Fort Crowder (Neosho, Newton County, Missouri)
Neosho, Newton County · Missouri · World War II
History & Significance
Construction began in August 1941, approximately three miles southeast of Neosho. Originally planned as an armor training center, it was redesignated as a U.S. Army Signal Corps replacement training center, an Army Service Forces training center, and an officer candidate preparatory school—the first of its kind at any military installation.
At its peak, Camp Crowder covered over 42,000 acres and housed up to 47,000 soldiers. Training began in early 1942, even while construction crews were still finishing buildings, with the camp formally dedicated on April 11, 1942.
Approximately 2,000 German prisoners of war, many captured in North Africa, were held at Camp Crowder after arriving in 1943. In 1946, the post was deactivated and placed in caretaker status.
In the early 1950s, U.S. Representative Dewey Short secured funding to reopen the facility, and Fort Crowder received its first military prisoners on August 4, 1953, operating as a U.S. Disciplinary Barracks. The USDB closed on January 31, 1958. From 1957 to 1968, Air Force Plant 65 tested rocket engines for the Atlas, Thor, Saturn, Mercury, and Gemini programs.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Crowder
- https://armyhistory.org/camp-enoch-h-crowder-missouri/
- https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Archives/manuscripts/RG998_MS262.pdf
- https://www.clarkfuneralhomes.com/page/when-the-war-came-to-neosho-the-story-of-camp-crowder
- https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/fort-crowder-conservation-area