Civil War - Columbus Arsenal and Barracks (Ft. Hayes)

Civil War - Columbus Arsenal and Barracks (Ft. Hayes)

Civil War

In 1863, Adjutant General C.P. Buckingham selected a seventy acre tract of land northeast of the city for the erection of an armory and arsenal (Columbus Barracks). The chosen site was an oak grove owned by Robert and Jannette Neil. In 1875, the War Department transferred the Columbus Arsenal to the General Recruiting Service and the site became the Columbus Barracks, a training base for recruits. In 1898, the Spanish-American War led to construction of new buildings to accommodate more recruits in residence. During World War I, the number recruits swelled after the Selective Military Conscription Act was signed into law in by President Woodrow Wilson, 18 May 1917. In 1922, the name of the post was changed to Fort Hayes in honor of Rutherford B. Hayes, an Ohio Governor and later President of the United States.