Turn of the Century - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

that the designation of Fort Huachuca as a brigade post is but a matter of short time.The quartermaster has commenced work on the plans. The post at present has anappropriation of $125,000, of which $110,000 is being used for the construction of newbarracks, headquarters building, three double sets of officers’ quarters and a commissarybuilding.Although there are only five troops actually stationed at the fort at present, the postexchange is doing an excellent business.Contemplated over the next several years to complete the upgrade of Fort Huachuca andcomfortably accommodate the 10th Cavalry regiment, were these new buildings: four troopbarracks, one band barrack, one machine gun platoon barrack, one quartermaster corps barrack,six double sets of officers’ quarters, one building with eight sets of bachelor officers’ quarters,fourteen noncommissioned officers’ quarters, six troop stables, one stable for band and machinegun platoon, one pack train stables, one administration building, one ice and electric plant, aquartermaster storage shed, an ordnance storehouse, and an enlargement of the guardhouse.According to a report of the Southern Department, a “Contract was entered into with J.T.Dalton & Son, Junction City, Kans., for the construction of one double set of quarters for twocaptains, one double lavatory, one troop barracks building, one addition to hospital, together withhot-water heating and plumbing in the addition to the hospital and extension of the sewer system atFort Huachuca, contract providing for completion on or before June 27, 1914. With the exceptionof the ward addition to the hospital, which is to be of frame, all construction is of the frameand stucco type, concrete foundation, which class of construction has proven satisfactory at thatpost.” 86 On August 2, 1916 kerosene lamps became a thing of the past. The remote outpost ofFort Huachuca was electrified. The work of wiring all of the buildings was accomplished byWilliam R. Shadley, a civilian employee of the post since 1905. Before electricity was availablefor general use, Shadley generated electricity for buildings like the movie theater by using a smalldynamo and steam engine. By the time of his retirement in 1932, Shadley was superintendent ofa power plant which housed four diesel engines to provide Fort Huachuca’s electricity.Second Lieutenant John B. Brooks came to Huachuca in December 1913 with the 10th Cavalry.In a 1961 interview he described some of the buildings in the old post area.There were no BOQ’s at Ft Huachuca and the group of bachelor officers, includingtwo lieutenants, were told they could occupy the Officers Club (now the museum) and couldmess in the Chinese Restaurant (down the street)....The Post Chaplain lived in a set of quarters to right of [the present museum] and hewas the only colored officer and was disliked by the men of the regiment. He was very muchdisliked more particularly by the enlisted men than the officers. The enlisted men just hatedhim because he was constantly pulling his rank on them which they didn’t like....The little building up there was the Regimental Headquarters, and there was a tenniscourt out in front of it at that time, right in the corner of the parade ground, and thecommanding officer could look out his office window and woe and behold any young lieutenantwho was on that tennis court before 4 o’clock in the afternoon. He was told. An orderlycame out and presented the colonel’s compliments and that the colonel would say, “You goback to your quarters. Don’t you appear on that tennis court or in athletic clothes until 4142 HUACHUCA ILLUSTRATED