Fort Crowder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Crowder |
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|---|---|
| Neosho, Newton County, Missouri | |
| Coordinates | 36°49′6″N 94°22′10″W / 36.81833°N 94.36944°W |
| Type | Army Post |
| Site information | |
| Owner | various |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941 |
| Built by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1941–1956 |
| Demolished | 1956 |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
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Fort Crowder was an important U.S. Army base in southwest Missouri. It was built and used during World War II. The fort was located in Newton and McDonald counties.
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Building a Military Base
Camp Crowder was a military base named after Major General Enoch H. Crowder. He was from Missouri and was in charge of the United States' military police during World War I. He also wrote the law that started the draft in 1917.
The camp was built in 1941, south of Neosho, Missouri. This area was once called Pools Prairie.
Why This Location?
The Army chose the Neosho area for the base for good reasons. It had easy access to water. Also, two major railroads crossed nearby: the Kansas City Southern and the Frisco railroads. Two big U.S. highways, US 71 and US 60/66, also ran through the area.
What Was Camp Crowder For?
At first, Camp Crowder was meant to be a training center for tanks. But as it was being built, its purpose changed. It became a training center for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This group handles military communications.
It also trained soldiers for the Army Service Forces. Plus, it was the first place to offer a special school for future officers. The base also trained regular infantry soldiers. It even held German prisoners of war during the war. By 1943, the Army owned about 42,786 acres (66.9 square miles) for the camp.
Famous People at Camp Crowder
Many interesting people spent time at Camp Crowder.
- Carl Reiner was a famous writer and actor. He was stationed there in the 1940s. Later, when he created The Dick Van Dyke Show, he used Camp Crowder as the place where the main characters, Rob and Laura Petrie, met. Rob was a sergeant, and Laura was a USO dancer.
- Mort Walker, the cartoonist who created the Beetle Bailey comic strip, was also at Camp Crowder. He got ideas for his fictional "Camp Swampy" from his time there.
- Jean Shepherd, a well-known storyteller, shared many tales about his time at Camp Crowder.
- The famous LabVIEW programmer Michael Porter was born at the base.
After the War: Cold War Era
In 1946, Camp Crowder was closed down and put into "caretaker status." This meant it was being looked after but not actively used. Many of the wooden buildings were sold off. For example, the base's movie theater was taken apart. It was then rebuilt at what is now the University of Missouri – Kansas City. It served as a theater there for many years.
Some buildings were moved to Sulphur Springs, Benton County, Arkansas. This included the Camp Crowder Gymnasium.
Becoming Fort Crowder
In the early 1950s, a local politician named Dewey Jackson Short helped get money. This money was used to build new, permanent buildings. The base was then reopened as a permanent military post, called Fort Crowder. It became a place where new soldiers would arrive. They would get their uniforms and then be sent to other bases for training. Short wanted it to be the permanent home for the Army's military police training school.
The Space Age Connection
When Dewey Short lost his election in 1956, Fort Crowder lost its main supporter. It was closed again in 1958.
About 2,000 acres of the base were given to the U.S. Air Force. This land became a safety zone around Air Force Plant 65. This plant made liquid rocket engines. It was run by Rocketdyne, a part of North American Aviation. The plant had a main factory and areas for testing rocket engines.
For 16 years, starting in 1957, rocket engines for missiles like the Atlas, Thor, and Saturn were built and tested here. The facility also made and tested engines for the Mercury and Gemini space programs. This work continued until 1968.
The permanent barracks (living quarters for soldiers) from the fort were later used for Crowder College. This community college opened in 1962.
What Happened to the Land?
After the rocket engine contract ended, the remaining government land was given to a federal agency. This agency managed it until it could be sold or given away.
In the mid-1980s, parts of the old fort were given to different groups:
- The Missouri Department of Conservation now uses some land for wildlife and outdoor fun.
- The Neosho R-5 public school district uses some for an agriculture farm.
- The Missouri National Guard uses about 4,358 acres for military training.
Other parts of the land are now used for a local airport, industrial areas, and a landfill.
Environmental Concerns
Over the years, some areas of the former base have shown signs of groundwater and soil contamination. This means that harmful substances have gotten into the water and dirt. For example, a chemical called Trichloroethylene has been found. This contamination might have spread to some private water wells nearby.
The waste materials from the old Fort Crowder included fuels, oils, greases, metals, paints, and cleaning liquids. Because of these issues, this area is now a Superfund site. This means the U.S. government is working to clean up the pollution.
