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July 24, 2023
Today in Texas History
By Bandera Spirits of Texas
The Bandera Prophet
On this day in 1917, construction of Camp Logan near Houston began. After the United States entered World War I, the War Department took advantage of Houston’s climate and ship channel to order the building of the camp.
The 3rd Battalion of the black 24th United States Infantry arrived in late July to guard the site. Tensions between local authorities and black soldiers, however, escalated during the following weeks and erupted on Aug. 23 as the Houston Riot of 1917, resulting in the declaration of martial law.
By 1918, the camp served as a hospital for wounded men. William C. Hogg acquired the site after the war, and eventually 1,000 acres became Houston’s largest recreational area, Memorial Park.
The 3rd Battalion of the black 24th United States Infantry arrived in late July to guard the site. Tensions between local authorities and black soldiers, however, escalated during the following weeks and erupted on Aug. 23 as the Houston Riot of 1917, resulting in the declaration of martial law.
By 1918, the camp served as a hospital for wounded men. William C. Hogg acquired the site after the war, and eventually 1,000 acres became Houston’s largest recreational area, Memorial Park.