Fort Oglethorpe

Fort Oglethorpe, adjacent to Chickamauga Battlefield Park in northwest Georgia, was created in 1902. During national emergencies, the post expanded temporarily into the park. Cavalry troops trained at the post until 1942, and the WAACs/WA Cs arrived in 1943. The post was considered an elite assignment, with polo matches and dances. Dwight Eisenhower and John Pershing were stationed here. Visiting dignitaries included Sgt. Alvin York, Bing Crosby, Lana Turner, and U.S. presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. Prisoners of war and enemy aliens were confined here during both world wars. In 1946, the army declared Fort Oglethorpe surplus, and the post was decommissioned. Community leaders realized the hospital, utilities, and streets represented the core of a town, and the city of Fort Oglethorpe was incorporated in 1949. It is now an economic center in northwest Georgia.

Gerry Depken is a historian living in the old section of town. She has a master's degree in historic preservation and chairs the Fort Oglethorpe Preservation Commission. Julie Powell is a writer and past president of the Post Community Association. She and her husband are innkeepers of Captain's Quarters B&B on historic Barnhardt Circle. Images were contributed by institutions and individuals throughout Fort Oglethorpe and neighboring communities.