PROPERTY CHAIN OF TITLE AND HISTORY32

PROPERTY CHAIN OF TITLE AND HISTORY32

1. Property Chain of Title321

The land acquired in the original purchase had been used for farming, although only on a minor scale due to the sandy, nonproductive nature of the soil. The land included very few farm buildings of any value (SPG 1919). One stone house is still standing at SVDA (USDOI 1984). Two wood‑frame farmhouses were destroyed 10 to 12 years ago (Clarke 1996).

Seventy‑four landowners deeded their land to Mr. Curtis for the initial purchase of land for the proving ground. Historical documents (SPG 1919, SPG 1921b) delineate the landowners and acreage purchased. These documents also indicate that the original purchase was for a total of 13,172 acres, although the list of landowners and acreage sold totals 12,812 acres. The total acreage listed in the deeds from Mr. Curtis to the Government plus the acreage that was deeded from landowners who sold directly to the Government is 13,176 acres.

In 1925, Ben and Lena Jokerst conveyed an additional 0.387 acres to the Government to be used for construction of an observation tower. The title document for this transaction is included in Appendix E.

The Government transferred 141.90 acres in the northwest corner of the installation to the Mississippi Lock and Dam (L&D) No. 12 project during the 1930s (USEO 1934). Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) could not locate the legal documents for this transfer during the Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) records search.

In 1940, the United States submitted a condemnation petition and Declaration of Taking to acquire 91.05 acres of land in 16 parcels located around the installation’s boundaries. This land was located both in Carroll and Jo Daviess Counties. The Judgments on the Declaration of Taking for these parcels are contained in Appendix E.

In 1942, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad granted two easements to the Government. A 1.6‑acre easement was granted for an access road and dike for the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). A 0.08‑acre easement was granted for a 15‑inch intercepting sewer. The easement document is included in Appendix E.

The Government filed a subsequent condemnation petition and Declaration of Taking in 1943 for two parcels of land in Carroll County. This area was to be used for additional personnel housing during World War II activities at the installation. The parcels contained 41.49 acres and were subject to two perpetual easements. Right‑of‑way easements were granted to the Stanger and Lundy families for ingress and egress to their property. The Judgment on the Declaration of Taking for these two parcels is included in Appendix E.

The 41.49 acres acquired in 1943 for personnel housing was conveyed by the Government to the city of Savanna in 1976. The Quitclaim Deed for the property, which is commonly known as Black Hawk Village, is provided in Appendix E.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (now the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) granted an easement to the Government in July 1986 for 0.23 acres. The land involved is located at the intersection of Crim Drive and milepost 153.9 of the railroad. The easement document is presented in Appendix E. SVDA currently comprises 13,062 acres.

2. Property History322

Ordnance storage facilities were expanded between 1918 and 1921 when the name of the installation was changed to Savanna Ordnance Depot (SOD). A shell‑loading facility was constructed in 1931 for loading and renovating 155mm shells and 300‑pound bombs (Hunter/ESE 1989). The available literature presents conflicting information concerning this and other time periods discussed below. When data conflict, information from the 1979 Installation Assessment (USATHAMA 1979) is used in this report because it is considered the most reliable source.

Intensive construction occurred between December 1939 and November 1941, when additional magazines, administrative buildings, and new bomb and shell­‑loading plants were constructed. In 1941, SOD was assigned responsibility for conducting studies and subsequently for developing methods and procedures for loading, bracing, and staying all types of ammunition and explosives for shipment (Hunter/ESE 1989).

From 1947 to 1962, mustard‑filled 75mm, 105mm, and 155mm projectiles were shipped to Savanna for renovation. These operations included removal of the fuse and burster from the chemical projectiles and reuse of the fuses in high‑explosives ammunition. The mustard‑filled projectiles later were shipped to Rocky Mountain Arsenal or destroyed at SVDA. From 1946 through the mid‑1960s, more than 100 mustard‑filled rounds were destroyed by burning at SVDA (USATHAMA 1979, Hunter/ESE 1989).

The U.S. Army Ordnance Ammunition, Surveillance, and Maintenance (OASM) School was activated at the installation in 1950. Additional OASM school facilities were added in 1965 and a special weapons workshop was added in 1970. The OASM School was redesignated as the Army Material Command Ammunition School in 1966 and as the U.S. Army Material Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM) Ammunition Center in 1971 (USATHAMA 1979, SVDA Undated‑b). In 1979, the center was redesignated as USADACS (SVDA Undated‑b).

The installation was designated as a U.S. Army Ordnance Depot in 1959 and received a special weapons mission in January 1961. A special ammunition area for assembly, disassembly, and storage was part of the installation’s operation. In 1962, the installation was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Supply and Maintenance Command and its name was changed to Savanna Army Depot (USATHAMA 1979).

In 1972, ammunition maintenance and supply operations were reduced, and the special weapons storage and maintenance mission was terminated in 1974. A study was conducted in April 1976 to determine the viability of installation closure. At that time, it was decided to continue SVDA’s current status, based on projections of U.S. Army storage space requirements (USATHAMA 1979).

In 1984, SVDA was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). As a result, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) activities have been ongoing at the installation since 1990.

3. 
   
   Download 467.8 Kb.
   
   Share with your friends: