The Jefferson Barracks Military Post is located on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

Lemay, Missouri Lemay is a census-designated place (CDP) in south St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,645 at the 2010 census. History Lemay was named after Francois Lemai, who operated a ferry boat across the Meramec River in the e ...

, south of

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. It was an important and active

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installation west of the Mississippi River, and it is now used as a base for the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and Air National Guard. A Veterans Affairs

healthcare system Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profes ...

campus is located on the southern portion of the base and is also the headquarters for the Veterans Canteen Service.

History

Army Air Forces - Postcard - Jefferson Barracks Missouri

In 1826 General

Edmund P. Gaines Edmund Pendleton Gaines (March 20, 1777 – June 6, 1849) was a career United States Army officer who served for nearly fifty years, and attained the rank of major general by brevet. He was one of the Army's senior commanders during its format ...

(Commander of the Western Department of the Army), Brig. General Henry Atkinson (commanding officer of the sixth infantry regiment), explorer

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Miss ...

, and Missouri Governor John Miller spent several days searching the banks of the

for the perfect location for a new post to replace Fort Bellefontaine. A site near the city of "Vide Poche" or Carondelet, south of

, was recommended and then approved by Major General Jacob J. Brown, Commanding General of the Army. On July 10, 1826, two days after the deed to the land was signed, the first military troops—six officers and 245 enlisted men of Companies A, B, H and I of the 1st Infantry Regiment, commanded by Brevet Major

Stephen Watts Kearny Stephen Watts Kearny (sometimes spelled Kearney) ( ) (August 30, 1794October 31, 1848) was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significant contributions in the Mexican–American Wa ...

—arrived at the new post and started building temporary quarters that they named Cantonment Miller in honor of Governor Miller. In 1827 the military post was formally named Jefferson Barracks in honor of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

who had died the year before. Even William Clark's son, Meriwether Lewis Clark Sr., would join the ranks of Jefferson Barracks. It was also designated the first "Infantry School of Practice." The first conflict that the men of Jefferson Barracks were involved with was the Black Hawk War in 1832. Troops were deployed from Jefferson Barracks to push "hostile Indians" back into their village in present-day

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

Chief Black Hawk Black Hawk, born ''Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak'' (Sauk: ''Mahkatêwe-meshi-kêhkêhkwa'') (1767 – October 3, 1838), was a Sauk leader and warrior who lived in what is now the Midwestern United States. Although he had inherited an important his ...

was captured and brought back to Jefferson Barracks. In 1832, the United States Regiment of Dragoons were formed and stationed at Jefferson Barracks. The dragoons, trained to fight mounted or dismounted, were the first unit of permanent cavalry in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and were later called the 1st U.S. Dragoons.

Mexican–American War

Jefferson Barracks became a major military post during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

(1846–1848) when it served as a rest and supply station for most U.S. troops deploying to Mexico. Jefferson Barracks was the recruiting center for outfitting and training most of the regiments organized for the Mexican War in 1846, and upon the return of the triumphant U.S. forces in 1848, many were deployed to Jefferson Barracks due to its strategic location and healthful situation. In 1853, newly elected

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Franklin Pierce, who had served as a brigadier general during the Mexican War, appointed Jefferson Davis as his

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

. At Jefferson Barracks, in 1855, Davis soon organized the First and Second Regiments of Cavalry, known derisively as "Jeff Davis's Pets," because the commissioned personnel assigned to them were the best in the

Albert Sidney Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year military career, figh ...

served as colonel and Robert E. Lee as lieutenant colonel of the Second Regiment of Cavalry. A list of the officers of the Second Regiment of Cavalry includes some of the ablest commanders of the U.S. Civil War. The Second Regiment of Cavalry was redesignated as the Fifth Regiment of Cavalry in 1861. The 2d U.S. Dragoons were redesignated as the 2d Regiment of Cavalry in 1861 when the War Department discontinued the use of Dragoons as a unit designation.

Civil War

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

(1861–1865), Jefferson Barracks served as a military hospital for both sides and a recruitment depot for the North. In 1862 construction of the Western Sanitary Commission's hospital facilities began at Jefferson Barracks. By the time that the hospital complex was complete, it could hold 3,000 patients. By the end of the first year of the war, over 5,000 sick and wounded had been admitted and, by the end of the war, well over 18,000 soldiers had been treated at Jefferson Barracks Hospital. In 2002, The Missouri Civil War Museum was founded, which is still being restored today. The MCWM is being brought to life in the old 1905 Post Exchange Building.

Spanish–American War

With the declaration of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

in 1898, many regular army and volunteer regiments were, once again, formed and outfitted at Jefferson Barracks. Jefferson Barracks was permanently designated as a recruiting depot in 1906; it had been used intermittently as such through generations.

World War I

On March 1, 1912, Jefferson Barracks became the main base for the first experiments in aviation parachuting. Albert Berry became the first person to successfully parachute from an airplane, which was being flown by Anthony Jannus over the field. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Jefferson Barracks served as a training and recruitment station for soldiers heading to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. Jefferson Barracks was included in the Sixth Corps Area from 1920 to 1940. During the 1930s, the

Citizens Military Training Camp Citizens' Military Training Camps (CMTC) were military training programs of the United States. Held annually each summer during the years 1921 to 1940, the CMTC camps differed from National Guard and Organized Reserve training in that the program ...

or CMTC was held at Jefferson Barracks. Young men could spend one month a year at the post being trained as a soldier, and after three years they could enter the military. Also during that time the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(WPA) had camps at Jefferson Barracks.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Jefferson Barracks was a major reception center for U.S. troops being drafted into the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. It also served as an important

basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...

site for the Army, then later was the first

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

Training Site. Elements of the Central (later Eastern) Technical Training Command were stationed at the barracks. During World War II, Jefferson Barracks had a peak area of , and had billeting space for 16 officers and 1,500 enlisted persons. Jefferson Barracks was decommissioned as a military post in 1946 with the end of World War II.

Post-World War II

After Jefferson Barracks was decommissioned, portions of the grounds were sold off for construction of houses. Some of the barracks were acquired by the St. Louis County Housing Authority as temporary low-cost housing. Those were demolished in the 1960s and replaced by the current Jefferson Townhomes development. Bishop DuBourg High School was located on the Jefferson Barracks property for several years in the early 1950s. The former Jefferson Barracks School is now used for storage and maintenance; and the former theater is St. Bernadette Catholic Church. It is now the site of two St. Louis County Parks (Jefferson Barracks County Park and Sylvan Springs County Park), a National Guard Base (Army and Air), the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and the

Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

St. Louis Health Care System - Jefferson Barracks Division. Part of the hospital grounds were donated to the Mehlville School District in the 1960s to build Charles S. Beasley Elementary School. Today, the 135-acre National Guard post at Jefferson Barracks is home to the 70th Troop Command, the Missouri Army National Guard's largest brigade. The post is also headquarters for the Region 7 Homeland Response Force; the

Missouri Air National Guard The Missouri Air National Guard (MO ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Missouri, United States of America. It is, along with the Missouri Army National Guard, an element of the Missouri National Guard. As state militia units, the units i ...

's 157th Air Operations Group and the 10th Psychological Operations Battalion of the

U.S. Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 20 ...

. During the 1960s and 1970s, portions of Jefferson Barracks County Park were used as a landfill. During the 1980s, an annual balloon race was held in the park. Today, because of its large size, high school cross country races are often held in the park in the fall months, most notably the Hancock Invitational.

Museums

Jefferson Barracks Museums

Jefferson Barracks County Park includes the several museums, museums that house artifacts and history of Jefferson Barracks while it was an active United States Military Post. The Powder Magazine Museum focuses on the history of Jefferson Barracks from its inception in 1826 until its closure in 1946. The Old Ordnance Room, also once a powder magazine, features temporary exhibits with military themes. The Laborer's House Museum shows a typical mid 1800s family residence.

Missouri Civil War Museum

The Missouri Civil War Museum opened in the park in June 2013 after an eleven-year historic renovation of the 1905 Post Exchange and Gymnasium Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is the largest Civil War museum in the state of Missouri with over 22,000 square feet and two floors of exhibits. Displays focus on the state's role during the

and exhibit hundreds of remarkable artifacts from the Civil War. Additional galleries in the museum focus on the history of Jefferson Barracks, veterans organizations, and the Civil War in pop culture. The museum has also renovated the adjacent 1918 Post Exchange Building, which is used for museum educational and public programs.

Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum

Besides its extensive collection of telephones manufactured from the 1900s through the 2000s, the Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum also contains a working Central Office Step Switch, military telephones from World War II through the Vietnam War, hundreds of pieces of telephone-related equipment and tools, a telephone pole complete with climbing equipment, hundreds of pieces of telephone-related memorabilia from the 1880s through the 2000s, a large variety of novelty telephones, a special portable switchboard set up when U.S. Presidents Carter, Ford, Nixon and Johnson were visiting St. Louis and a sculpture of Alexander Graham Bell and history of the invention of the telephone. The self-guided, accessible museum has many hands-on, how-things-work displays.

Army Units Organized at Jefferson Barracks

# United States Regiment of Dragoons – March 4, 1833 # 2nd Regiment of Dragoons – May 23, 1836 # Regiment of Mounted Riflemen – October 12, 1846 # U.S. 4th Cavalry Regiment – March 26, 1855 (Originally 1st Cavalry Regiment) # U.S. 22d Infantry Regiment – December, 1865 (Originally 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment)

Air Force Units Organized at Jefferson Barracks

# 157th Air Operations Group # 131st Tactical Fighter Group, later 131st Fighter Wing, now

131st Bomb Wing The 131st Bomb Wing is a unit of the Missouri Air National Guard, stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, Missouri. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Global Strike Command. It is an a ...

# 239th Combat Communication (CBCS) Squadron # 266 Ground Electronics Engineering Installation Agency (GEEIA) Squadron. # 218th Engineering Installation Squadron # 131st Force Support Squadron # 231st Civil Engineer Flight #131st Civil Engineer Squadron

References

External links

Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis County Parks
{{Authority control Mexican–American War forts Forts in Missouri Buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri American Civil War hospitals American Civil War forts Missouri in the American Civil War World War I sites in the United States World War II sites in the United States Military installations in Missouri Installations of the United States Army Air Forces Installations of the United States Army National Guard Works Progress Administration in Missouri 1826 establishments in Missouri Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri 1946 disestablishments in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis County, Missouri American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Tourist attractions in St. Louis