Arbuckle Prisoner of War Camp

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SITE SURVEY SUMMARY SHEETFOR

DERP-FUDS SITE NO. J09CA075200ARBUCKLE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP

SITE NAME: Arbuckle Prisoner of War Camp, California. Also known as ArbuckleCamp, Arbuckle and Emergency Rubber Project Housing Facility, Arbuckle, Colusa County,California.LOCATION: The site is located in the town of Arbuckle, Colusa County, California, 45miles northwest of Sacramento (Figures 1 and 2).SITE HISTORY: Prior to DOD occupation the site was part of the Emergency RubberProject of the Departm ent of Agriculture. The Project attempted unsuccessfully to extractrubber from a shrub named guayule. Th e Project closed 15 Septem ber 1944. Bymemorandum of understanding dated 1 4 March 1945, 8.50 acres of the Project's laborhousing facilities were transferred to the Army. The labor housing was converted to aGerman prisoner of war camp by construction of a prison fence and two guard tow ers. Theprisoners worked in the almond groves of neighboring farms. W hat impro vements the Armymade, other than towers, and fence, is unknown. Th e prisoners were discharged after theend of the war and the site was reported excess on 29 April 1946. Th e site was retransferredto the Departm ent of Agriculture, Emergency Rubber Project on 01 August 1946 . Th e 37-acre rubber project camp, including the 8.50 acre former POW camp, was sold to the highestbidder, M r. Floyd Alex ander, Sr ., in 1948. There were 24 sheetrocked buildings, 90 feet by20 feet, with six rooms each, a 200-foot laundry/restrooms/showers building, anadministration building, and a mess hall.


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According to Mr. Robert Alexander, historian, numerous DOD-installed underground fuel oilstorage tanks (USTs) were removed from the site property 25 to 30 y m s ago by theAlexander family. Th e number of USTs removed by the Alexander family is unknown. A1,000-gallon UST (diesel heating oil) was removed by Mr. Alexand er in January 199 1. Thesite investigation team found one UST adjacent to CJ Loun ge (southeast corner). Th e WSTwas DOD-installed and has not been used since DOD occupancy of the site. The UST has a1,000-gallon capacity and was used by the DOD to store diesel oil for heating purposes.Crossland Partners, a residential development company, is currently planning to subdivideand develop the site.

SITE VISIT: A site visit w as conducted on 25 March 1991. Those present were:Gary Cox, Chief, Arbuckle Fir e DepartmentRobert Alexander, Property Owner, Alexander Road at Market RoadFrances M artin, Property Owner, C Js Lounge, Market RoadRoger Norris, The Earth Technology CorporationJenn-Yih Peng, The Earth Technology Corporation

CATEGORY O F HAZARD: CONIHTW.PROJECT DESCRIPTION: CONIHTW. The proposed project consists of the removal ofone, 1,000-gallon underground heating-oil storage tank, associated piping, soil testing, andbackfilling.AVAILABLE STUDIES AND REPORTS: Young, Helen D., 1978, Arbuck le and Collegea,ioneer Publishing Co., Fresno, CA (Division of Book Publishers, Inc.).


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DEFEN SE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROGRAMFORMERLY U SED DEFENSE SITESFINDINGS AND DETERMINATION O F ELIGIBILITY

ARBUCKLE PRISONER OF WAR CAMPCOLUSA COUNTY, CALIFORNIASITE NO. J09CA075200FINDINGS OF FACT

1. By Memorandum of Understanding on 14 March 1945, 8.50 acres were transferredfrom the United States Department of Agriculture, Emergency Rubber Project (ERP) to theArmy.2 . This site was known as Arbuckle Camp, Arbuckle and Emergency Rubber ProjectHousing Facility, Arbuckle, Colusa County, California. The Army used the site as aPrisoner of War camp to house prisoners of war engaged in agricultural work. (Prior toacquisition, the camp had been used to house laborers for agricultural requirements). Theimprovements known to have been made to the ERP labor camp were the addition of aprison fence and two guard towers.3 .ERPcash

The site was reported excess on 29 April 1946. The 8.50 acres were reassumed byon 1 August 1946. By Supplemental Agreement, ERP was willing to pay the Army asettlement in lieu of restoration providing the Army transferred certain Governmentimprovements on the premises to ERP. The site is currently owned by several privateproperty owners. They are, Mr. Robert Alexander, Mrs. Helen Alexander, Mr. Lee Goldie,Mr. Lester Holt, Mrs. Genevieve Holt, and Ms. Frances Martin.


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USGS 7.5 Minute Quads: Arbuckle, and Wildwood School,CA

Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS)Site No.J09CA0752July 2004

r l ite Area

0 300 900Feet

Aerial photo taken August 1998U S . Army Corps of Engineers

,I&"FFF( Sacramento District


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Public FUDS G Is Property Location Check SheetTo: GERALD VINCENT

J09CA0752ARBUCKLE PRI OF W AR CAMP

* - L atitu de 39 O 1 ' 5 3 " NLongitude 122O 4' 56" W

Location of FU DS property accurateUpdated Property Coordinates have beenentered into FUDSM IS

Arbuckle Prisoner of War Camp

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