Jefferson Barracks (Lemay, Missouri, Missouri)
Lemay, Missouri · Missouri · Multiple conflicts including Black Hawk War, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II
History & Significance
On July 10, 1826, Jefferson Barracks was established approximately 10 miles south of St. Louis as the first permanent U.S. military post west of the Mississippi River. In 1827 the military post was formally named Jefferson Barracks in honor of President Thomas Jefferson who had died the year before.
Originally conceived as an Infantry School of Practice, Jefferson Barracks was designed to provide hands-on training that would complement the academic instruction offered at West Point. Troops from Jefferson Barracks played a significant role in the Black Hawk War—an early conflict aimed at securing the expanding western frontier, particularly in present-day Iowa and northwestern Illinois.
In August 1832, Black Hawk, the renowned leader of the Sauk and Fox tribes, was captured along with his followers and imprisoned at Jefferson Barracks. Jefferson Barracks became a major military post during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) when it served as a rest and supply station for most U.S. troops deploying to Mexico, and upon the return of the triumphant U.S. forces in 1848, many were deployed to Jefferson Barracks due to its strategic location and healthful situation.
By the time the Civil War hospital complex was complete, it could hold 3,000 patients, and by the end of the war, well over 18,000 soldiers had been treated at Jefferson Barracks Hospital. On March 2, Captain Albert Berry became the first person ever to successfully parachute from a moving airplane, piloted by Antony "Tony" Jannus, jumping from an altitude of 2,000 feet and landing safely on the parade field at Jefferson Barracks.
In 1940, Jefferson Barracks had become the first Army Air Corps Replacement and Training base in the U.S., in addition to its traditional role as an induction and processing center for recruits from the Eastern half of Missouri. Jefferson Barracks was decommissioned as a military post in 1946 with the end of World War II.
In 1998, Jefferson Barracks was named to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2002, The Missouri Civil War Museum was founded, which finished restoration in 2013, and is now located in the old 1905 Post Exchange and Gymnasium Building.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Restored barracks and period buildings from 1826
- Multiple museums covering military history from Indian Wars through WWII
- National Cemetery with thousands of graves
- Mississippi River setting and parade grounds
- Civil War-era hospital facilities
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Barracks_Military_Post
- https://www.nps.gov/places/jefferson-barracks.htm
- https://mcwm.org/our-story/jefferson-barracks/
- https://jbhf.org/history
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=180479
- https://www.tclf.org/jefferson-barracks