After damages were repaired, the Chico complex became operational on March 9, 1963. The silo was later repaired for an amount of at least $1,250,000. On June 6, trouble again struck as a flash fire in another silo killed a worker. However, the potentially catastrophic event was overshadowed in the national news by the launch of Scott Carpenter into space. An oxygen valve had stuck open and a blocked vent caused the gas to build up until a spark ignited it. One month later, on May 24, two explosions destroyed the missile in the No. The sites were made active on April 20, 1962. By the time the whole project was completed, each of the three complexes had received 32,000 cubic yards of concrete, 90 miles of cables, 300 tons of piping, and 1,800 separate supply items. More than 600,000 cubic yards of earth and rock had to be excavated and reused as backfill. All together, the three facilities cost more than $40 million to build.Ĭonstruction on the complexes began on January 22, 1960. The other two were located in the Sutter Buttes and the Placer County town of Lincoln. The squadron consisted of three bases in California. 1Ĩ51st Strategic Missile Squadron The missile site was part of the Beale Air Force Base's 851st Strategic Missile Squadron. These protests were the roots of the Chico Peace Endeavor. After the silos were closed, they began holding their peace vigil at Third and Main. She was soon joined by Florence McLane, and Helen Kinnee. A Chico resident named Wilhelmina Taggart, began to make weekly visits to the site to pray for peace. The silos were built to house Titan I missiles during the early 1960s and were dismantled and abandoned in 1965.ĭuring its operational period, citizens of Chico protested the silos in various forms. The missile silos (its formal designation was Beale 851-C and was also known as Complex 1C) were part of an Air Force installation located north of the Chico Municipal Airport in between Keefer Road and Cohasset Road. See also: History of Chico The missile silos (CASIL, USGS, US Census Bureau) Location
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