BLACK HILLS ORDNANCE DEPOT

HOUSING

Directive has been received by the Area Engineer of this Depot to proceed with the immediate renovation and remodeling of houses built by the contractor for use by his foremen during the construction period. These houses will be insulated, with new roofs and a general overhauling which will make them into very neat two-bedroom family homes.

In addition, a number of two-family, two-bedroom houses will be constructed for additional family housing. All of those structures will be for the use of families with children.

A remodeling program will also be carried out, whereby a number of the present bachelor barracks will be made over into war dormitories, which will provide apartments for married couples without children. The remaining bachelor barracks will be remodeled to provide dormitory rooms for bachelor occupation instead of the open barracks buildings such as now exist.

A new mess hall will also be built and completely equipped. Details concerning equipment for these buildings is lacking, but it is expected that a certain amount of equipment will be provided with the houses and war dormitories. In addition, all structures will be insulated for protection against the low temperatures which prevail in this territory.

It is felt that this announcement will be of great interest to all concerned, and represents a forward step on the part of the War Department to provide the housing facilities which will be necessary for proper operation of this Depot. It is also believed that this is only the beginning of the housing program, as additional family units will be needed and no doubt will be built in the spring.

The Edgemont Tribune; Feb. 24, 1943; Additional housing approved at BHOD.

The Edgemont Tribune; May 12, 1943; Provo Housing Bids Opened.

The Edgemont Tribune; May 19, 1943; Depot Housing Project To Start Soon. (Northwestern Engineering)

Public Housing

Outstanding among the many desirable features that B. H. O. D. has to offer is the housing for its employees. Not only has this Depot an adequate supply, but there is a type of house to meet the need of every family or each individual. There are five types; Dormitories, Apartments, One-family homes, Duplexes and Multiple-unit dwellings.

The men's and women's dormitories, with their comfortably furnished rooms, their electric refrigerators, maid service and telephones, offer proof that everything has been done to provide comfort and convenience for the people living there.

The modern furnished apartments consist of two moderately sized rooms, heated by a Central Heating Plant, and are fully equipped for living. Furnishings include an electric range, refrigerator, built-in cupboards, and two closets for utilities and clothes. There is a modern bathroom on each floor and a utility room at the rear. Conveniences include janitor service for hallways and washrooms and a telephone.

In the Single houses, the Duplexes, and the Multiple-unit dwellings, there is equipment that is common to all three types. All have large refrigerators, modern bathrooms, heating stoves, built-in cupboards and running water in the kitchen. Each house has its own fuel bin and wash line posts. Wood and coal burning ranges are installed in the Duplexes and Multiple-unit dwellings, while the One-family dwellings are equipped with electric ranges and electric water heaters. The Single houses and the Duplexes merit special mention because of the fact that all floors are covered with inlaid linoleum. The Multiple-unit dwellings, both the two and the three bedroom size, have fine hardwood floors.

The service rendered to the people housed on this Depot is no small matter. When fuel is needed, a phone call will bring wood and coal right to your bin. A carpenter will respond to your call for repairs, as will a plumber or an electrician. Garbage is collected regularly, and sanitary conditions are uniformly good. The safety of the workers at B. H. O. D. has not been overlooked. As in all compact areas, there is the ever present danger of fire, but so well equipped and so efficient is the Fire Department that any emergency can be safely met. There are fire extinguishers in every building; call boxes are strategically placed throughout the Area; and the twenty-four hour Guard patrol is on constant duty, thus insuring safety and security at all times. To car owners, the spacious parking zones located throughout the Area offer an accommodation that is greatly appreciated. There is no parking charge, and the owner has access to his car at all times. Rapid developing into a beautiful little town, Igloo is proud of its rows of neat houses, many with green lawns and flowering shrubs. Without cost, seeds and fertilizer are issued upon request to any employee who wishes to beautify his yard and grounds by the sowing of grass seeds and the cultivation of flowers. Unquestionably, the greatest factor contributing to the moderate cost of living at B. H. O. D. is the low rent and the low rate of utilities. All fuel is pro-rated, and the average cost is from $5.00 per month in the summer to $10.00 per month in winter for each household. Rents are based upon a worker's salary; thus an employee at $6.00 per day pays a rental rate of $12.00 per month. To be comfortably housed amid pleasant surroundings at such low cost is not only an inducement for employees to come to B. H. O. D., but also for them to remain here.

SECTION OF SIXPLEX HOUSING AREA

THE B. H. O. D. TRADING POST IS CENTRALLY LOCATED BETWEEN THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE HOUSES.

PARKING LOTS ARE PROVIDED IN THE HOUSING AREA

RESTAURANT IN THE FOREGROUND. COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE BACKGROUND

THESE SIX VIEWS WERE TAKEN FROM THE CHIMNEY OF THE IGLOO SCHOOL

	ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME

THE SINGLE UNIT HOUSES ARE EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC STOVES

HAPPY LIVING

ABOVE - BARRACK ROOMS ARE WHAT THEY MAKE THEM

RIGHT - VIEW OF KITCHEN IN A SIX-PLEX HOUSE

Nov. 27, 1946; Rapid City Applies For Igloo Surplus Housing; ten sixplexes and one four plex.
April 16, 1947; Hackett Construction Company talking to Post Engineers about moving housing units to Rapid City.

Edgemont Tribune; Oct. 6, 1948; Miss Dorothy L. Everhart resigns as Housing Clerk

The dormitories in those days were anything but deluxe with bare rafters, CCC cots, and furniture in the lobby consisting of a plank on which you could sit while entertaining guests. At frequent intervals a mass evacuation of the barracks took place for the purpose of "debugging" in hopes our little "friends" would edventually be exterminated.

The Walrus

BHOD Housing Office Assists New Employees

Mrs. Clara Kennaley, right, is show on one of her recent home visits explaining to Mrs. Robert Cox the community activities available to new arrivals on the depot.

"We need coal", "How far down on the six-plex list are we?", "our neighbors are keeping dogs in the apartment, what can I do about it?", How do I go about terminating?". These are but a sample of the questions asked the housing employees each day. Anwsers are furnished by Francis Brown, head of Housing Office and his assistant, Mrs. Clara Kennaley.

The housing Section, which also consists of a Custodial Unit, is located in Room 17 of the Community Building. It is visited by all new hires, as one of the duties of the Housing Office is to help a new employee sign the different housing registers for which he is eligible.

There are 180 dormitory rooms available for single people for which linens and key are issued at time of assignment. The Housing Office must keep a locator chart and master index file of all employees regardless of their place of residence. This is very important and must be kept up to date as a great deal of time would be lost in locating someone when friends call or long distance phone calls come in to the telephone office.

There are approximately 700 sets of living quarters on the depot. A map of all the housing area with the number of each building the the letter of each unit is also kept up to date. With the use of the map, the number of vacant units can be told at a glance. It is also useful when explaining the location of the various houses to new employees and also when showing visitors how to drive to a certain location.

Many tenants have never lived on a military reservation or in an urban community, consequently, after the arrival of a family here, there are usually a number of questions which the lady of the house would like to have answered. A home visitation program designed to help the newly arrived house-wife become acclimated with a minimum of difficulty has been in operation for the past nine months. Mrs. Kennaley visits at the home of each new tenant within one month after arrival, helps with problems and answers questions which have confronted the new arrival. In addition, to explaining useful policies and other Depot procedure, the tenant is also told of community activities.

The Custodial Unit, consists of one Head Janitor, eight janitors and two matrons. They are responsible for the cleanliness of bedrooms and hall ways in the dormitories and two-room apartment buildings and the administrative office.

Each Monday morning the Head Janitor and two of the other Custodial personnel distribute approximately 360 clean sheets and 180 pillow cases. The soiled linens are picked up and counted and then transported to the laundry in Crawford, Nebr. The following week the clean linens are returned and the Head Janitor counts them and returns them to the bins.

There is a small hotel on the depot which consists of 16 rooms located upstairs in Building 105. These are guest quarters for the convenience of anyone on the Depot who have quarters too small to accommodate guest. A matron cleans their rooms and makes the beds after the departure of the guests. These rooms rent for fifty cents per person per night.

Colonel H. G. Hamilton, Commanding Officer, announced today that higher authority recently queried him regarding the need for additional family housing at BHOD. Such housing, if eventually authorized, would be of permanent construction. It would be located, in all probability, on the post although construction and operation of the project would probably be financed by private capital under a provision of law known as the "Wherry Act".

The Colonel stated "the problems of maintaining our existing temporary housing are becoming increasingly serious each year and temporary buildings must be eventually replaced by permanent. We are presently short of family housing and it seems logical to expand by means of permanent construction in or adjacent to the existing housing area. Since military funds are not available for housing construction, it would be extremely unwise to reject a Wherry project when we need new housing so badly. Everyone must remember, however, that such a project is in the planning stage and we have no assurance that it will materialize in the near future."

Details concerning rental rates of the proposed housing are not available. It is assumed that any newly constructed permanent units would demand rentals comparable to that prevailing for similar accommodations in any civilian community.

The Walrus

In Spite Of Depot Command's Efforts - - Rents To Go Up

After many months of effort on the part of BHOD officials and the Chief of Ordnance to keep rental levels at an absolute minimum, notice of adverse ruling by the Department of the Army has been received.

The communication, based on information derived from a nation-wide survey of housing facilities and rent levels throughout the country, directs the increase to become effective immediately after the 15th of May, 1953, and precludes the prospect of any further appeals by local authorities.

The rental rates here are based upon the rates for similar type housing in this vicinity as determined by the Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebr.

Payroll decuctions will begin on May 17, 1953, at the new rates.

The following rentals have been directed for the housing area:

"Two room barracks apartments", Depot Commander Wickens said today, "may be made available to single workers if a sufficient number desire them."

A survey will be conducted during the next two weeks by the housing Office to determine the number of single workers, both men and women, who would be interested in two room apartment housing. The Commanding Officer pointed out that there will be no further plans made unless the survey indicates a definite interest for apartments is shown on the part of those presently housed in the dormitories.

"The need for two room apartments for families has slackened during the past three months and created a surplus of two room units," the Colonel said. Two apartment buildings, No. 117 and 127 will be closed by the fifteenth of November and will not be reopened to take care of single workers.

Additional buildings will become vacant as families are moved to larger quarters and a limited number of these buildings will be made available to single workers if sufficient interest is shown. According to present plans it is not contemplated at the present time to move any family out of a barracks apartment to make room for a single worker. Rather, it is expected that the families be assigned to two or three bedroom units by the time the proposed plan is put into effect.

Colonel Wickens pointed out that this is the first time since July 1950 that sufficient barracks apartments have been available to provide housekeeping quarters for single workers. Increased living and storage space, kitchen facilities, laundry and drying room facilities and more privacy are a few of the advantages.

Previously two girls often shared an apartment, reducing the expense considerably. It is planned to permit the same arrangement again. Apartments will also be available for those who wish to rent singly. The same type of arrangemtnt will be made for the single men. Rental charges incluing all facilities are about $37.00 per month during the summer and $43.00 per month during the winter. With two workers sharing the apartment, the cost of each would be below that paid by each person individually for the dorm rooms, the Colonel pointed out.

Employees interested in renting an apartment should express their interest by contacting the Housing Office not later than December 4. Only a limited number of apartments will be available.

The Walrus

Interest Lags In Better Housing For Single Workers

Francis Brown, Housing Clerk, said there have been two single workers who expressed an interest in securing better living quarters in the barracks apartment buildings.

The Depot Commander last week said, if sufficient interest is shown on the part of the single workers, some arrangement would probably be made to permit movement to the two room apartment buildings. The lack of interest was somewhat surprising Brown said, when the increased convenience of larger living quarters was considered. Apartments are equipped with electric stove, refrigerator, bed, chairs, table and two chests of drawers. Each building has a laundry and drying room which should be of great convenience to tenants.

Single workers still have util Friday, December 4, to notify the Housing Office, Telephone 16, of their interest. Unless there is a decided increase in the receipt of names by December 4, no further plans will be made at this time to provide apartments for single workers.

The Walrus; May 2, 1957; R. R. "Speed" Deimer of Personnel Office has assumed the dual responsibility as Editor of the Walrus and Housing Clerk.

The Walrus office is now located in the Housing Office, Room No. 17, of the Community Building.

The Walrus

Single Men Must Move

Fifteen single men in Dormitory 104 received their moving orders this week and effective next month will be assigned to rooms in Building 103.

Clara Kennaley, Housing Clerk said the consolidation was necessary to decrease the fuel costs and for labor savings. The cut back in Post Engineer personnel during June, reduced the heating and janitor staffs. A similar consolidation in the two room apartments buildings is also being accomplished. Closing of Building 104 marks the first time since 1942 that only one men's dormitory has been open.

Quarters will be assigned on a priority basis with men having the longest residence in 104 being afforded first choice of the empty rooms in 103. The move is expected to be accomplished by September 1.

Also slated for closing is the two story women's dormitory, 105. According to the Housing Clerk the women will be assigned to building 106 which is smaller and a one story structure. There are three women now assisgned rooms in Building 105 although a few more are expected when the school teachers arrive.

Considerable savings in fuel costs is expected by moving the women to the smaller unit. According to present plans there will be no rooms available for guests and transients as there has been in the past at Building 105.

 

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