National Register of Historic Places

Fort McIntosh

Laredo, Webb County, Texas
Listed
June 24, 1975
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
75002011

About this property

Fort McIntosh was a U.S. Army base in Laredo, Webb County, Texas, from 1849 to 1946. Fort McIntosh was established on 3 March 1849 by the 1st US Infantry, under the command of Lt. E.L. Viele, to guard the Texas frontier at the site of a strategic river crossing. Originally named Camp Crawford, the fort was renamed Fort McIntosh in 1850 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel James Simmons McIntosh, a hero in the Battle of Molino del Rey during the Mexican–American War. The fort was abandoned by Federal troops at the outbreak of the American Civil War. The Battle of Laredo took place near the fort on March 19, 1864, when 72 men repelled three attacks from a force of 200 federal soldiers sent from Brownsville, Texas. On October 23, 1865, the post was reoccupied by federal troops of the 2nd Texas Cavalry. In the late 19th century, several African-American units among them the 10th Cavalry, the "Buffalo Soldiers", were stationed at Fort McIntosh. Other forts in the frontier fort system were Forts Griffin, Concho, Belknap, Chadbourne, Stockton, Davis, Bliss, McKavett, Clark, Richardson, Inge, and Phantom Hill in Texas, and Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Thesystem had "subposts or intermediate stations" including Bothwick's Station on Salt Creek between Fort Richardson and Fort Belknap, Camp Wichita near Buffalo Springs between Fort Richardson and Red River Station, and Mountain Pass between Fort Concho and Fort Griffin. During World War I, the fort was used as a training base, and had over 15,000 recruits pass through the gates. During World War II, the 8th Service Command, the 56th Cavalry Brigade, the Southern Land Frontier, the Civil Air Patrol, and battalion of military police all were stationed at the facility at one time or another. The fort was deactivated in 1946, and the land is now part of the campus of Laredo Community College main campus. The Colburn Memorial United States Army Reserve Center is located within the fort.

Location

Laredo, Webb County, Texas
27.50986, -99.52276

Categories

MILITARYTRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hamilton Hotel
Industrial
0.9 mi
Laredo US Post Office, Court House and Custom House
Industrial
1 mi
Webb County Courthouse
Industrial
1.1 mi
San Augustin de Laredo Historic District
Listed
1.1 mi
U.S. Inspection Station-Laredo, Texas
Industrial
1.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Laredo
1864Civil War
1 mi
Battle of Laredo Texas
1864Civil War
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort McIntosh listed on the National Register?

Fort McIntosh was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 24, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Fort McIntosh?

Fort McIntosh is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort McIntosh?

The period of significance for Fort McIntosh is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort McIntosh?

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