Camp Murphy Collection
Title
Camp Murphy Collection
Subject
Camp Murphy (Fla.)
Military life
Description
This artificial collection held by the Historical Society of Martin County and includes photographs taken by Robert Maertz, who attended the school at the base, the 1943 yearbook, Camp Murphy newsletters, a color photocopy of Lillian Rudd Davisworth's scrapbook, and ephemera.
Historical note:
"In 1942 the federal government opened Camp Murphy. It was the home of the Southern Signal Corps School during World War II and served as a U.S. Army base for instruction in radar operation in the early course of the war. The post was named in honor of Colonel William Herbert Murphy, a pioneer in the development of radio beams and equipment for military aircraft. Camp Murphy consisted of 11,364 acres and accommodated 854 officers and 5,752 enlisted men. The camp had close to 1,000 buildings that included a bank, movie theater, church, and bowling alley. Camp Murphy was officially decommissioned in 1944 and used for migrant housing during the fall and winter of 1945. Buildings not already dismantled after the camp's deactivation were sold and carted away beginning in 1946. On June 9, 1947, the property was transferred from the U.S. Government to the State of Florida for a State Park. In 1950 Jonathan Dickinson State Park opened to the public." (Historical marker in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, 2015)
"Camp Murphy was home to a secret radar training program established by the 801st Signal Training Regiment of the U.S. Army. The Army Signal Corps had been experimenting with radar since the 1930s at its school in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. With a war underway, however, the need for trained radar technicians was growing rapidly, so the Corps decided to open up a new location someplace with better year-round weather. The Martin County site the Corps selected was perfect for the task at hand. The camp was constructed on a tract of about 8,000 acres located between U.S. Highway 1 and the Florida East Coast Railway near Hobe Sound. The dense forest covering much of the land was ideal for concealing the operation. As new buildings were constructed, the builders painted them a dull green to help them blend in with their surroundings. Roads criss-crossed the property, but in a haphazard pattern rather than in a grid. No trees were cut unless it was absolutely necessary. The idea was to camoflage the installation as well as possible." (Florida Memory)
During its operation, the Camp employed many civilians in various positions. A bus, the "Red Bus Line," operated between Stuart and the Camp. In 1943, the Army built a canteen, the Service Club, in Stuart (later used as Stuart Civic Center) and a USO Center in Hobe Sound. Local families from Hobe Sound reportedly loaned their homes to officers and their families.
Other Camp Murphy material may be located in other collections.
Historical note:
"In 1942 the federal government opened Camp Murphy. It was the home of the Southern Signal Corps School during World War II and served as a U.S. Army base for instruction in radar operation in the early course of the war. The post was named in honor of Colonel William Herbert Murphy, a pioneer in the development of radio beams and equipment for military aircraft. Camp Murphy consisted of 11,364 acres and accommodated 854 officers and 5,752 enlisted men. The camp had close to 1,000 buildings that included a bank, movie theater, church, and bowling alley. Camp Murphy was officially decommissioned in 1944 and used for migrant housing during the fall and winter of 1945. Buildings not already dismantled after the camp's deactivation were sold and carted away beginning in 1946. On June 9, 1947, the property was transferred from the U.S. Government to the State of Florida for a State Park. In 1950 Jonathan Dickinson State Park opened to the public." (Historical marker in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, 2015)
"Camp Murphy was home to a secret radar training program established by the 801st Signal Training Regiment of the U.S. Army. The Army Signal Corps had been experimenting with radar since the 1930s at its school in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. With a war underway, however, the need for trained radar technicians was growing rapidly, so the Corps decided to open up a new location someplace with better year-round weather. The Martin County site the Corps selected was perfect for the task at hand. The camp was constructed on a tract of about 8,000 acres located between U.S. Highway 1 and the Florida East Coast Railway near Hobe Sound. The dense forest covering much of the land was ideal for concealing the operation. As new buildings were constructed, the builders painted them a dull green to help them blend in with their surroundings. Roads criss-crossed the property, but in a haphazard pattern rather than in a grid. No trees were cut unless it was absolutely necessary. The idea was to camoflage the installation as well as possible." (Florida Memory)
During its operation, the Camp employed many civilians in various positions. A bus, the "Red Bus Line," operated between Stuart and the Camp. In 1943, the Army built a canteen, the Service Club, in Stuart (later used as Stuart Civic Center) and a USO Center in Hobe Sound. Local families from Hobe Sound reportedly loaned their homes to officers and their families.
Other Camp Murphy material may be located in other collections.
Source
Scans gift of Historical Society of Martin County.
Date
1943-1944
Contributor
Historical Society of Martin County
Language
English
Coverage
1940s
