The "Chernobyl" of Texas, the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, an Explorer's Dream
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- No other place in Texas blew me away quite like the former Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant. Though not quite on the same scale, it reminded me of images from Chernobyl in Ukraine. Let your curiosity guide you as you explore this area, but be mindful of restricted areas.
#texas #nature #trail #trails #caddolake #hike #hiking #ammunition #industry #pollution #epa #superfund #superfundsite #abandoned #chernobyl #easttexas #easttx #pineywoods
Notice there’s no graffiti. Very interesting site. Thanks for sharing.
I have really mixed feelings about your video. My father worked here nearly his entire career, as a chemical engineer working in rocket fuel. The Longhorn plant was one of the primary employers in the Marshall area, and brought engineers and their families from across the US. It was a very safe plant, people took pride in their work, and it meant something to be able to help keep our country safe. To call it “Chernobyl” is misleading and makes me sad to see. The site didn’t close due to negligence, but due to the end of the Cold War. We were all there when Bush Sr. came into town with a Russian delegation to begin the process of destroying munitions. Thus began the end of the plant, the laying off of hundreds of people, and in the years following an exodus of middle class families from the region. I’m happy to see it now, as families were never allowed on the base when it was open, but I have to think that there’s not a single military base that hasn’t left some sort of ground contamination in its wake. Caddo Lake area is beautiful and should definitely be explored and appreciated for its wild beauty though.
I can appreciate your sentiment. From the video, I personally didn't get the impression that this was anything other than obsolescence after the "Wall" coming down, nuclear arms agreements and Iran Contra Hearing resolutions. My take on the "Chernobyl" reference is, it's a former government facility that's operation required higher security standards because of the nature of the materials being handled and their use after or from manufacturing. Both facilities are high asset targets to enemies foreign and domestic. Both facilities were abandoned (for different reasons obvious to you and me) we're not the only ones) and now have been "taken back" by nature. It's kind of a pretty thing to see. It's like a fantasy land in a way. The only real disrespectful aspect seems to be from other viewers. There's ALWAYS a plethora of narrow minded idiots that think the world revolves around them and they seem to view the world through a straw. Experience is key and you're familiar with the place. You know the truth.
Chernobyl looks beautiful in the pictures and videos I have seen, since it's become overgrown. I'd love to see it first hand if it were "safe" and I wasn't hesitant to travel internationally "these days".
I'm a Texan. I hadn't heard of this place (that I remember) until I had seen the video. I definitely intend on checking it out late fall/early winter. I'll definitely remember that everyone that worked there came from a family and plenty of them had families of their own. They did work that secured peace for many and provide the tools necessary for those willing to do the duty. They are part of the reason I am FREE to go visit the remnants of their former work facilities. I can THANK your FATHER & YOU right HERE and NOW!
At least it will continue to employee the folks that have to clean it up.
I am in the Dallas area so just a couple hours from there. I can imagine a good number of those families like yours landed here. Cado is a pretty lake and great for fishing although now that I see the potential run offs maybe not as good for eating 🫣. I am with you on the Chernobyl comment as there was no nuclear waste or disaster at this location. It was a good video to see the area and something I didn’t know even existed.
Why is there so much contamination in the soil and water?
That area is beautiful! And I agree- this was NOTHING like Chernobyl. I lived near Texarkana where Red River Army Depot is still a large employer. No one can make munitions without creating waste. They did the best they knew- it’s funny how people want to judge the past by today’s knowledge and standards.
LBJ should have built this on some wasteland like downtown Dallas. Not on some of the most beautiful country in East Texas.
@Jerry Davis I have heard so many theories about the assignation but one makes more sense than the others. The mafia financed JFK's campaign in a deal made with Joseph Kennedy. Robert Kennedy double crossed the mob on the deal. The decision was made to take out John. Now, having said that, it wouldn't surprise me if LBJ was not involved. He was crooked as a dogs leg.
LBJ killed a lot of boys but, he sure could sell helicopters.
@@brushcountry6361 No telling how many Huey Cobras the military bought under his regime.
@@Paul-hg3hm We all hated him.
There's a good idea, build a munitions/rocket fuel factory in the middle of a highly populated area. Thank God you're not in charge of anything. And God save us if you are.
It was a munitions plant and those immense buildings were meant to contain explosions from accidental detonations. They're really weren't made to be used for possible invasions. Loved this video and it still amazes me on how quickly nature takes back what was taken from her.
Yes you are correct. There were a number of things that I wish I had included in the video in hindsight. One sign there made mention of a possible enemy invasion, and I saw a tremendous amount of security fencing all over the place and other things that appeared to be some sort of security measure. I didn't know what I was looking at most of the time out there. There were many odd features and structures throughout.
My husband and I started exploring there about 3 or 4 years ago. It has changed a lot since then. They have tore a lot of fences down , and opened a lot of the forest. There is a little museum in a trailer at refuge headquarters.,very interesting.
Saw my first coral snake on Stark ranch road. One evening we went around s curve and saw a big cat with a long tail. I think it was a jaguarundi, they are very different than a cougar, lower to the ground and very different shaped head, wish I could have gotten a picture.
@@secretsoftexas6872
Don't get me wrong, because it a highly important munitions making plant, it was heavily guarded against the possibilities of saboteurs and even up to commando units looking to seriously disable the plant.
@@teresasmith2038
I didn't know that jaquarundis existed all the way up here in Texas. I saw my first one in Panama while attending jungle survival school. I remembered sticking my closed hand out against the enclosing cage where it took the time to sniff me... Probably deciding if I was edible or not. They can be easily mistaken for black house cats...
@@texan-american200 What I saw was definitely not a house cat to big and tail was to long . The. Coloring and shape off head and shorter legs looked like the jaguarundi. I have heard of people seeing them further south in Texas.
Had no idea this existed.....a shame what our Gov't has done to the natural lands. Thanks for the heads up!
WASTE continually
Well, so glad we, the military, allowed you your voice, to be able to bitch and the freedom to do so. Your welcome kitty kats.
Brilliant commentary on this, makes it a fantastic documentary. Excellent work friend. Big thumbs up here 👍 👌 😍 👊 😊 🇬🇧
Wow, 433 miles from my house in Aransas Pass, TX. I never knew this existed in TX. So creepy. Thank you so much for the tour; I definitely learned something new today.
I grew up in a tiny "town" called Viola, which is in Graves County Kentucky. During WW2 the government built a munitions plant nearby. They manufactured 20mm cannon rounds. The plant covered hundreds of acres just like the one in the video. Also the entire place now is covered in trees and farm fields, but several concrete hulks are still there and can be accessible by walking through the trees and bushes that have taken over. Several areas are now flooded permanently and it's very difficult to get through those places. Other areas still have paved roads that look almost new except for patches of grass and small trees growing through cracks. This was the place that we loved to explore and sometimes even camp over night in the large concrete walls that still stand. The places would block the wind and the light from our small campfire when we stayed overnight. The entire place covered an area of about a mile running north and south, and slightly less east and west. At one time it had a railroad connection running through the center of the area. Back in the 1970's I found out that a friend's grandfather was a carpenter and helped install shelves and work benches in the plant. He also had two 20mm anti-aircraft rounds that he displayed on his mantle in his living room. He told us that they were "dummy" rounds that he had snuck out back when he was working on the buildings. In the early 1990's after he had passed away, his family were cleaning out the house and decided to take the "dummy" rounds to a local military surplus store to try and sell them. The owner took a close look at the munitions that resembled giant bullets about 8 inches long, and determined that they were actually LIVE EXPLOSIVE rounds that once fired exploded on impact with their target. The over 60 years old munitions could have been detonated simply by dropping them or handing them too roughly. The police were called and eventually a military explosive disposal team came and safely detonated them outside of town. And to think about how many times several of us had been to his house and actually played with those things.
Makes me wonder if we should have more of the ammunition plants now as a prep for rumors of war.
Wow! That Was scary…
Oh wow! They are so busy with the containment, how in the world were you able to walk around all the equipment? Great little video not all that far from me, may one day make a run up there.
The containment efforts appear to be in pockets. Several areas are closed to the public but many areas are open as well. I went down various roads that weren't restricted.
Thanks for the video! In 1954 my family lived in nearby Marshall. My dad was a construction superintendent who oversaw part of the construction of this place.
🚁 it's time for a DRONE...!
Goo-Maps can't do the job of a flying Donkey 🐴...
Thanks for a Great video👍
Love these type of historical videos...
This is the year 2021 and its been 31 yrs and it looks like nothing will ever be done. I was going to go camping and fishing this summer around Caddo lake ,you know there's toxic run off. I will now stay away
I agree. How many ppl may have fished or hunt there
Are there any warning signs around the area and on the TX State Park and Wildlife website to forewarn visitors?
I think you would be okay at Caddo Lake State Park (probably). It's technically upstream of Caddo lake with a small lake connected to Big Cypress Bayou.
@@secretsoftexas6872 Oh ghee that's even worse.
I worked in Cleburne TX a couple of decades ago and while there I noticed a lot of ppl had cancer. I told the ppl I worked with my observation. They stared at me...(didnt know what that meant)
I later found out Agent Orange was tested or made there. Plus they have a nuclear plant out there near a lake where ppl fish bc the fish are larger there bc of the "warmer water."
I'm sure the ppl living there haven't put the facts together.
I love that place. Great footage and historical explanation! 👍🏼
Thanks for watching. I saw that you have posted some drone footage of this area previously.
@@secretsoftexas6872 I want to SEE THAT !
Lived in Texas since 1961 and never heard of this before. Amazing video!
Vent shafts at 12 minute mark (similar look to a chimney)
There is a underground base
Thank you for this video. I live aprox 30 miles from the plant, I know many people that was there when they shut it down. It was a major blow to the economy. Ironically there is another one still open and operating aprox 40 miles from me. As far as the surroundings, never have heard of anyone getting sick or die from eating fish from the lake or river. Great video
Fish? There aren’t any fish in contaminated ground water.
Dang it Bobby! You faked us all out. I'm glad someone set us straight! Must've been unexploded ordinance you were catching in Caddo Lake. I hear they kinda look like fish through beer goggles. If you fry those "fish" they make your hair grow bangs! I was at Wings Over East Texas in the late 80's when the Yak fighter first flew there. Lots of Rooskie brass there to see it fly. They were monitoring the disposal of napalm I think. Politicians sure do like the "peace dividend". Too bad they spend it, but never invest it.
Would love to see some actual photos taken back then showing how it really looked
I'm sure they are still around, even the blueprints
12:02 They almost look like ventilation stacks. I wonder what might be underground there...
My thoughts exactly!
Now I know where Lady Bird got her name. Great video.
Contaminated, yet lots of vegetation. Nature is amazing!
dont ever stop exploring! these places you find and share with us are incredible, just be careful, you show a lot of places "they" dont want us to know about ;)
Thanks for visiting. I really appreciate the encouragement.
What is really amazing is the taggers have not destroyed the place and covered it with graffiti !
Worked there for years lived five miles away
Maybe YOU can tell us HOW to access the underground stuff ???
I was in the area in May and enjoyed exploring the area. Now I want to go back and explore some more.
Very interesting and also very sad at the end to see the abandoned cemetery 😥
For being contaminated it host an abundance of wildlife, birds in general.
I'm sure they drink the water thier.
What a cool video. I'm headed to Caddo Lake in a few days, and came upon this video. History fascinates me. So cool. I'm gonna try to find some of these spots. Thanks for such a informative video.
This video is as close to this part of Texas as I ever expect to see, didn't even know it existed. Thanks.
There is also an entire underground complex as well that is probably flooded at this point.
It's nice to hear the birds! Incredible!
I'm originally from this area grew up there and for them to actually do anything about anything you are talking about will take a lifetime
The $$$ to do so will be laundered and nothing will be done
@@REVNUMANEWBERN this is more than true I grew up in Waskom and it's was always crooked throughout Harrison county is why I moved away many years ago
It always amazes me how fast nature can take over in places like this.
I lived in Marshall in 82/83/84. I worked with 2 ladies at Alcoa that had formerly worked there. They talked about it quite often
Fascinating and creepy. Would make a good film location.
Incredible looking site. I learn something new about my state every day. Thank you!
What you see at the TNT manufacturing site is only what is above ground, directly below ground is several levels of production and storage rooms, not sure how they can be accessed other than threw the above ground ventilation shafts.
THAT would be what ya need to see, someone needs to cough up some of the blue prints of the place
Looks like mama earth be workin' on dat clean up....uncle guberment, not so much.
Many of the buildings are designed to direct blast forces, should they happen, away from other structures to prevent chain reactions. The rooftops are designed to release energy up and not out into ground level locations. Now, I cannot say that all of what I say is completely accurate to this place in Texas. My understanding is based on the Pepcon blast in Henderson Nevada, years ago. There's video of it here, just search Pepcon and you'll see a couple of incredible explosions. The plant moved from Nevada to Utah, six miles from where I grew up. All of those buildings are designed like I said above. There were few buildings in Nevada, most of the storage was outdoors and in quantities that created a magnitude 3 earthquake when Pepcon went up. Something like 7,000,000 pounds of solid rocket fuel, the same fuel that sent the shuttle into orbit.
Good info.
I grew up as a kid in karnack. Now that it has been turned into a refuge, it is one of my favorite places for quiet and reflection
My Grandmother was the night auditor here in the 1970's. One night, she was checking all of the locks on the little adjoined buildings and all of a sudden, the wind really picked up and the night sky became really bright. As she turned around to head back to her work truck, she said right above her in the sky was a flying saucer equipped with colored lights all around the bottom and they were spinning really fast which is what was making all of the wind. Mind you, my Grandmother NEVER believed in UFO's until this very moment. She high tailed it all the way back up to the main office where one coworker noticed she was white as a ghost and said to her, "Shirley, are you okay??? You're white as a sheet!". He took her in one of the offices where she told him what she saw and he asked if she wanted to report it and she said no. I have always wanted to explore this place to see if I could find where she saw this thing. Thank you for sharing! Great video! Ha! Yeah, those are defy indian mounds my friend!
My mom worked here
Native American mounds. NOT Indian. Indians are in India.
@@tana2183 reeely? I wonder if she knew my Grandma?
Washington State has a park similar to this place. Fort Worden is an early 20th century military base which has now closed and become a state park. Absolutely beautiful sights and solemn place. Would love to visit this ammunitions plant one day!!
I'm a recent subscriber. Thanks for sharing your videos. I really enjoy them.
Little history we were attacked on our own soil by the Japanese in ww2. Hawaii, Alaska... both US soil.
I worked on the crew that dismantled the Badger ammunition plant in Wisconsin for a couple of years, they consisted mostly of wood framed buildings that had asbestos siding/roofing that had to be removed by abatement, It was a huge facility, very dangerous because rocket powder/gun powder residue was sometimes left over in the piping and walls of the building, We had 2 minor explosions occur during the time i worked there, also huge rattlesnakes were not uncommon to see at times. the company that contracted the removal of the buildings (spec-pro) was the toughest company i had ever worked. they were ultra strict.
Louisiana army ammunitions plant also has some eerie places from a large explosion early and then a more recent explosion which rocked homes in several different parishes here.
Yes, I remember riding in my youth between Monroe and Shreveport passing by acres posted ammunition area.
@@virginiacurrey2019 Ok. I live in between the two Im from Minden
@@bachar-maqqabayisrael …yep, familiar with Minden… when my dad was in the Air Force WWII, we sometime had to get him from Shreveport, other times from Selman Field in Monroe. We lived in Farmerville during those times.
I used to make occasional deliveries out there when itbwas operating. Talk about a pain in the ass. You had to unload the cab of your truck and your pockets into a lock box. You couldn t take anything in that could cause a spark or fire. They made you disconnect any two way radios. They searched you and the truck in and out.
It's amazing the place is not covered in graffiti. Most abandoned sites are these days ....
So glad it's not
They are everywhere,5 super cites in Shelby County( Memphis)
Very reminiscent of bunkers and things in and around Germany.
Super fund area, probably millions of dollars spent and it looks like nothing has been done.
Our government at work.
Thanks for sharing........👍
My sister lives in a town not to far from this location. We only drove around but didn’t get out due to my elderly parents being with us. That park where the boat ramp is we went down there in hopes in seeing gators
12:02 those are vents from something underground.
I'm curious, have you never heard of Pearl Harbor? Or the battle of Attu in the Aleutian islands? Both US soil.
Sometimes when we're thinking out loud we don't quite get it right. I was really referring to the lower 48 and should have stated it more clearly. I sometimes imagine how differently things may have gone if Germany chose a large scale invasion of the US instead of Russia from Mexico through Texas with the promise of giving it back to them. They wouldn't have froze to death like they did just outside Moscow.
@@secretsoftexas6872 however, they would have met with a heavily armed populace. One thing both Germany and Japan took into consideration. And of course the difficulty of crossing vast expanses of water. Still, good or bad, the second amendment weighed heavily in our favor.
Yes and we also had a very large military presence in Texas at that time (and still do).
Hawaii didn't become a US State until 1959.
@@travisadams4470 still a territory and a US military base. US soil all the same.
Weird seeing a UA-cam video on a place I’ve actually been
About 550 U.S. soldiers were killed at Battle of Attu (Aleutian Islands, Alaska)
Sometimes when we're thinking out loud we don't quite get it right. I was really referring to the lower 48 and should have stated it more clearly. I sometimes imagine how differently things may have gone if Germany chose a large scale invasion of the US instead of Russia from Mexico through Texas with the promise of giving it back to them. They wouldn't have froze to death like they did just outside Moscow.
@@secretsoftexas6872 i getcha and for sure, no worries friend. I was trying to inform, not criticize 😉
Interesting! Texas however would not have been as easy as Poland or Russia in the early days!
That was so beautiful!!!
Not to worry. All those HIGHLY recommended jabs you got from Uncle Sam will do away with a ton of us, preventing the previously likely fate of premature death from biohazards such as the ones exhibited above.
This one's on the visit list!
Thanks, great video. Cool place.
Thank you for this video. Sharing it on my podcast page where I just covered this location ❤
Great place ! You can spend hours and not see anyone else and definitely get lost without GPS.. The best time to go is when the foliage is gone for the year so you can see more structures
Once I started seeing all that darn poison ivy, it was a big NO DEAL for me. Thank you so much for the tour though.
Here in Southern NJ there were two munitions loading plants built during WWI and were nearly completely removed at the end of the war. These plants included an entire town for the workers and their families to live there. Both of these sites are now overgrown by woods and one is a county park where some structures and foundations remain.
The environment looks very health and thriving.
If you look it up, there was actually a Japanese sea plane bomber that was launched from a boat off the east coast and flew over the eastern United States in WWII. I think it was trying to target Washington. I read that a while ago so I can’t quite remember the details. I think it crashed before making it to its destination, but the USA “was” in fact attacked on their own soil during WWII.
I don't know about WW2 East Coast attack but the West Coast was attacked. A Japanese navy ship shelled a place north of Santa Barbara, California, that was actually just farm land. The captain reported back that he had destroyed Santa Barbara. My mother lived there at the time.
@@_cal_techie HUM, didn't know that, I have seen the camo neting that was over towns during the war
I would hazard a guess that those dirt mounds you observed early on are capped landfills.
These places would be great for photography and painting.
I have certainly heard of Caddo Lake but I never knew about the Longhorn Ammunition plant. Such a pity that the government has ruined this area. There seems to be no end to what the government will ruin. How would you ever clean it up anyway to where itbis livable again. Unforgivable!
Excellent concrete work.
I've been taking my nephews here since 2010 their taller then me n still beg me to take them now. We always find new cool stuff where we've been 100 times before...just keep a look for those dugouts holes n other obstructions very cool place I'm from lake o the pines
You know, they could have turned a small contractor out on that site and let them work at a gentle pace to clean up all but the worst pollution over a period of 20 years and opened the area to lake access to recoup some of the cost of cleanup. I'm afraid the government doesn't think that way. Also surprised there are few snakes.
This looks like a good location for doing a little historical photo shoot. I'd probably be watching the ground for rattlesnakes more than composing pictures, though!
Nature always takes it back.
I've looked at some of that paperwork on the ground years ago. It was mostly old employees time cards. However there is alot more on the ground now
Unexploded ordnance on an EOD range is definitely something you would not want to come into contact with. Keep Out is wise advice to follow. It is a permanent dud range.
BIG THUMBS UP for your outstanding video, do one on Springtown, Texas's Hill sisters that were hanged for cattle stealing.
What is underneath it there are some big rooms to need those ventilation pipes
We have a site just like this in Point Pleasant WV, the TNT domes. It's where the moth-man hangs out. Creepy swampy overgrown place. In 2010 something ignited one of the domes that still contained ordinance. It blew apart the 50' diameter, 30' tall dome of 24" thick concrete.
My friends and I stumbled upon this place back in November 2020, but clearly we are fools who don't read signs. 😆 We didn't know anything about it. It was SO COOL though and thank you for the video!
They should have put that in Odessa
Thanks for the video, Interesting. Never heard of it. I bet the paintball/Airsoft guys would love using this place. To bad it is in the Boondocks. Later from Cypress,Texas.
I have been there hundreds of times to real Chernobyl and will be happy to discuss the topic with those, who is interested in it.
why is anyone worried about Russian troops being in Chernobyl now? Isn't the only danger to the troops themselves and not to Ukraine or NATO?
This is an environmental tragedy,America should do everything we can to develop safer protocols. That said,,freedom ain't free,all of these sites have helped keep us free from foreign attackers. Keeping America the land of the free,Requires sacrifice,sad as it is,the price of freedom is worth the cost.
There's another closed ammunition plant in Sidney, Nebraska. Closed after WW-2. Shut down all opperations sometime in the 1970's. Hard to covert over to civilian use. Too far away from everywhere. Another is in Newport, Arkansas. A facility to train pilots for WW-2. Closed in 1948. Just a ghost town now.
You'd like Centralia, PA. Town next to it is disappearing too. Kinda a sad history there, especially for the towns people.
That was absolutely amazing. I feel it would be important to clean up that Hope cemetery and preserve it. Who would you contact?
Do a MapQuest of Hawthorne Nevada and then switch to the satellite view. It is the largest ammunition plant/depot in the country. Notice most buildings have roads AND rail lines running along side them. Good place for it, out in the middle of nowhere (the town and truck stop are there... because the depot is there). Besides the main area, there are roads that lead up into the mountains and disappear. Possible nuke storage inside the mountains??? When I was driving truck out of Reno through Vegas on US95 back in the early 2000's, most of the small towns southeast of Hawthorne had signs that said "Ammo trucks, please do not park in our town"!!! The majority of trucks on US95 were curtain sides (flatbed with a full height self-supporting accordion 'curtain' that sides back over the load) hauling who knows what. Talked to a couple drivers leased on with Landstar (big government hauler). Many of their loads they'd back into a building, and a set of doors cut out around the chassis would close behind the tractor so they couldn't see what was happening in the building or on their trailer. Armed guards with M-16's made sure they didn't get out and "walk around". The trailer was loaded, the load chained down, and the curtain sides on the trailer pulled back and locked before the doors behind the tractor were opened. The Bill of Lading simply said "Government Equipment" and listed the weight. The driver had no idea what he was hauling except the placards were "Explosives 1.1".
I love exploring there,miles of good roads, taught my grandson how to drive on them. Go if you can.
Just a few miles down the road from me.
At 6:02 look at all the creepy faces in the dark part of the wall, to the right of the doorway.
What faces? I didn't see any
Scary place like movie Friday in the 13, looked Horrors every where .
Thank you for a fascinating video. According to the Bible, upon the return of Jesus and the resurrection, the invitees to the new system will first to clean up and renew the Earth to its pristine state. Looks like that will take about 1000 years.
I would almost guarantee you there is sealed bunkers there, it was the times
We had a Munitions plant in Weldon Spring also. Unfortunately like Chernobyl we also had a nuclear element.
I’ve seen a video on this place before sometime back. It wasn’t as long as yours, they didn’t cover as much you did.
Really cool..
Remarkable...
very cool spot, would love to check it out, are there any special requirements for getting to walk around alone in there like you did?
No, and there's no fee either last I checked
@@secretsoftexas6872 awesome thanks!
Spooky