WWII and Beyond

The events leading to World War II had their effects on Augusta even before Pearl Harbor. While the world powers talked of peace, the Department of the Army was acquiring 56,000 acres on the outskirts of the city in Richmond and surrounding counties. Construction, which began with a large local labor force, was completed in December, 1941, and Camp Gordon was ready for new recruits just a few days after the Japanese attack. Here the Fourth, Tenth, and Twenty-sixth Armored divisions trained for overseas.

The impact of the war and its huge military installation were evident everywhere in the city. The federal payroll which eventually totaled more than $42,000,000 annually produced a prosperity greater than any that the city fathers could have imagined.

From its inception Augusta had been a military town, yet the enormous influx of soldiers, dependents, and transients temporarily stunned this quiet river city. The people of the community displayed a spirit of cooperation and camaraderie seldom shown under normal conditions. The U.S.O., Red Cross, church and local service clubs did their part for the soldiers away from home. Many of these servicemen fell in love with the city and returned after the war to marry local girls and make Augusta their home.

As the war ended it seemed as if Augusta was headed for a decline. In June 1945, the first GI's were separated from the Army at Camp Gordon, and the importance of the Army in the community appeared almost at an end. New life came to the camp in 1948 when the Army moved the Signal Training Center and the Military Police School to Augusta.

With a forceful Chamber of Commerce at work, a number of businesses, industrial firms, and federal projects were attracted to the area. On Nov. 28, 1948, the first contract was awarded to construct the Clark Hill Reservoir. When completed, the dam brought additional electrical power to Augusta, increased flood control, and created one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. The lake and its surrounding area have become one of the most popular recreational areas in the South.

Nothing so elated the local civic and financial interests as did the announcement on Nov. 29, 1950, that a $260 million "Bomb Plant" would be constructed across the Savannah River in Aiken and Barnwell counties, South Carolina. The impact of the development of the E.I. du Pont, Savannah River Plant was tremendous. While 50,000 workers boosted the population and payrolls in the city and surrounding communities, the boom town atmosphere brought problems created by the construction crews. To house the flood of workers, thousands of trailers were brought in, and temporary cities sprang up overnight.

Augusta moved into the second half of the twentieth century with more emphasis than ever on the development of new industries to meet its changing needs. The small Indian trading post was now on the threshold of becoming an urban industrial center.

Provided by: Augusta Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau