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Fort Crowder
Fort Crowder was a U.S. Army post located in Newton and McDonald counties in southwest Missouri, constructed and used during World War II.
Camp Crowder was a military installation named in honor of Major General Enoch H. Crowder, a native Missourian who was the provost marshal of the United States during World War I and author of the Selective Service Act of 1917. The camp, located south of Neosho, Missouri in an area originally named Pools Prairie, was established in 1941.
The Army selected the Neosho site for the post due to its proximity to water, a cross roads to two major railroads (Kansas City Southern and the Frisco railroads), and two major U.S. highways (US 71 running north–south and US 60 and US 66, running east–west). Originally it was to serve as an armor training center. As it was constructed, it was re-designated 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. The post also served as an infantry replacement center and had a German prisoner of war camp.
By 1943 the army had acquired 42,786.41 acres (173.2 km2), 66.9 sq. mi. in Newton and McDonald counties.
Carl Reiner was stationed at Camp Crowder in the 1940s and when he created the 1960s-era The Dick Van Dyke Show, he made the post the setting where Rob and Laura Petrie, portrayed by actors Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, met; Rob was a sergeant in Special Services and Laura was a USO dancer. Cartoonist Mort Walker was also stationed there and drew inspiration for Camp Swampy of his Beetle Bailey comic strip. Jean Shepherd featured many stories of his time at Camp Crowder in various monologues. The post is also notable as the birthplace of landmark LabVIEW programmer Michael Porter.
In 1946, the post was deactivated and placed in a caretaker status. While the core of the post was retained, many of the wood temporary barracks were declared surplus and sold in a June 1946 public sale held by the U.S. War Assets Administration. The base's movie theatre was disassembled and reassembled on the campus of what is today the University of Missouri – Kansas City where it was the University of Kansas City Playhouse until being torn down for a new theatre. A walled patio and fireplace with masks of Comedy and Tragedy were built near the theater and are still landmarks on the university campus.
Two buildings were bought, disassembled, and moved to Sulphur Springs, Benton County, Arkansas: the Camp Crowder Gymnasium, and the gym at the Sulphur Springs Old School Complex Historic District.
In the early 1950s, local congressman Dewey Jackson Short, (R-7th District of Missouri) senior member of the House Armed Services Committee secured authorization and initial funding to build two permanent barracks and a disciplinary barracks and reactivate the post as a permanent installation, Fort Crowder. Beginning as a reception center for newly inducted draftees and enlistments who were issued the initial uniform clothing allowance and transferred to other army posts for initial testing and subsequent assignment to a basic training command. Short tried to have it designated a permanent home for the Army's military police training school.
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Fort Crowder
Fort Crowder was a U.S. Army post located in Newton and McDonald counties in southwest Missouri, constructed and used during World War II.
Camp Crowder was a military installation named in honor of Major General Enoch H. Crowder, a native Missourian who was the provost marshal of the United States during World War I and author of the Selective Service Act of 1917. The camp, located south of Neosho, Missouri in an area originally named Pools Prairie, was established in 1941.
The Army selected the Neosho site for the post due to its proximity to water, a cross roads to two major railroads (Kansas City Southern and the Frisco railroads), and two major U.S. highways (US 71 running north–south and US 60 and US 66, running east–west). Originally it was to serve as an armor training center. As it was constructed, it was re-designated 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. The post also served as an infantry replacement center and had a German prisoner of war camp.
By 1943 the army had acquired 42,786.41 acres (173.2 km2), 66.9 sq. mi. in Newton and McDonald counties.
Carl Reiner was stationed at Camp Crowder in the 1940s and when he created the 1960s-era The Dick Van Dyke Show, he made the post the setting where Rob and Laura Petrie, portrayed by actors Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, met; Rob was a sergeant in Special Services and Laura was a USO dancer. Cartoonist Mort Walker was also stationed there and drew inspiration for Camp Swampy of his Beetle Bailey comic strip. Jean Shepherd featured many stories of his time at Camp Crowder in various monologues. The post is also notable as the birthplace of landmark LabVIEW programmer Michael Porter.
In 1946, the post was deactivated and placed in a caretaker status. While the core of the post was retained, many of the wood temporary barracks were declared surplus and sold in a June 1946 public sale held by the U.S. War Assets Administration. The base's movie theatre was disassembled and reassembled on the campus of what is today the University of Missouri – Kansas City where it was the University of Kansas City Playhouse until being torn down for a new theatre. A walled patio and fireplace with masks of Comedy and Tragedy were built near the theater and are still landmarks on the university campus.
Two buildings were bought, disassembled, and moved to Sulphur Springs, Benton County, Arkansas: the Camp Crowder Gymnasium, and the gym at the Sulphur Springs Old School Complex Historic District.
In the early 1950s, local congressman Dewey Jackson Short, (R-7th District of Missouri) senior member of the House Armed Services Committee secured authorization and initial funding to build two permanent barracks and a disciplinary barracks and reactivate the post as a permanent installation, Fort Crowder. Beginning as a reception center for newly inducted draftees and enlistments who were issued the initial uniform clothing allowance and transferred to other army posts for initial testing and subsequent assignment to a basic training command. Short tried to have it designated a permanent home for the Army's military police training school.