Southwestern Proving Ground

The Southwestern Proving Ground in Hempstead County played an important role in the testing of weapons and other materials during World War II. It had a transformative impact on the county, and some of the facilities continue to serve as an airport in the twenty-first century.

Work on the proving ground began as part of the National Defense Program in the summer of 1941 as the nation began preparing for a possible war. Initial plans released in June 1941 included about 37,650 acres of privately held land and another 937 acres owned by the state. The proposed complex was located about four and a half miles north of Hope (Hempstead County) and extended to the town of Washington (Hempstead County). Additional land was later added, bringing the total acreage to 50,780.

Landowners were quickly moved from their land with a deadline set for July 24, 1941. Many families were unable to find accommodations in the short timeframe, and some were forced to live in tents provided by the Arkansas National Guard, while others lived in the 1874 Courthouse in Washington. Seven cemeteries were also moved, with the deadline to move all graves by June 1, 1942.

Construction began immediately, with Callahan Construction Company leading the effort and thousands of local residents working on the project. The airfield included three runways, each measuring approximately one mile in length, long enough to serve any American aircraft at that time. Multiple buildings were constructed to service the airfield, including a hangar that included 25,000 square feet of covered space. Numerous buildings were constructed throughout the complex to support operations, including powder magazines, a hospital, and barracks.

The original opening ceremony for the facility was postponed due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but local civilians were finally invited to tour the proving ground on April 5, 1942. While the visitors were not allowed out of their cars due to tight security, a total of 6,250 people took the opportunity to view the site.

Testing at the proving ground impacted military actions in all theaters of the war. The large acreage was useful for the detonation of various weapons. Ammunition from every crew-served weapon was tested at the site, with changes made to 105-millimeter shells that prevented them from exploding prematurely. Troops tested various machines that measured the velocity of shells to determine which was most accurate. B-25 bombers used the facility to observe the tumbling of dropped bombs.

Operations at the proving ground brought thousands of people to Hempstead County, either as soldiers stationed at the facility or members of their families who followed them across the country. Quarters for senior officers were constructed east of the airport on a street named Officer’s Drive. Major Paul Klipsch resided in one of these homes and, while stationed at the proving ground, worked to record the performance of various types of ammunition. He remained in the area after the war and opened a loudspeaker manufacturing business.

With the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, the War Department deemed the facility to be surplus to its needs. On August 20, the commander of the proving ground received orders to shut down the facility within thirty days. The city of Hope received the airport, as well as an additional 750 acres of land to be sold and the profits used to support operations at the airfield. The remainder of the land became part of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Surplus Property Board.

By 1947, the Hope Development Corporation held the land that formerly belonged to the proving ground and did not transfer to the city of Hope. The organization worked to attract businesses to the facility and sold some land to private investors and residents.

The majority of the buildings constructed at the facility were demolished over the decades, but several remain. These include a smokeless powder magazine, gun shelter, and fixed ammunition magazine. These buildings are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buildings at the airport related to the proving ground include the hangar, night heating plant, heating plant, storage facility, garage, bomb assembly building, and high explosive magazine, as well as the runways and hangar apron. These structures are listed as the Southwest Proving Ground Airport Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The Officer’s Quarters (now part of the community of Oakhaven) are listed separately on the register. The Southwestern Proving Ground Telephone Exchange Building is listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places.

During the recovery following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, approximately 10,000 camper trailers were stored at the airport. Many of the trailers were found to have formaldehyde in the walls and made residents ill, leading to the trailers being deemed unusable. The trailers remained at the facility for years, with the last sold in 2011 and the land returned to city use.

For additional information:
Smith, C. Calvin. War and Wartime Changes: The Transformation of Arkansas, 1940–1945. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1986.

“Southwestern Proving Ground Airport Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/he0783-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=3c6944e9_0 (accessed August 21, 2025).

“Southwestern Proving Ground Building #4.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/HE0755-pdf (accessed August 21, 2025).

“Southwestern Proving Ground Building #5.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/HE0754-pdf (accessed August 21, 2025).

“Southwestern Proving Ground Building #129.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/he0753-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=bca28593_0 (accessed August 21, 2025).

“Southwestern Proving Ground Officers Quarters Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/he0769-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=2cc6f7ba_0 (accessed August 21, 2025).

“Southwestern Proving Ground Telephone Exchange Building.” Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-register/southwestern-proving-ground-telephone-exchange-building (accessed August 21, 2025).

Turner, Mary Nell. “Southwestern Proving Ground, 1941–1945.” Journal of the Hempstead County Historical Society (Spring 1986): 3–41.

David Sesser
Southeastern Louisiana University