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History of Midway
Officially discovered on July 5, 1859, by Captain N.C. Brooks, the island was initially named "Middle Brook Islands." However, Brooks kept the discovery to himself. Historians believe he kept the island secret so that he could sell it to the North Pacific Mail and Steam Ship Company, which was looking for a mid-Pacific coal depot for their vessels crossing to the Orient. Rumors of the island's existence spread nevertheless, and in 1876 the U.S. government sent out Captain William Reynolds, in command of the U.S.S. Lukawana. On August 28, 1876, Captain Reynolds took formal possession of the islands and renamed them Sand and Eastern. The outer harbor he named Welles Harbor, after the secretary of the Navy, and the roadstead he named Seward Roads, after the secretary of state. Several large vessels met their fate on the coral reefs that surround the islands. Among them were the fishing schooner General Siegel. It was at anchor in Welles Harbor on November 16, 1876 when it was hit by sudden gale winds and literally went to pieces on the reef. The 467-ton schooner Wandering Minstrel met with a similar fate in January of 1877. On October 22, 1903, the Julia E. Whalen schooner was dashed to pieces on the reef, and a vessel carrying a large load of coal from New Castle to Honolulu went down on December 28, 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order in 1903 which placed Midway under the jurisdiction and control of the United States Navy. Foreign poachers and pirates were ejected, and in 1908 Midway was annexed to become the first island belonging to the United States beyond its continental shores. B. W. Colley, an official of the Pacific Cable Company, had been appointed Naval custodian and Justice of the Peace in 1903. He was in charge of directing the Pacific Cable Company's efforts in transforming the barren Sand Island into a habitat for people. The effort took 32 years! Plants, topsoil, horses, cows, and poultry were imported; grass from California was planted on the beaches to hold the sand in place; and ironwood trees were brought in from Australia. Finally in 1935, the Gooneyville Lodge was built to quarter passengers of Pan American Airways' flying clippers. Midway lagoon became the first stop from Hawaii to points east. The Hawaii Dredging Company was contracted in 1938 to carry out a million-dollar channel dredging operation to make Welles Harbor approachable. The company eventually removed 3 million cubic yards of material. The U.S.S Swan, a mine sweeper-type of aircraft tender, was the first vessel to safely enter the Midway lagoon. The Naval Air Station began construction in March 1940 with the arrival of the U.S.S. Sirsu. On August 1, 1941, with Commander C. T. Simard as commanding officer of the island, Midway was officially commissioned as a Naval Air Station. Runways were built to accommodate air traffic on both Sand and Eastern. However, in 1941 more ominous things laid in store. History records that on December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan in a surprise attack. But Midway, too, came under heavy fire by a Japanese raiding party of four ships. The Americans held fast and returned the fire. First Lieutenant George H. Cannon of the United States Marine Corps, refusing to leave his post, was killed by enemy shell fire and died from severe blood loss. The Japanese ships were forced to withdraw with severe casualties. Cannon became the first marine of World War II to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Later, when the first school was built on Midway, it was named for this stalwart man. The Battle of Midway In June of 1942, a large Japanese task force approached Midway with intentions of taking the island. Its strategic location was recognized as a valued prize by the Japanese forces, and an all-out attack was mounted, causing heavy damage to nearly all of the above-ground facilities on Midway. However, the United States stood its ground; the Japanese were met by aircraft carriers and other Midway-based aircraft. The ensuing battle ended in a crushing defeat for the Japanese and marked the turning point of the war in the Pacific. The air raid tunnels that were constructed during this time remained for several decades after the war, serving as a visual reminder to all Midway's residents of the importance this tiny island had played in recent history. Settlement of Midway The years that followed World War II saw Midway evolve from critical war outpost to Navy caretaker status. Midway became an important refueling stop for military aircraft and ships, particularly for submarines based at Pearl Harbor. Construction projects provided new housing, a galley, a chapel, a commissary and base exchange, a school, and other vital and/or recreational buildings. Military personnel with orders to Midway and who had a rank of at least E-5 were entitled to bring their dependents. As the island became populated, there were often long waiting periods for permanent housing. On August 13, 1946, the first birth was recorded on Midway. In April of 1953, KMTH radio was established as a branch of AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Television Service), with KMTH television service commencing in the early 1960s. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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