Camp Fremont facts for kids
Camp Fremont was a large military base built near Palo Alto, California during World War I. It was created quickly starting in July 1917 and closed down in September 1919. The camp was named after John C. Frémont, an important US Army officer and government official from California in the 1850s.
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Building Camp Fremont
Camp Fremont was built on empty land near Palo Alto and Menlo Park. It covered more than 7,200 acres (about 29 square kilometers). The camp had about 1,125 buildings, mostly temporary wooden structures.
As the U.S. Army got ready for World War I, they realized they needed a training base on the West Coast. This base would help prepare National Guard units for combat.
Construction began on July 24, 1917. The new camp was named to honor Major General John C. Fremont, an early hero of California.
Camp Fremont in World War I
Camp Fremont was a key training spot for the National Guard's 41st Infantry Division. This division included soldiers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming. After training here, the 41st Division moved to another camp before going to fight in France.
In August 1918, the 12th Infantry was stationed at Camp Fremont.
During the fall of 1918, a serious flu pandemic spread through Camp Fremont. Sadly, 147 people at the camp died from the illness.
Later, the 8th Infantry Division moved into Camp Fremont. This division was supposed to fight in France. However, they were later sent to Russia to fight during the Siberian Intervention.
Camp Fremont also had the 332nd Auxiliary Remount Depot. This was part of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. A remount depot was a place where the army got, trained, and cared for horses and mules. These animals were then sent to army units that needed them. The depot at Camp Fremont could hold 5,000 animals and usually had about 2,300.
Famous People at Camp Fremont
Many important people in the military spent time at Camp Fremont:
- Major General William S. Graves took command of the 8th Infantry Division at Camp Fremont in 1918.
- Lieutenant General Laurin L. Williams served at Camp Fremont as a second lieutenant.
- Brigadier General James Edward Wharton was stationed at Camp Fremont early in his career during World War I.
- General John K. Cannon completed his first military training at Camp Fremont.
- Warren Grimm, a famous football player and Army officer, trained at Camp Fremont before going to Russia.
- Philip Johnston, who helped create the World War II Navajo code talker program, was a World War I veteran who trained at Camp Fremont.
Camp Closing and What Was Left
After World War I ended, Camp Fremont was no longer needed. The Army decided to close the base. The base hospital was taken over by the Public Health Service. It opened as "United States Public Health Service Hospital No. 24" on April 2, 1919. This facility was used to treat people with tuberculosis and could hold 570 patients.
The rest of the camp buildings were sold off. By January 1920, the camp was completely empty.
Many new businesses started in Menlo Park and Palo Alto to serve the soldiers at Camp Fremont. Many of these businesses stayed open even after the camp closed. Menlo Park got its first paved streets and its first public water and gas services during World War I. These were built by the 8th Division engineers.
Camp Fremont Today
The old post hospital on Willow Road in Menlo Park later became a Veterans Administration hospital. Today, it is also where Stanford University's Arbor Free Clinic is located.
Two well-known restaurants, MacArthur Park and the Oasis Beer Garden (which is now closed), were once located in buildings that were part of Camp Fremont.
