Camp McQuaide

Camp McQuaide is a former United States Army camp located near the city of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County, California, USA. After it was closed, it redeveloped into the Monterey Bay Academy and the airfield was reopened as the Monterey Bay Academy Airport.

History
In 1926, the 63rd Coastal Artillery Regiment moved from Santa Cruz, California, to an area just east of the town of Capitola. Its camp was named for Major Joseph P. McQuaide, who was born in 1867 and graduated from Santa Clara University. He served as Chaplain of the California National Guard in the Spanish American War and World War I, and died March 29, 1924. By 1938, noise from target practice annoyed Capitola residents, so a more remote place was found. 379 acre were purchased farther south, on coastal farmland near the town of Watsonville. The Works Progress Administration built San Andreas road to the new site.

A small aircraft landing strip was built so airplanes could drop targets into the ocean. It became the training center of what was then the 250th artillery regiment. In September 1940, the regiment was called up to duty in Alaska. During World War II it returned for training in 1944, and then was deployed in Italy. The camp was used as a stockade for army deserters. After the end of the war, in 1948, it was converted to the private boarding school Monterey Bay Academy.