Through the years....

It was May 1941 in the Bluegrass State. The Great Depression had loosened its grip on the country, Whirlaway had just won the Kentucky Derby, and most people thought that the war was still a European issue.

Farmers near Avon, Kentucky, were well into preparation for their summer's work, but the War Department in Washington, D.C., had other ideas. The tobacco patches, corn fields, and bluegrass pasture would soon give way to warehouses, soldiers' barracks, and buildings for testing radio and radar equipment. The Lexington Army Depot was coming to Kentucky.

The Army began construction in Avon on July 1, 1941. The Lexington Signal Depot, later called the Lexington Army Depot, was established by Department of War General Order No. 6, dated June 25, 1941. The depot was built on 782 acres of Central Kentucky farmland, located in the eastern section of Fayette County. The base soon grew to include the administration building, eight 130,000 square feet brick warehouses, the motor pool, power plant, and 40 temporary structures.

The Depot's mission during World War II consisted of a variety of duties, including storage and shipment of supplies and ammunition, testing of radio equipment, and development of new technologies. Those stationed at the Lexington Army Depot made many valuable contributions to the war effort through their duties.

A Little Known Fact

Approximately 35 German Prisoners of War (POWs) were brought to the depot in February 1945 to construct barracks to be used to house other POWs that were to follow. Approximately 275 German prisoners were held in these barracks. During this time they were used to process unserviceable wire, load and unload supplies, and maintain roads and grounds. The prisoners were moved to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, in February 1946.

Women Roll'em Up

As it was with most of the nation, women played an important role in the depot’s wartime effort. Their duties ranged from forklift operation and maintenance to guarding the installation. Stepping up to the task, these women proved they were more than merely adequate as they filled in for the men who were fighting overseas.

One of the many characters immortalized during the war was "Rosie the Riveter". Rosie became a symbol for all American women who sacrificed at home to support those in uniform.

The base's mission after World War II was expanded to include use as a storage depot for materials and supplies.  During the 1950’s and 60’s, the depot continued to provide support for our troops overseas in the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War.

The 1950's were a decade of expansion for the Lexington Signal Depot. As the base celebrated its tenth anniversary it was fast becoming a major source of income for many Central Kentucky families. Of the $14 million in operating expenses, over $10 million of this was paid in workers' salaries and the rest was pumped into the local economy.

Plans were underway in August 1951 to double the size of the "under roof" warehouse capacity and build a signal maintenance shop with a price tag of $5.5 million. 

The first comercial teleprinter was installed in the signal office by the Western Union Company on May 13, 1954, at no charge to the government. October 1957 saw the installation of the IBM650 intermediate data processing computer system.

The depot participated in research and development of new technologies that were used throughout the military, in addition to its regular duties. The first Nucleonics Laboratory in the U.S. Army was opened in November 1958. Its purpose was to develop equipment that could detect and measure radiation in the event of a nuclear explosion. The Avionics Crew, a division of the Maintenance Branch, refitted and updated military aircraft with UHF and FM communications equipment.

The Lexington Army Depot merged with the Bluegrass Depot in Richmond, Kentucky, in August 1964, thus creating the Lexington-Bluegrass Army Depot (LBAD). It remained the LBAD until December 1988, when the Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission announced the closure of the Lexington Facility.

Some of the operations were moved to the Richmond Facility, which was renamed the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD).  Ownership of the Lexington part of LBAD was passed on to the State of Kentucky. Many people confuse the two facilities due to the name changes. The Richmond Facility is the active military installation that stores weapons, not Bluegrass Station.