Ground was broken on the 4,160-acre (1,700 ha) naval reservation in March 1942,[3] and its first phase opened in early August;[4] by September the base had a population of 55,000, making it the largest "city" in the state.

[8][9][10][11][12] The installation was formally activated in mid-September;[13][14] a few days later, it was visited by President Roosevelt, part of a nationwide tour which was kept secret until he returned to the White House.

Commander Henry T. McMaster, supervisor of support services at the station, contracted photographer Ross Hall to produce group and portrait photos of all recruits and companies.

[19] The Drill Hall at the base was shipped to Colorado after the war and became the University of Denver Arena,[38] which served for nearly a half century as the home of DU Pioneers ice hockey.

[citation needed] The Navy has maintained a presence on Lake Pend Oreille at Bayview with its Acoustic Research Detachment, part of the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

In the deep (1,150 feet (350 m)) and isolated waters of Lake Pend Oreille, scaled-down prototypes of submarines are tested; a free-field ocean-like environment is available without the problems and costs.