Fort Des Moines

Fort Des Moines has had a very long history in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. At one time it was considered for the Army National Headquarters. Part of the fort still serves as an active Army Reserve facility. Part of it us used for private commercial businesses, part has an apartment complex on it. And part of the fort still has the old historical buildings and parade grounds. Some of the old buildings are owned by the City of Des Moines and part of them are owned by the fort and one is even used by the Department of Corrections as a halfway house. One of the buildings, Clayton Hall has been restored and turned into the Fort Des Moines Museum. Designed to house both temporary and permanent exhibits it is serves as a great piece of history and education explaining what purpose the fort served, part of which was during a trying time for the United States. The future for the historic fort looks bright. There are plans to restore more buildings move out the DOC halfway house and turn the facility into a beautiful park for the public to enjoy.

Chronology:
A Century of Excellence:
1901 - Construction begins on the 400 acre base Fort Des Moines on Des Moines’ South Side.
1903 to 1904 - Two companies of the all-black U.S. Army 25th Infantry surprise Des Moines’ local citizens by arriving instead of white cavalry. The 25th had been stationed on the plains and was replaced by the 11th Cavalry Regiment a year later.
1907 - The 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 16th Infantry Regiment, Company K, arrive on post.
1910 - The 6th Cavalry Regiment reports for duty.
1917 - The 17th Provisional Training Regiment becomes the first officer candidate class of African-Americans in United State military history. Its 1,250 officer candidates include 1,000 college graduates and faculty and 250 non-commissioned officers. A training camp for black medical personnel joins the 17th Provisional Training Regiment later that year. Most were practicing physicians who left their businesses to join the war effort.
15 October 1917 - The successful 639 receive commissions on. Most would lead the 92nd Division on the battlefields of World War One France.
1918 - General Hospital #26 opens on the post.
1920 - The 14th Cavalry Regiment reports for training and a Citizens Military Training Camp (CMTC) trains 1,000 locals in community defense.
1922 - The 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment arrives for training. Things get loud fast.
1925 - The 9th Field Artillery Regiment joins the 2nd for training. Things get even louder.
1928 - The 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry regiment arrives for training.
1933 to 1934 - A Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp operates and the 3rd Battalion, 80th Field Artillery Regiment arrives on post.
18 June 1937 - Eventual United States President Ronald Reagan receives his commission as a second lieutenant. Where he learned to ride horses with the 14th Cavalry.
1940 - The 14th Cavalry leaves Fort Des Moines for Mexican border.
1942 - The first and largest Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps/Women’s Army Corps opened on post training 65,000 enlisted troops and 7,000 female officers for non-combat duty. Many later served in World War Two Europe and the South Pacific.
1945-1946 - A WAC separation center and a veterans housing project opened on the post.
1949 - Fort Des Moines became a U.S. Army Reserve training center and remains so today.
1976 - Fort Des Moines became an official National Historic Landmark.
5 May 1983 - Quote from President Ronald Reagan about his time at Fort Des Moines: "We shared something very special at Fort Des Moines and I think we were lucky that the horses knew what they were doing!"
1997 - Efforts were launched to build a memorial to the black officers camp which have become the Fort Des Moines Museum & Educational Center.

Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center