Camp Bowie Boulevard
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1917-18, this roadway was the main artery through Camp Bowie, a World War I training center. Narrow strips of asphalt paving flanked streetcar tracks that ran the length of the avenue, then called Arlington Heights Boulevard. After the war, business and residential development spread into this area. In 1919 the street was renamed Camp Bowie Boulevard. In 1927-28, like many of the major thoroughfares in Ft. Worth, it was paved with durable Thurber bricks. Today this street is a reminder of Ft. Worth's heritage and a source of pride to area residents. (1979)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1917-18 this avenue—then Arlington Heights Boulevard—was the main artery through Camp Bowie, a sprawling World War I training center, its asphalt strips flanking streetcar tracks. After the war, development spread in, the street was renamed Camp Bowie Boulevard in 1919, and in 1927-28 it was paved with the durable Thurber bricks that still evoke the era.
Why it matters
The boulevard is a living remnant of the World War I training camps that transformed American cities and mobilized a generation of soldiers.
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Related events
- · Camp Bowie
- · World War I
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Camp Bowie in World War I
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After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Camp Bowie rose on an undeveloped Fort Worth suburb to train the 36th Division—Texas and Oklahoma National Guardsmen—named for Alamo commander James Bowie. By November 1917 some 25,000 men drilled here, and in July 1918 they shipped to France, where they helped capture St. Etienne-A-Arnes and fought in the Meuse-Argonne offensive that broke the German line. The division returned home by mid-1919, and the camp reverted to civilian use.
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