The Seneca Army Depot: Fighting Wars from the New York Home Front

by Walter Gable, Carolyn Zogg

Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States began to prepare to enter World War II. When the army decided to build a depot in Seneca County in 1941, dozens of families were given only days to vacate the homes they loved and land they had farmed for generations. The depot provided vital jobs for residents, but it also continued to cause controversy even after it was established--all while providing critical support for the army through the Persian Gulf War. Since the base closed in 2000, the community has grappled with what to do with the property, including protecting the area population of white deer. Join local historians Carolyn Zogg and Walter Gable as they tell the story of the Seneca Army Depot and the lives it has affected.

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2012

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and concise historic account of the creation, usage, and termination of the Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, New York. The authors step lightly into this saga and try to touch on all subjects yet leave the reader feeling there is more to the story.

A valid attempt nonetheless, but many details were not included and it seemed many events documented by the authors were vague. Overall, it was difficult as the reader to find any connection with the text since it was written as a textbook with very little emotion or expression of opinions. I did find the Appendix to contain many first hand accounts by eye witnesses that were interviewed to be very interesting and give a better sense of what the depot meant to various people who were affected by it both positively and negatively.