Some folks in downtown Peebles on a mid-morning in April, 1955, were aware something big was going to happen. They expected a low rumble that perhaps would seem to come from all directions and slowly increase in intensity. Some looked to the skies expecting to see more of the U. S. Air Force jets that had been practicing bombing runs over the southern Ohio area. But those “in the know,” even without any odd sounds, were aware that a new era promised for the village of Peebles had begun on that Tuesday, the fifth, at 10:30 a.m. as R.B. Knies, manager of manufacturing, gave the signal to fire up the first General Electric test engine. It had only been 101 days since the board of directors at Evendale had given their approval to begin.

Left to right are Miss Marion Kellogg, manager of employee relations at General

Electric in Evendale; Robert Knies, manager of development and manufacture;

and Ferol Betts, manager of community and industrial relations.

An official announcement had been made in December, 1954, that The General Electric Company was going to focus on its development of gas turbine aircraft engines and vertical take off aircraft engines. In the beginning, an outdoor facility would be constructed on property between Peebles and Rarden south of state routes 73 and 74 to handle the testing phase of the equipment. Plans called for the location to continue to be developed as needed as advances in technology were rapidly being made.

Speculation about what was coming had been going on for some time. Representatives of the company had been looking at several locations in the states, including a couple already in use near military bases. It was decided a site near the Evendale headquarters of GE would work best, considering the engines built there would need to be easily transported to the testing grounds. Qualified technicians would also be close enough for easy access to the location for on-site evaluations. There would be plenty of wide-open spaces to handle the excessive noise and local companies would be available to help develop and construct the necessary infrastructure. The available work force in the area was said to be another element in deciding to locate near Peebles. The GE representatives had been quietly negotiating to acquire thousands of acres without causing any suspicion. Of course, the price of the properties was also a major deciding factor.

In Adams County rumors were quickly spreading as to who was interested in optioning such a large number of adjoining acres. Officials in the surrounding counties were also intrigued by the development. The Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce and Scioto County officials were quick to offer their support and assistance if needed. The atomic plant being built and operated at Piketon added certainty to the idea that the government was involved in creating and building a secret military installation to protect its atomic technology.

By the end of 1954, there were two surveying crews checking property lines on an estimated 4500 acres that had been optioned by the company. A separate company began work early the next year to test if the soil and water supplies were suitable for construction and operation of the facility. The over-all plan called for gas turbine jet engine testing to begin by midsummer.

For the most part, GE's intentions were being kept confidential. Competition was fierce with well over twenty companies world-wide with interests in the jet engine field. The use of military air power had been essential in bringing an end to World War II and many advancements in aircraft were still in the development stage. Major industries in the U.S. were being encouraged by the government to continue and even expand their experimentation, particularly when it came to defensive aircraft.

Cochran also reported that an initial cost of operations for the first year had been budgeted at $250,000 with a payroll of 25 to 30 persons. Most of those present at the meeting were pleased that the Peebles area had been chosen for the test plant, but were disappointed that a relatively few number of jobs would be available. In comparison, The Atomic Energy Commission Plant being built in Pike County was a multi-million dollar project that was expected to eventually have 4,100 permanent employees.

Viewing a photo of GE's Evendale plant are, left to right, Peebles Mayor Eugene

Schwartz, Adams County Engineer Fred Zimmerman, Adams County Com-

missioners Charles Foster, Carlos Thoroman and Lawrence Moore.

By the middle of February, 1955, most of the land options were closed and their ownership had been transferred to General Electric. Work began to transform a farmhouse into a temporary command center for the testing equipment. A concrete slab was constructed to hold the engines and their support structures during testing. A concrete wall was installed to protect the delicate electronic instruments from the sound and vibrations. A direct telephone line to the Evendale facility was installed to relay data between the two locations. R. H. Peake of the communications department said the facilities were temporary with testing to begin as soon as possible in order to meet a March deadline.

Among the first employees to be hired at the plant were security guards. Applications were taken for men to work as guards on horseback. The engine tests were to start before the entire acreage could be enclosed by fencing. A series of questions were said to be on the application including: Do you like horses? Do horses like you? Do you know which end of the horse to feed?

Initially, the mounted security patrol consisted of two Palominos and a Buckskin equipped with new bridles, saddles, saddle bags and field radios for contact with the security office. The patrolmen were: security chief James Vineyard, a former shift captain at the GE Evendale plant, Henry Hansgen, Herman Skidmore and Byron Ewick. In their uniforms of green tunics, gray breeches and white hats, they covered the hills and valleys of the 4,500 acre site watching for fires or for those who may have been trespassing into the area. Each man had been appointed by the county court as a “special deputy sheriff for the purpose of protecting and keeping the peace on the property of General Electric Company in Adams County.” Others who were also appointed to the security detail included: Thomas R. Hughes, Ralph W. Stern, Byron E. Baker, Harlan E. Smith, Richard A. McCleese, William L. Mitchell, Gerald D. Shupert and Guy L. Nichols.

The GE security patrolmen and their horses were called upon to

help with security matters and parking at The World Plowing

Matches held at Peebles in 1957.

GE was well aware of the need for fire fighting equipment and personnel in the remote location, particularly if brush fires were to become involved. The facility had its own fire pumper, hose and fire fighting chemicals. Under the instruction of Lt. L.F. Metz, of the Evendale Plant's Fire Department, all GE employees were trained in fire fighting through a program provided by The Trade and Industrial Vocational Service of the Ohio State Department of Education. Members of the Peebles Volunteer Fire Department also took part in the special training so as to be equipped whenever and wherever called upon to assist. Those from the village department who qualified and received certificates were: Truman Atkins, William Applegate, Kenneth Armstrong, Olen Bailey, Raymond Brodbeck, Paul Butler, Bud Davis, Clifford Edwards, Steve Green, Robert Neill, Glenn Russell, Charles Ryan and Charles Stratton.

The first, in April 1955.

More stories of the people and places of Adams County and scholarship opportunities can be found at The Adams County Community Foundation website www.accfo.org and on its Facebook page.