Fort McDowell North

Fort McDowell North. . Center Panel , Bustling Army Post , Picture this spot a century ago. You can hear raised voices and the crunch of boots as soldiers drill. The smell of dinner wafts through the air. It’s hard to see the end of the mess hall line., Fort McDowell was first used to quarantine soldiers returning from the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. In later years, it served as a discharge and recruit depot. By 1900, the fort had become te center of island military activity., The peak of activity occurred during World War II. Thousands of troops were sent to battle from here. The fort processed men on special assignments and replacement troops. When the war ended, Fort McDowell was no longer needed. In 1946, the base closed and the island was declared surplus. The army reopened the hospital during the Nike missile era as a barracks and administration building., Did You Know? , . In 1900, the whole island was known as Fort McDowell. Camp Reynolds became West Garrison; this site was East Garrison. , . Many soldiers who came through here were replacement troops for units already fighting in the Pacific. The troops nicknamed replacement depots such as this “repple depples.” , . Angel Island was known as “the soldier factory” during World War I. , . The busiest week in Fort McDowell was December 1945, when 9,555 troops were discharged so they could get home in time for Christmas., Caption One: Soldiers joked that by the time you got through the breakfast line, it was time to line up for lunch., Caption Two: Horses and mules were used here through the 1930s, because they could handle the terrain better than early automobiles. , Caption Three: The cypress seedlings planted along the road to the hospital have grown into the towering trees you see today., Caption Four: Scrapbook photos who that soldiers found Angel Island to be a good fishing spot., Caption Five: Soldiers at the wharf waited to get onto the troop steamer. , Caption Six:Fort McDowell was once a crowded, busy hub of activity, with dozens of buildings and thousands of soldiers., Right Panel , Discover, Overtaken by Time , The busy military hub originally contained dozens of buildings. Some are maintained and in use. Several have been demolished, and others are gradually falling into decay in the salty ocean air., While You Are Here , 1. As you walk around the now-deserted fort, look for clues linking its past and present, such as a soldiers name carved in a wall. , 2. Stand between the post exchange and the mess hall and imagine lining up there with 1,499 other people, waiting for your dinner. , 3. Look for seals and listen for sea lions on the beach below. , 4. Hike down to the pleasant Quarry Beach, named for the sandstone quarry that once operated at this site. , 5. Peek through the windows of the chapel and the guardhouse to see their historic interiors., Safety Starts Here , All buildings, regardless of their condition, are an important part of Fort McDowell’s history. Help protect our heritage by staying out of closed areas. Please respect the privacy of the park staff residences on officer’s row., Left Panel , Angel Island State Park , (map)