They took their complaints to Governor Henry Hooper Blood, but the War Department pressed on with the development of the bombing range. Ranchers protested the loss of their grazing land, which they claimed would wipe them out and cost the state of Utah $1.5 million annually.
By that time a total of 1,822,000 acres (737,000 ha) had been acquired for the base and associated gunnery/bombing range 86 miles (138 km) long and 18 to 36 miles (29 to 58 km) wide. Wendover Air Base became a subpost of Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City on 29 July 1941. Ĭonstruction of the base began on 20 September 1940 and on the range on 4 November 1940. Though isolated, the area was served by the Western Pacific Railroad, and many of its citizens were employed by the railroad. The area near the town of Wendover was well-suited to these needs the land was virtually uninhabited, had generally excellent flying weather, and the nearest large city ( Salt Lake City) was 100 miles (160 km) away (Wendover had around 100 citizens at the time). Wendover Air Force Base's history began in 1940, when the United States Army began looking for additional bombing ranges.
