Fort D.A. Russell
Marfa, Presidio County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Originally named Camp Marfa, this installation began as a supply post for U. S. Army border patrol stations in 1911. It was a cavalry camp during the years of the Mexican Revolution. Renamed for Civil War general David Allen Russell, it became a permanent Army post in 1929. Deactivated at the end of 1933, it was reopened in 1935 with artillery units. During World War II Fort Russell became an army training camp, and was home to a chemical warfare battalion as well as German prisoners of war. The fort was officially closed in October 1946. (1989)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Begun in 1911 as Camp Marfa, this remote West Texas post first supplied Army units patrolling the border during the upheavals of the Mexican Revolution. Renamed for Civil War general David Allen Russell, it became a permanent installation in 1929 and, after a brief closure, reopened with artillery units. During World War II it swelled into a training camp that hosted a chemical warfare battalion and German prisoners of war before closing for good in 1946.
Why it matters
Fort D.A. Russell traces the U.S. Army's changing missions across the twentieth century—border security, mechanized artillery, and a global war fought even in the Texas desert.
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Related people
- · David Allen Russell
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Building 98, Fort D.A. Russell
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