Waco, Texas: Camp MacArthur & Rich Field Army Air Base

03/08/2026

CAMP MACARTHUR

Panoramic photo by
Stauts & Simpson Photographers

To understand this amazing panoramic, imagine you are standing on top of the H-E-B building at 19th and Park Lake Drive, and looking across 19th Street up Park Lake Drive. The tents on the right of the photographer were the headquarters of the 10,000-acre Camp MacArthur. The Victorian house is the Tom Prim house, which became living quarters for senior officers. The house is sitting on the corner of 19th and Park Lake Drive.

To the left is the grounds of present-day Waco Center for Youth. This area was known as “Tent City” and there were tents all the way down to present day Marshall Avenue and back as far as N. 15th Street. In the second photo, you can see the American Amicable (ALICO) Building on the horizon and what we believe to be the Providence Hospital.

On the horizon of the third photo, you can see the old St.Basil’s College, now the site of St. Louis Catholic Church.

On the horizon of the fourth photo, you can see the Twin Water Towers at 34th and Herring, and Hillcrest Hospital standing just to the left of it.

The final photo shows the intersection of 19th and Park Lake Drive. In the days of Camp MacArthur, 19th Street was known as Bosqueville Road and Park Lake Drive was known as Walker’s Crossing Road.

12/04/2025

11/11/2025

T H A N K Y O U ……

Veterans Day is Tuesday, November 11. It was originally known as Armistice Day, remembering the day and hour World War I came to an end. We are greatly indebted to all who have served in all branches of military service. Thank you….♥️🇺🇸

11/04/2025

Camp MacArthur…

07/26/2025

Battle of Passchendaele. A view of the military section of the graveyard in the village of Vlamertinghe, near Ypres. Seen here is Lieutenant George Hubert Wilkins, an Australian Official Photographer, inspecting the crosses, to each of which is affixed a name and identification tablet, inscribed, 'Here lies a British soldier, RIP'.

📷-Historical picture of Battle of Passchendaele (Hurley) © AWM

07/26/2025

BUILDINGS OF CAMP MACARTHUR

Library
Approximately 3524 North 19th Street
Corner of Vivian and North 19th Street.

This photo postcard is from the Waco-McLennan County Public Library.

07/26/2025

BUILDINGS OF CAMP MACARTHUR

The Knights of Columbus Hall
Approximately 3412 North 19th Street

This photo is by Fred Gildersleeve, and is a part of the Gildersleeve-Conger Collection at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

07/26/2025

BUILDINGS OF CAMP MACARTHUR

YWCA Hostess House
Approximately 3216 North 19th

This building was next to the Liberty Theater. The man is standing on North 19th and the Parade Ground is behind the building.

This postcard photo is from the Waco-McLennan County Public Library.

07/04/2025

Happy Independence Day!

06/30/2025

Our friend and page follower Trina Titus shared this:

My great uncle, who was homesteading in Wyoming, was WW I Army and assigned to Camp MacArthur

He had engineering education in the Netherlands before immigrating to join his brothers in the Plains states. He never deployed

His older brother was seriously injured in the Argonne. Lost ability to milk cows because of damage to his Right arm. Had to find another profession. Later in life he worked with WWII veterans who returned with what is now called PTSD. He was dedicated to that work.

He returned to the Netherlands until WWII when, in 1939, he got his wife and two little girls out of Europe upon seeing the rapid progress of the N***s.

They escaped through Portugal and settled in Southern CA

Thanks for allowing a stranger to share 🙏🏻

06/14/2025

♥️👏👏👏♥️