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Soon after the United States' entry into World War I in 1917, the U. S. Army established 34 training camps to prepare troops for warfare. Named for Gen. John A. Logan, Mexican War and Civil War veteran and U. S. Senator from Illinois, Camp Logan was established at this site on July 18, 1917. Encompassing 7,600 acres of land, it consisted of a main camp, auxiliary remount depot, rifle range, artillery range, and drill grounds. During construction, members of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry (black troops commanded by white officers) were assigned to the camp as guards and were stationed about a mile to the east. The black soldiers' August 23, 1917, armed revolt in response to Houston's Jim Crow laws and police harassment resulted in the camp's most publicized incident, the "Houston Mutiny and Riot of 1917." Troops receiving training at Camp Logan included the 33rd Division, composed of the Illinois National Guard, part of the 93rd Division, and other Regular Army units. Following training, they went on to serve in battle in France in 1918. Camp Logan closed on March 20, 1919. Part of the land later became Memorial Park, named in tribute to the soldiers who fought in Europe. |
