Abandoned missile silo locations8/30/2023 ![]() I love flashing back on wondering through this historical place, I wish I could view it again now that I know more history on it. Huge ans dangerous, old and filled with many wonders. We walked through a field and climbed into a risky looking entrance. I went with a group of friends who had known of it all their lives. 14:41:48 I visited this site aprox 18 years ago. Please do take some ownership yourself and add some content. The wiki is built by people like you and me. If the wiki wasn't openly editable, there wouldn't be any content at all. *You are a little unclear on the concept. 208.106.53.220Ĭan Just anyone come to this site and edit comments? I guess so Seems like something someone would want to change -76.20.13.13 *Why would someone want to change that? It's a wiki, it's open to everyone, and people are encouraged to contribute. The Chico Titan site did in fact go operational on all three silos for a short period of time. It may seem hard to believe but the remains of the missile were buried on site in the excavation spoils pile in the north west corner of the property. 23:17:40 The missile did in fact burn inside the silo and was completely destroyed, this event occurred during testing by contractors before full transfer to the Air Force.The missile did not have the war head at the time. 23:01:38 two workers where killed during the excavation of the site. Drinking has claimed more souls in Chico than the combined branches of our military. This is the only other fatality at the site that I am aware of. He was unable to tread water while his friends drove back to town looking for rope. student, after falling into a flooded silo, which have smooth cement walls, drown. Luckly, we never had to worry about a launch because the accidents delayed installation of the missiles long enough for the Titan to be deemed obsolete. However, fuel was stored seperately from the silo and only loaded in the event of a launch. The explosion was, as stated, caused by liquid fuel. In later years, many trespassers would make explorations of the abandoned silos, however the site is now privately-owned and fenced off from the general public. 4, 1965, the first Titan at Chico was taken off alert. The Defense Department phased out the Titan missile program in 1964 and on Mathe program was officially ended. After damages were repaired, the Chico complex became operational on March 9, 1963. The silo was later repaired for an amount of at least $1,250,000. On June 6, trouble again struck as a flash fire in another silo killed a worker. However, the potentially catastrophic event was overshadowed in the national news by the launch of Scott Carpenter into space. An oxygen valve had stuck open and a blocked vent caused the gas to build up until a spark ignited it. One month later, on May 24, two explosions destroyed the missile in the No. The sites were made active on April 20, 1962. By the time the whole project was completed, each of the three complexes had received 32,000 cubic yards of concrete, 90 miles of cables, 300 tons of piping, and 1,800 separate supply items. More than 600,000 cubic yards of earth and rock had to be excavated and reused as backfill. All together, the three facilities cost more than $40 million to build.Ĭonstruction on the complexes began on January 22, 1960. The other two were located in the Sutter Buttes and the Placer County town of Lincoln. The squadron consisted of three bases in California. 1Ĩ51st Strategic Missile Squadron The missile site was part of the Beale Air Force Base's 851st Strategic Missile Squadron. These protests were the roots of the Chico Peace Endeavor. After the silos were closed, they began holding their peace vigil at Third and Main. She was soon joined by Florence McLane, and Helen Kinnee. A Chico resident named Wilhelmina Taggart, began to make weekly visits to the site to pray for peace. The silos were built to house Titan I missiles during the early 1960s and were dismantled and abandoned in 1965.ĭuring its operational period, citizens of Chico protested the silos in various forms. The missile silos (its formal designation was Beale 851-C and was also known as Complex 1C) were part of an Air Force installation located north of the Chico Municipal Airport in between Keefer Road and Cohasset Road. See also: History of Chico The missile silos (CASIL, USGS, US Census Bureau) Location
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