Fort Des Moines (3)

Fort Des Moines (3) (1901-Present) - A U.S. Army post established in 1901 as a cavalry post in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. Active military installation.

Fort Des Moines (3) History

Authorized on 4 Apr 1900 and formally dedicated on 13 Nov 1903. Built out as a an open plan brick fort on a treeless pasture. Housed infantry and cavalry units until World War I. In 1917 it became a Officer Training School for black officer candidates. As the war came to an end it was converted to a hospital for returning veterans.

Fort Des Moines 1904 Plan

During World War II the post became a training center for the Women's Army Corps (WAC). The post expanded with over 170 new buildings to house 65,000 enlisted women and 7,000 officers.

The post was officially deactivated in May 1946 but was reactivated in 1958. The post now houses Army Reserve and other federal tennants.

Current Status

Active military installation in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa

---

{"selectable":false,"width":"500"}

Location: Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. Maps & Images Lat: 41.52546 Long: -93.61559 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....'

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 285

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Des Moines
• Wikipedia - Fort Des Moines]
• NPS - Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School

Visited: No

Fort Des Moines (3) Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!