Old Camp Wolters
Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established in 1925, Camp Wolters was named for Brigadier General Jacob F. Wolters, commander of the 56th Brigade for the National Guard, and designated a summer training site for horse-mounted cavalry units. The city of Mineral Wells donated fifty acres of land, and later thousands of acres were leased for the camp. By 1927 one thousand officers and men and the same number of horses were encamped here. In 1933 a Civilian Conservation Corps company set up camp at the National Guard barracks and made improvements at the camp and to the city park. In 1940 Camp Wolters was selected as a major training base for the National Military Draft. During World War II, the camp became an important infantry replacement training center on 7,500 acres of leased land with a troop capacity that reached a peak of 24,973. The internationally famous "F" Troop of World War II was one of the mounted units that trained here. German prisoners of war also were housed at the camp. After the war's end, the camp was deactivated by the army. The original Old Camp Wolters site was returned to the National Guard and used for local purposes until 1965. (1997)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Established in 1925 and named for National Guard general Jacob F. Wolters, this camp began as a summer training ground for horse-mounted cavalry, with Mineral Wells donating the first fifty acres. Through the 1930s a Civilian Conservation Corps company improved the grounds, and in 1940 the site was chosen as a major training base for the national draft. During World War II it swelled into an infantry replacement center holding nearly 25,000 troops, and it also housed German prisoners of war.
Why it matters
Camp Wolters traces the American military's rapid transformation from horse cavalry to the mass mobilization of World War II, all on ground donated by a small Texas town.
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Related people
- · Jacob F. Wolters
Related events
- · World War II
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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