satellite pictures

[Split]

I'd say the radio tower is about as tall as the satellite....If that helps.

[Nicotti]

ok so i was checking out the high res pic. The brochure in the window says it's a Hughes Aircraft Co. Research and Test Station. And I can't quite make out the date below the construction pics yet, but it looks like either 1955, 1956, 1965, or 1966. I did a small bit a checking on the internet and Hughes Aircraft were starting communications research around that time period and opening alot of research facilities, but I couldn't find anything on a test station in Ark, although the info may just not be out on the net.

[Nicotti]

Also to update the newspaper headlines now that I can read them:
(top left clipping) Arkansas Gazette, Section C, June ?, 19??: (left pic title) It's Called a Parabolic Reflector, (right pic title) Caddo Gap (?Calling?), (Headline) Caddo Gap to Have a Niche in History, (small headline down the page) Open House Set At Test Station

(lower left clipping) (main headline) HAC Closes Communications Gap at Caddo, (secondary heading) Quotable Quotes From Caddo Gap

(lower middle clipping) The (?) Record: Caddo Gap to Become Outpost Of Communications Satellite

The 3 pics under this article are photos of the construction, the last one is labeled January 19?? (looks like 55,56,65,66 hard to tell which)

(below the pic in the upper right is a brochure) (left) title page, has graphic of a dish on it, says THE HUGHES AIRCRAFT CO Research and Test Station, (middle) looks like a basic map of the facility, (right) can't make it out, just writing, maybe a mission statement

(clipping lower right) headline Caddo Gap Research Facility Inaugurated. A couple of lines of text are underlined, but I can't make out what it says.

(color photo lower right) title says Inauguration Day.

[Split]

Ok guys, I decided to go back and go inside the building. I couldn't help myself.

[Nicotti]

Interesting, how'd you manage to get inside? Doesn't look like the owners are doing anything in there yet.

[Split]

Ok, i'm kidding I didn't go in. I was hoping to get this second post in before anyone replied to the first. I found this realty listing.

http://www.real-estate-multilist.com/mu ... ?lid=58129

I called and asked about it. They said it was sold to a individual back in the summer. He uses it for a personal workshop. Apparently the satellite is not on the property. So I wonder who owns the satellite? By the way, Thanks Niccoti for checkin out the newspaper listings. You can read some things I couldn't.

[Split]

Ok, I called the realty place back and asked about who owns the Satellite. Apparently it's owned by an individual who is not willing to sell it. The realty company tried to buy it so they could sell it with the building. But the guy said no.

[TooMuchCoffee]

Well, that shoots down my conspriracy theories. I was going to say it maybe was a DARPA relay station or something else to do with the Department of Defense.
I leaned towards this because off of Hwy 303 north at the Washington/Benton county line is a government radio tower maintained by the Navy. Also, the Navy maintains communication stations at the Little Rock AFB and at Tinker AFB.
Oh well, back to watching reruns of the X-Files butt naked in the dark.

[Nicotti]

Well the Hughes Co was building these facilities in cooperation with the navy, but apparently this particular station wasn't worth while enough to keep running.

[Nicotti]

Ok, I called the realty place back and asked about who owns the Satellite. Apparently it's owned by an individual who is not willing to sell it. The realty company tried to buy it so they could sell it with the building. But the guy said no.

so did the guy own both and just sell the building and some acrage or was the property split up at some point in the past?

[Split]

I don't know. She said they contacted the owner of the Satellite. If he owned both I would've thought she'd say something like, "when we bought the land, he said he'd only sell us the building". So I'm assuming it was split up in the past.

[Split]

Oh well, back to watching reruns of the X-Files butt naked in the dark.

Well, at least your in the dark.

[GlassCurtain]

Holy Shit! Split I was about to be so pissed off at you for not inviting me to come along.

Good find by the way! How'd you think to check real estate? Glad to know a little more about it.

[GlassCurtain]

Well I just e-mailed the editor at The Sentinel Record for more info. I asked them where I could find and search through their archives. And asked about one of the articles they wrote about the satellite in Feb 1968 (That's the closest date I could make out). hopefully I'll hear back from them soon.

[Split]

Yeah, it would be cool to be able to find the archived stories. I didn't really check real estate. I just plugged the correct combination of words into yahoo. I searched a lot before and I got nothing, but I decided to try again. I just put in the right words and it pulled up that realty listing.