Farragut Naval Training Station
| Company type | Military training facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military training |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Defunct | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Bayview , United States |
Area served | United States Navy personnel |
| Products | Naval training |
Farragut Naval Training Station functioned as a United States Navy training facility during World War II, situated in Northern Idaho at the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille, near Bayview, Idaho, positioned between Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint. The installation was named in honor of David Farragut (1801–1870), the first admiral in the U.S. Navy and a prominent naval commander during the American Civil War. In 1966, the site was transformed into what is now known as Farragut State Park.
World War II
Construction of the naval base commenced in March 1942, with initial operations beginning by early August. By September of that year, the facility accommodated 55,000 personnel, ranking it as the largest "city" within Idaho and the second-largest naval training center worldwide after Naval Station Great Lakes. Liberty trains provided transportation three times daily to Spokane, approximately one hour away.
Rail connectivity was established through the Northern Pacific Railway, utilizing a 5½-mile spur that linked to the main NP line at Athol. The inaugural freight train reached the base on June 5, 1942.
In June 1942, Farragut received a shipment of 75 lifeboats salvaged from passenger liners restricted by wartime port closures. During this timeframe, Hollywood actress Lana Turner, native to nearby Wallace, Idaho, actively promoted War Bonds to personnel stationed at the base. The facility was officially commissioned in mid-September and soon thereafter hosted a confidential visit from President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of a nationwide tour.
Lieutenant Commander Henry T. McMaster engaged photographer Ross Hall to capture images of recruits and training units; Hall’s studio located in Sandpoint produced over 300,000 photographs, creating an extensive visual record of activities at the training center.
In 1945, the installation was repurposed as a prisoner of war camp under U.S. Army administration, housing nearly 900 German POWs captured following D-Day. These prisoners assisted with maintenance and landscaping duties around the base. A notable example includes their removal of snow from the football field prior to a November 1945 game against the University of Idaho Vandals. Additionally, migrating deer presented traffic challenges on federal grounds where hunting was prohibited.
Throughout its 30-month period of operation, Farragut trained upwards of 293,000 sailors before its final recruit graduated in March 1945. The station was officially closed in June 1946.
Post-war
Between 1946 and 1949, the location served as Farragut College and Technical Institute, which boasted comprehensive athletic amenities. However, due to dwindling enrollment and financial difficulties, the college ceased functioning before the start of the fall term in 1949.
In 1950, ownership of 3,854 acres transferred to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to establish the Farragut Wildlife Management Area. Later in 1964, an additional 2,566 acres reverted to federal control before being deeded back to Idaho state authorities and designated as Farragut State Park in 1966.
A significant military artifact preserved within the state park is the Museum at the Brig, located in what once served as the confinement quarters for naval trainees. The museum displays memorabilia related to boot camp life, naval history, and wartime artifacts alongside original prison cells.
Don Samuelson—who went on to become Idaho’s governor in 1966—was stationed at Farragut as a weapons instructor and remained in Sandpoint following his military service.
After World War II, the base’s Drill Hall was relocated to Colorado where it operated as the University of Denver Arena for nearly five decades. It served as home ice for DU Pioneers hockey until replaced by Magness Arena in 1997.
The U.S. Navy continues to operate an Acoustic Research Detachment at Bayview on Lake Pend Oreille under the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. This facility conducts tests on scaled submarine models within the lake’s deep (1,150 ft), secluded waters—offering an ocean-like testing environment with reduced expenses and logistical demands.
See also
External links
- Idaho Military Museum – Farragut, Idaho location
- Visit Idaho – Museum housed in the brig at Farragut State Park
- YouTube – America's Landlocked Navy: Farragut's WWII Memories – PBS presentation by KSPS Spokane (1999)
- Acoustic Research Detachment