Camp Evans
Camp Evans, in Wall, NJ, has operated under several different banners since its
opening. Begun in 1912 and completed in 1914, Belmar Station was
created by the Marconi Company, as one of their bases in a “wireless
girdle” that spanned around the globe. The Marconi Company, founded
by Guglielmo Marconi, was at the cutting edge of wireless
communications, and was arguably the leader of the field during their
time. The company was responsible for many of the major advancements
in the field, including the first transatlantic wireless
communications, covering a distance of some 2,000 miles.
At the onset of WWI, the Marconi
Company's Belmar Station was seized by the United States military...
for obvious reasons. At the conclusion of the war, the property was
once again returned to the Marconi Company, who shortly thereafter
was purchased by General Electric. General Electric went on to create
RCA, utilizing the assets they gained through the purchase of the
Marconi Company. In 1924 RCA sold off the property after they
consolidated their receiver stations to Riverhead Receiver Station,
in Long Island, NY. From there the property switched hands a couple
times, first to the “Monmouth County Pleasure Seeker's Club”
(which had close ties to the Ku Klux Klan). This lasted until 1936,
when King's College purchased the land and established a school on
the property.
In 1941 the United States Army
purchased the land for use as a top-secret research and development
center. Great advancements in radar technology were made here, and
Camp Evans is often cited as a major factor to the victory of the
United States in WWII. After the war, Camp Evans was kept on as a
military research facility. The base had an active role in Project
Paperclip, wherein German scientists were brought over to the United
States at the close of the war - an effort not only to gain the
knowledge of Germany's leading minds, but to keep said intelligence
from the USSR and the UK. The scientific advancements made here gave
us the ability to transmit through the ionosphere, allowing for
communications between the earth and space. Other notable creations
to come out of the base were LED lights, nigh-vision goggles, and
many advancements in things from nuclear dosimetry to silicon
transistors.
Modern-day Camp Evans once again finds
itself under new ownership. Titled “InfoAge”, this non-profit
organization is currently at work turning the old grounds into a kind
of public museum. A place one can visit, and see first-hand the
history which had unfolded here throughout its century of existence.
Rows of chains hung from the ceilings in several buildings.
We found this guy in an out building. We aren't sure of the story behind it, and it's probably better that way.
