Erie Proving Ground is a decommissioned
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
facility. Originally a camp to train gunners, the facility's foundation was due to the
Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
's lack of skilled
riflemen
A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the r ...
. The facility was located in
Ottawa County, Ohio
Ottawa County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,364. Its county seat is Port Clinton. The county is named either for the Ottawa (Odawa) Indigenous peoples w ...
. The facility was established in 1918 originally as Camp Perry Proving Ground. The facility was at various times named Erie Ordnance Depot and Erie Army Depot. During World War II over 5,000 people ended up being employed there. The employed people were testing various weapon systems, armor, and such during World War II. During peacetime it served as a storage, maintenance, and repair facility. Erie Proving Ground closed in January 1967.
References
External links
Ohio Historical marker
{{coord, 41, 32, 18.5, N, 83, 2, 6, W, region:US-OH_type:landmark, display=title
Former installations of the United States Army