Camp Bowie Continues to Drive Brownwood Forward

Vintage military equipment is on display at 36th Division
War Memorial Park, located at the corner of Milam Drive
and Crockett Street. The park sits on land just outside the
former headquarters of Camp Bowie.

In 1940, with World War II escalating in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt mobilized the National Guard to boost U.S. defenses. That order resulted in the construction of Camp Bowie, a military training facility that would be home to the 36th Division of the Texas National Guard, and more than 3,000 German POWs, many from Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps.

As the United States became involved in the European theater of the war, Camp Bowie grew to be the largest military training facility in Texas. The influx of military personnel was a boon for the local economy, and the arrival of German POWs provided local farmers with cheap labor.

Following the war in 1946, Camp Bowie was declared military surplus, and land and buildings were distributed to the public.

Camp Bowie remains a training station for the National Guard's 111th Engineer Battalion. Though the National Guard facility is a small fraction of what the camp used to be, the camp, its history, presence and downsizing continue to drive Brownwood today.

Land formerly occupied by Camp Bowie is now home to
major manufacturers, like 3M and Kohler.

Where the main gate was, Gate 1, is now where the Gate 1 Inn is located. Land formerly used for Camp Bowie is now home to Brownwood's major industries, like Kohler and 3M, Brownwood Regional Hospital, and various recreational facilities like the Bert V. Massey Sports Complex, the aquatic center, Gordon Wood Stadium and 36th Division War Memorial Park.

The presence of 3M and Kohler adds manufacturing jobs which continue to drive the local economy. The recreational facilities offer better quality of life and draw visitors from out of town. Brownwood Regional Medical Center is a health care hub for the small towns that surround Brownwood.

The distribution of land and buildings provided for low-cost housing and the addition of subdivisions.

Gordon Wood Stadium, home of the 7-time state champion
Brownwood Lions, is located on land formerly occupied
by Camp Bowie. The stadium is adjacent to the sports complex.

Many homes in Brownwood were fashioned out of former Camp Bowie barrack buildings. Such homes have been remodeled and made into very spacious residences.

Though Camp Bowie's "hay-day" was only six years, Brownwood will always be a military town at heart, as is evidenced by the way the town rallies around the 111th Engineer Battalion at deployment time.

Though Camp Bowie is only a fraction of the size it was from 1940-1946, the decision to build, downsize, and maintain the training facility has proven to be a blessing for Brownwood.