Fort Dix

Daniel W. Zimmerman

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2001
• ISBN:
  9781439611265
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Chronicling the history of life central New Jersey's Fort Dix army camp from 1917 to the present day.

Located in central New Jersey, Fort Dix has been training soldiers since its founding in 1917. More than three million men and women have passed through its gates since it was built as one of the original 16 army camps to train and mobilize soldiers for World War I. The fort, once known as Camp Dix, has experienced many changes over the years.

This unprecedented photographic history traces the evolution from a wooden cantonment to the installation of brick and fiber optics, from a horse-dominated transportation system to a motor vehicle system, and from training recruits to serving Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers. Along the way, Fort Dix depicts the influence of the 78th Division, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Women's Army Corps, Desert Storm, and the humanitarian work of resettling the Kosovo refugees.

One

BUILDING AN ARMY CAMP

Shown here is one of the few army motor trucks at Camp Dix in October 1917. (Courtesy Carolee Nisbet.)

Camp Dix was established on July 18, 1917, to mobilize, train, and deploy soldiers for World War I. The camp was named for Maj. Gen. John Adams Dix (1798–1879), who had served in the army from 1813 to 1828. After leaving the army, he practiced law, served as a U.S. senator, secretary of the treasury, and the first president of the Union Pacific Railroad. During the Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln commissioned Dix a major general of volunteers. After the war, he became the minister to France and later governor of New York.

The construction of Camp Dix began in June 1917. By year’s end, more than 11,000 workers had built 1,660 buildings as well as water, sewage, electrical, and communications systems. The total cost was $13 million. This image shows the foundation of a two-story barracks in July 1917.

This was the Camp Dix sawmill in December 1917. As the trees were felled, they were cut to standard size and used in the construction of Camp Dix. The unidentified soldiers were from the 78th Division.

A new road is under construction in the warehouse area in April 1918.

The 303rd Engineer Regiment Assembly Hall is under construction in December 1917.

The grain elevator was built in 1917 and used to store feed for the thousands of horses and mules that were used and trained at Camp Dix. The one-story buildings behind the grain elevator are the warehouses near the Wrightstown Road. This photograph dates from November 1917.

The refrigeration building was built in March 1918 to store perishable food.

The 78th Infantry Division was organized in August 1917, and Maj. Gen. Chase Kennedy became the division commander and the first commanding general of Camp Dix. This was the division headquarters in Nove...