Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields

Needles Station Hospital

(Prisoner of War Camp)

 

 

Army Nurses, Needles Station Hospital, circa December 1944 (California Military Department Historical Collection No. 2022.1.962)
 

US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District History (7 April 1992)

Location: The site is located adjacent to the southwest side of the City of Needles in San Bernardino County, California. It includes all of Section 31 T.9N., R.23E. and all of the area west of Highway 95 (formerly Highway 66) in thr South 1/2 of Section 32 T.9N., R.23E.

Site History: From 1942 to 1943, 875 acres were acquired by War Department for use by the Army as a hospital. Improvements consisted of two 250 bed hospitals constructed on property acquired from the Department of the Interior, and nine latrines and several hundred feet of piping installed on the City of Needles property. In 1944 all 875 acres were relinquished to the owners.

 

The City of Needles paid $200 for the difference between the value of improvements and the cost of restoration. Sixty temporary buildings were transferred to the National Housing Agency in December of 1944 for use as war housing and were subsequently relinquished in September of 1955. All housing project buildings had been removed except for one which was used by the City of Needles Recreation Department. Approximately 47 concrete foundations (100 ft x 20 ft) remained in the area described as N1/2 NE1/4 of Section 31 T.9N., R.23E.

 

It is not clear if the Army constructed the foundations or the National Housing Agency. Available property transfer documents and appraisal reports indicate site improvements consisting of these foundations: streets and curbs; and subsurface water, gas and telephone lines. There was no visible or documented indications of underground tanks installed or used by the Army on the site.

 

This property was subsequently acquired by the City of Needles. Picnic tables and barbecues were installed on some of the concrete slabs.

 

Much of the original 875 acres remains as open space with significant portions in residential, commercial and municipal use.

 

 

US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District History (3 June 1992)

 

on 20 June 1942, 800 acres consisting of Section 31 and SW 1/4 of Section 32 T.9N., R.23E. were transferred from the Department of the Interior to the War Department. Twenty-five acres consisting of SW 1/4 and SE 1/4 of Section 32 T.9N., R.23E. lying west of Highway 95 were acquired by permit from the City of Needles on 20 April 1943. Fifty acres consisting of N 1/2 SE 1/4 of Section 32 lying west of Highway 95 were acquired by lease from Virginia Mary Shaeffer (exact date unknown), bringing the total acreage to 875 acres.

Two 250 bed hospitals were constructed as part of the California-Arizona Maneuver Area for use by the Army. This facility apparently was comprised of temporary buildings of theater of operation type construction. Improvements installed on the property owned by the city of Needles include nine latrines, 300 feet of 6-inch pipe, 500 feet of 4-inch pipe and 2000 feet of 2-inch pipe.

On 1 February 1944, the lease for 50 acres with Virginia Mary Shaeffer was canceled and the permit for 25 acres with the City of Needles was terminated on 14 July 1944. On 16 December 1944, 800 acres were transferred back to the Department of the Interior. Presently much of the 875 acre site remains as open space with significant portions in residential, commercial and municipal use.

 

 

 

Prisoner of War Camp

 

Needles Station Hospital was the location of a Prisoner of War Camp. No other information is available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Updated 26 November 2022