California State Military Department

The California State Military Museum

Preserving California's Military Heritage

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Historic California Posts, Stations and Airfields

Camp Seaside

The 251st Coast Artillery Regiment of the California National Guard (CNG) first utilized Seaside Park (assumed by lease) in 1930 as the site of their 2-week annual field training. The local CNG unit (i.e.,196th Field Artillery Regiment) acquired portions of the site (namely the warehouse and Pavilion) for full-time use from the County of Ventura by lease agreement on 1 May 1936. Conditions of the lease agreement between the 196th and the County included use of the Pavilion by the 251St Coast Artillery during their annual training. Formal occupancy of the entire Park (approximately 42 acres) by the 251st occurred by lease agreement between the County of Ventura and the War Department on 17 August 1940, just prior to its change to Federal Service (Army).

As a mobile anti-aircraft artillery unit, the use of the site-in the 1930s by the 251st Coast Artillery Regiment was predominantly bivouac training. Artillery practice for anti-aircraft guns as well as 37 mm automatic rifles and .50-caliber machine guns was conducted off site.

Authorized use of the park by the 196th Field Artillery Regiment (later redesignated to the 144th) as the local National Guard unit included the use of the Pavilion as an armory and drill hall, and the warehouse for truck storage. During World War II, the site was used as the command post for all the artillery batteries and searchlight units between Point Mugu and Santa Barbara. Improvements during the War included the construction of a number of buildings (barracks, small mess halls with unlined grease traps, tent houses), three grease racks, an incinerator, and numerous gravel roads.

Use of the Pavilion and warehouse by the 144th Field Artillery Regiment, subsequent to original lease, was terminated on 17 March 1941, due to federalization of the unit. The lease of the site by the War Department was terminated on 15 May 1945. No improvements remain from military use of the site. The present use of the site is primarily for the annual agricultural fair but also includes other weekend exhibits and expositions.

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers

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