Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot facts for kids
The Jeffersonville Quartermaster Intermediate Depot (JQMD) was a large military warehouse located in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was like a huge storehouse for army supplies. It started out covering four city blocks, known as the Quadrangle. By the end of World War II, it had grown much bigger, covering ten city blocks.
The Depot's Story
Early Beginnings
After the American Civil War ended, many military supply depots were closed down. But the Jeffersonville Depot was special. It was the only one in the Ohio Valley that stayed open.
In 1871, the U.S. Army decided to build a main building to bring all its different units in Jeffersonville together. A man named Montgomery C. Meigs, who was a Quartermaster General, designed this big building. It opened in 1874.
Another famous person, Frederick Law Olmsted, also helped design the area. He is known for designing parks like Central Park in New York City. You can still see some of his ideas in the brick buildings and arched glass doorways.
A Busy Place During Wars
The depot became very important during different wars. During the Spanish–American War, the depot made 100,000 uniform shirts every month!
In World War I, this number jumped to 700,000 shirts. This amazing effort earned the depot the nickname "America's largest shirt factory."
During World War II, the depot produced a huge amount of goods for the war. It made items worth about $2.2 billion! That's a lot of supplies to help the soldiers.
The depot continued to operate during the Korean War. However, in 1957, the army decided to close the facility. It officially shut down in 1958.
New Life for the Quadrangle
After the depot closed, parts of it were bought by different groups. The original Quadrangle area became a shopping center with lower rents.
In January 1993, a fire destroyed one part of the Quadrangle. People worried that the whole facility might be torn down. To save it, the city of Jeffersonville bought the property.
In 2001, money was found to fix up the Quadrangle. A big renovation project happened between 2005 and 2006. Today, the old Quadrangle is a busy place. It has many offices, shops, and even the city hall for Jeffersonville.
