeds for 2,156 acres.April - May 2005: INAAP Reuse Authority receives Quitclaim Deeds for 2,344 acres.September 2016 U.S. government deeded the last piece of property River Ridge DevelopmentOctober 31, 2016 offical last day of U.S. Army at the plant
Origin:	2016
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15078coll17/id/17995
Collection:	Clark County Collections
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Copyright:	Charlestown-Clark County Public Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes and makes no warranty with regard to their use for other purposes. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or holders of other rights such as publicity and/or privacy rights is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. There may be content that is protected as works for hire copyright held by the party that commissioned the original work and/or under the copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.
Geography:	Charlestown, Clark County, Indiana 38.436824, -85.658816
Subjects:	Indiana Ordnance Works (U.S.) Hoosier Ordnance Plant Indiana Arsenal Indiana Army Ammunition Plant Explosives Industry--Indiana Gunpowder, Smokeless Ordnance manufacture Black powder manufacture Facility One ICI Americas Inc Clark County (Ind.) Charlestown (Ind.) United States. Army Ordnance and Ordnance Stores

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