The Largest Military Encampment in Western History
Thousands of federal and state troops prepare for maneuvers around American Lake, turning the region into a temporary 'White City.'
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When the federal and state troops are all in camp at American Lake, there will be, in close proximity to Tacoma, the largest military body that has ever assembled in the West. Every branch of the army will be represented, and the three camps will contain between 4,000 and 7,000 men and probably 2,500 horses. This encampment is more than an experiment and may result in the selection of the American Lake region as the permanent camp ground for federal and state troops. The fact that dress parade and fancy maneuvers will be cut out this year will not make the camps any less attractive to visitors; in fact, it will be more interesting than ever. In place of seeing a few hundred men in dress uniforms marching back and forth over a level parade ground, there will be maneuvers that would take place on a battlefield, with the advantage that there will be no danger of being shot. The troops will be in three camps: one at Steilacoom Lake, another at Nisqually, and the third between Murray and American Lake.
“In place of seeing a few hundred men in dress uniforms marching back and forth... there will be maneuvers that would take place on a battlefield, with the advantage that there will be no danger of being shot.”
This 1908 buildup at American Lake was the precursor to the massive military presence that eventually became Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The area's transition from a training site to a permanent, sprawling military installation fundamentally shaped the economic and civic geography of South Tacoma for over a century.
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