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Newspapers covered Camp Pike's construction as well as daily news in a section of the paper titled "Camp Pike Shrapnel." Camp Pike also published its own newspaper titled "The Camp Pike Carry on."
In 1917 Arkansas became the site of one of 30 new Army camp and cantonment sites across America. As the United States entered WWI, there was an urgent need to train troops quickly and in large numbers.
Camp Pike, named after General Zebulon Pike, was the home base for the 87th division. The award was given to the Little Rock Board of Commerce in 1917. Part of the negotiations and attempts by the city to win the contract was the promise that the city would purchase the land for the Camp as well as raise additional funds for construction.
Camp Pike
World War 1 Army Training Camp
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Saint Joseph's Orphanage is seen in the background of this image.
General Pike
1779-1813
Camp Pike's construction was overseen by Arkansas native Major John Fordyce. Fordyce employed an enormous labor force, consisting of thousands of men, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars just in labor.
Construction started in
June of 1917 and wrapped up
in November of 1917.
3,000 acres were donated
to the War Deparment
and an extra 10,000
acres were leased to make
room for the Army training
site.
To accommodate construction
materials and tools, roads
and bridges were repaired and
updated between Little Rock
and the new camp.
Major. John Fordyce
10:00 am
10:15
11:40
10:00 am
1/8
A series of photos showing how fast
a building frame could be constructed
Main Street Bridge Repair
The main Street Bridge
Trench machine at work
Main Street Bridge Repair
1/12
Images from Camp Pike's Construction
25,000 to 50,000
Camp Pike Population (Little Rock's 1918 pop. is 60,000)
Soldiers at Camp Pike had the chance to take classes in subjects like plumbing, electrical work, typing, mechanical work, carpentry, metalwork, accounting, basic grade school from 2nd to 5th grades, and "Americanization."
Training included small arms, combat, and other skills such as trench warfare. Remains of WWI trenches can still be found on Camp Robinson.
Walter Sherman Sarten
The First Soldier to Register at Camp Pike,
September 5, 1917
22,291 soldiers
Infantry Trained at Camp Pike
105,000 soldiers
Total Demobilized at Camp Pike
Postcards were a popular way for soldiers to keep in touch with home during WWI
In 1922 Camp Pike was declared to be excess by the War Department. Work shifted from training replacement troops to demobilization. Camp Pike was renamed Camp Joseph T. Robinson in 1937. It became the headquarters for the Arkansas Army National Guard.
For more on the history of this over 100-year-old military installation, check out the Arkansas Army National Guard Museum!
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