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Fort McIntosh (Texas)
Encyclopedia
Fort McIntosh was a military base in Laredo
, Webb County
, Texas
, that existed from 1849 to 1946.
Fort McIntosh was established in 1849 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 seventy-two men repelled three attacks from a force of two hundred Federal soldiers sent from Brownsville
, Texas On October 23, 1865, the post was re-occupied by federal troops of the 2nd Texas Cavalry.
In the late 19th century, Several African American
units among them the Tenth Cavalry,
the "Buffalo Soldiers", were stationed at Fort McIntosh.
During World War I
, the fort was used as a training base and saw 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 Laredo United States Army Reserve 340th Quarter Master Company is located within the fort.
added Fort McIntosh (#75002011) to its registered historic districts in 1975. Its areas of historic significance are its 1850-1924 Late Vistorian Architecture and Military background. All of Fort McIntosh buildings have been preserved and remodeled and today they serve as educational buildings for the Laredo Community College
.
The former Holding Institute
boarding school
was established south of Fort McIntosh from 1881-1954, when it relocated to north Laredo because of funding. The institution closed in 1983 and was revived as a community center in downtown Laredo in 1987.
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Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, Webb County
Webb County, Texas
Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, that existed from 1849 to 1946.
Fort McIntosh was established in 1849 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
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
James Simmons McIntosh, a hero in the Battle of Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey
The Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
during the Mexican-American War.
The fort was abandoned by Federal troops at the outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The
Battle of Laredo
Battle of Laredo
The Battle of Laredo was fought during the American Civil War. Laredo, Texas was a main route to export cotton to Mexico on behalf of the Confederate States. On March 18, 1864, Major Alfred Holt led a union force of about 200 men from Brownsville, Texas to destroy 5,000 bales of cotton stacked at...
took place near the fort on March 19, 1864, when seventy-two men repelled three attacks from a force of two hundred Federal soldiers sent from Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, Texas On October 23, 1865, the post was re-occupied by federal troops of the 2nd Texas Cavalry.
In the late 19th century, Several African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
units among them the Tenth Cavalry,
the "Buffalo Soldiers", were stationed at Fort McIntosh.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the fort was used as a training base and saw over 15,000 recruits pass
through the gates. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 8th Service Command, the 56th Cavalry Brigade, the Southern Land Frontier, the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
, 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
Laredo Community College
The Laredo Community College, or LCC, was established as Laredo Junior College on September 28, 1947, by the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas...
main campus. The Laredo United States Army Reserve 340th Quarter Master Company is located within the fort.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
added Fort McIntosh (#75002011) to its registered historic districts in 1975. Its areas of historic significance are its 1850-1924 Late Vistorian Architecture and Military background. All of Fort McIntosh buildings have been preserved and remodeled and today they serve as educational buildings for the Laredo Community College
Laredo Community College
The Laredo Community College, or LCC, was established as Laredo Junior College on September 28, 1947, by the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas...
.
The former Holding Institute
Holding Institute
Holding Institute is a United Methodist-affiliated community center in Laredo, Texas, originally founded in 1882 as a kindergarten and primary school. For nearly a century thereafter, Holding was a state-accredited boys’ and girls’ boarding school...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
was established south of Fort McIntosh from 1881-1954, when it relocated to north Laredo because of funding. The institution closed in 1983 and was revived as a community center in downtown Laredo in 1987.
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