On May 4, 1900, the
U.S. Navy acquired 4.3 acres of land in Satala to create a cemetery for its personnel. This site holds historical importance as the first Western cemetery in American Samoa and is notable for including civilians and often non-Samoans alongside naval members. In 2006,
Satala Cemetery was officially listed on the
U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1946, the first
Seventh-day Adventist Church in American Samoa was built at Satala. In 1951, the first Seventh-day Adventist elementary school in the territory was established at Satala. In 1968, the new Marina Railway at Satala opened, built to service ships up to 800 tons and aimed at servicing the fast-growing Oriental fishing fleets. As the Satala Power Plant was destroyed by the
2009 tsunami, a new power plant was built and dedicated in May 2017. The new plant is quieter and located on higher ground than the previous plant. The multimillion-dollar project had a total cost of $56 million and three funding sources: $36.5 million from the U.S.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), $17.5 million from insurance proceeds, and $2.5 million from the
American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA).
Ronald Reagan Shipyard underwent four months of repairs in 2018, funded with $1 million from federal Capital Improvement Project monies. The repairs came after “30-plus years of the slipway being neglected”, according to American Samoa Shipyard Service Authority CEO Moefa’auo Bill Emmsley. The improvements were designed to alleviate bigger vessels from having to travel afar for required repairs. ==See also==