b'C H A P T E R 2T H E N A V A L P R O V I N G G R O U N DThe railroad brought the guns andother material from Pocatello to a sid-ing dominated by a 250-ton gantrycrane. A gun ready to be proofed waspositioned on one of the ten emplace-ments and loaded with a charge, mostlikely prepared by a WOW, a civil-ian Woman Ordnance Worker. Downthe range, to the east and west of thecenterline, were rows of concrete mon-uments, marked and placed at regulardistances. To prepare for a test, spot-ters drove down dirt roads namedCenterline, West Monument, and EastMonument. From observation posts,they communicated with operators inthe control tower and used the monu-ments to triangulate the location ofimpact. In this way, they evaluated andrecorded the performance of the gun. 7INEEL 3629Less than half a mile from the concus- railroad tracks and arranged nineteen Proof area in October 1951. Gantry crane at lowersion wall was the residential area, white-painted wood-frame houses left. Gun emplacements in foreground. Buildings individed into two sections by the rail- around it, back yards facing to the spa- center are behind concussion wall. Storage area atroad spur coming in from the Union cious interior of the loop. Most of the upper right.Pacific branch. The officers and several houses, if not all, had basements, andcivilian families lived on the west side each had generous yard space to growof the tracks in brick houses with white gardens. The Navy finished installing In this setting, the wartime business ofshutters. The Navy built for perma- the lawns and sidewalks in October of firing lethal weapons and detonatingnence, planting the grounds with trees 1946. 9 huge explosive charges co-existed withand shrubs. The northern-most a smalland uniqueIdaho village.dwelling, the one with a matching The main landmark for the Base was The Navy shipped first-run movies togarage, was reserved for the command- an elevated water tank perched on a the residents twice a week. These wereing officer. The southern-most was a wooden tower in the residential area. shown in the locomotive shed next tobarracks and mess for up to fourteen Officially, the railroad siding and vil- the spur line. On movie nights, theenlisted marines. Beyond the barracks lage were named Scoville after locomotive was parked outside, dis-were a kennel for the marines patrol Commander John A. Scoville, the placed by the movie projector and rowsdogs and a well-supplied commissary, Officer in Charge of Construction of of benches. The versatile building alsowhich the civilians called the store. 8 the Pocatello plant and the proving served as a fire station and garage. 11ground. The Navy named the mainAfter the war, the Navy built more roads Lincoln Boulevard, Farraguthouses, wanting to alleviate winter trav- Avenue, and Portland Avenue, a legacyel problems for employees who com- that remainedalong with the namemuted between the site and Arco. It Scovilleafter the Navy left the site. 10built a loop road on the east side of the1 1'