How it happened

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I first came to town in 1966 and the population was estimated then at about 125,000. In 1960 it had been just over 70,000 I think and around 14,000 in 1950. So yes, the space age made it grow (if you include Army missiles as being part of the space age). Now the city of Huntsville is nearing 200,000 and tiny little Madison is almost 50,000. Monrovia would be one of the larger towns in the state if they incorporated.

In the '70s and even into the '80s there were a LOT of people opposed to building 565 ... "we've already got a 4-lane ... why do we need anything else?". Can you imagine what traffic would be like now if it had never been built?

And it's going to continue to get worse. When Hwy 72 (University Drive) was being expanded some years ago, it should have been made into a freeway, maybe I-765. Might be a bit late for that now with all the businesses that have built there.

Before NASA was formed in 1858 the Army's missiles were the U.S.'s space program. In fact the first rocket the U.S. put in orbit was done by the Army. After NASA was created most of the Army's civilian rocket engineers went to work for NASA.

One big problem with the Parkway is that the service roads do not span its entire length. The Parkway would be less congested if this were not so.

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by Keeper

In the mid 60s there were no apartments and very few rental houses. We rented an old house on Battle Dr. NW back then we were lucky to find a place to live. We then bought a house in SW Huntsville.

In the early 90's we lived only a few blocks from there. In 3 years there were 3 accidents in front of our house caused by 3 drunk drivers. I guess a lot of intoxicated drivers used Meadow Drive to try and stay off University Drive. I now live in SW Huntsville near Bob Wallace. This is the one of best places I have ever lived in Huntsville.

[r x f]

Originally Posted by Keeper

I lived in Huntsville in the mid 60s and it was a very safe place to live. We lived for a while right off of Patton Road in a small subdivision right at the gate of the arsenal.

My family owns several homes/apartments a stone's throw from there. Grandfather built his house there and the first few buildings during the 60s in his spare time while working on the Arsenal. Apparently it was much nicer back then and the renters were soldiers and their families until housing stipends were increased and they moved on to bigger and better places.
I lived in an apartment there about 10 years ago while saving $$$ for a house. Friends would poke fun at me for living in the 'ghetto' but violent crime in the immediate area was non-existent and pretty much all property crime was from 'friends'. Not nearly as bad as people think.

[maillemaker]

Before NASA was formed in 1858 the Army's missiles were the U.S.'s space program.

Man and I thought the Confederacy was hurting for technology!

[catfishin2000]

Originally Posted by MisterEd51

Before NASA was formed in 1858 the Army's missiles were the U.S.'s space program. In fact the first rocket the U.S. put in orbit was done by the Army. After NASA was created most of the Army's civilian rocket engineers went to work for NASA.

.

The Army formed the ABMA for it's rocket program. When NASA was being formed, some ABMA folks could choose to go to either NASA or MICOM (now MDA). Others were just placed in one or the other.


At MSFC, there are still old cabinets and workbenches with the ABMA tag on them.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by catfishin2000

The Army formed the ABMA for it's rocket program. When NASA was being formed, some ABMA folks could choose to go to either NASA or MICOM (now MDA). Others were just placed in one or the other.


At MSFC, there are still old cabinets and workbenches with the ABMA tag on them.

There is a historical depository of documents from the ABMA/ APOLLO era that is a national treasure at UAH. It was collected & made available by David Christensen <sp?> who worked for Von Braun at ABMA during the APOLLO program. David was the designer who came up with the 1st Saturn rocket configuration using existing & available parts because they were given a very tight schedule to put the rocket together.

This is what was told to me by David. Initially the space launch project was given to the Navy in a space race against the then-Soviet Union. The Soviet has beat us by launching the Sputnik that went around the Earth first. Our fear was if they can go around the Earth then surely they can drop nuclear weapon right on top of us! Anyway, the Navy had a launch failure which put us further behind schedule. Von Braun took this opportunity to make his case claiming he can launch his rocket in a short time. The decision was then made to give Army ABMA a chance. This was the start of Huntsville space program.

David had unfortunately retired and moved to Texas. But several Apollo era engineers that retired are volunteering their time as tour guide at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. They are really our national treasure. Y'all should take advantage of that and go there & talk to these legends of our space programs.

[Satertek]

Originally Posted by catfishin2000

The Army formed the ABMA for it's rocket program. When NASA was being formed, some ABMA folks could choose to go to either NASA or MICOM (now MDA). Others were just placed in one or the other.

Just to nitpick, MICOM became AMCOM after the 1995 BRAC (Merged with ATCOM from St. Louis).

MDA is a separate DOD entity and are not Army.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by maillemaker

Man and I thought the Confederacy was hurting for technology!

You know why the government put them German rocket scientists in the middle of Deep South, don't ya?

That's so any Russian spy come all the way here will be spotted before they reached Huntsville. Also if these scientists decided to escape, they'd be eaten alive by the Alabama mosquitos before they can reach the shores