Fort Monmouth, NJ

Fort Monmouth is a small town located in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The population was 10,827 as of the 2010 census. Fort Monmouth is home to the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

The area that now comprises Fort Monmouth was originally inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. In 1664, Dutch traders purchased the land from the Lenape and began farming it. The first European settlement in what would become Fort Monmouth was established in 1714 when a group of English settlers established a trading post on the banks of the Raritan River. The town that developed around this trading post was known as Raritan Landing.

In 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, British forces captured Raritan Landing and used it as a base of operations for their campaign against American forces throughout New Jersey. In 1778, after suffering heavy losses at Battle of Long Island, British General Charles Cornwallis withdrew his troops from New Jersey and abandoned Raritan Landing. American forces recaptured Raritan Landing later that year and used it as their main base of operations in southern New Jersey during their campaign against British troops throughout New York State.

In 1802, following the War of 1812, Congress created a military reservation near what would become Fort Monmouth consisting of 1,000 acres (4 km²) of land purchased from local landowners at an cost of $10 per acre (US$40/km²). This reservation served as training ground for U.S. Army soldiers preparing for campaigns against Native Americans throughout North America.

The fort that would later be named after Fort Monmouth was constructed on this military reservation between 1814 and 1819 using slave labor provided by local landowners free of charge in order to speed up construction timeframes. The original fort consisted of four barracks-style buildings surrounded by a stockade fence measuring 8 feet (2 m) high with 12-foot-wide (3 m) gates opening into an inner courtyard measuring 100 feet by 100 feet (30 m × 30 m). A powder magazine measuring 60 feet by 60 feet (18 m × 18 m) was also built onsite during this period.

A second phase of construction completed between 1830 and 1834 added two additional barracks-style buildings along with two more powder magazines totaling eight in size along with several other auxiliary structures including kitchens, stables and armories housing weapons and supplies for use by U.S Army soldiers stationed at Fort Monmouth.. A total cost for both phases combined came to $202,000 ($5 million in today's dollars).

During both phases of construction workers employed during peak periods numbered up to 1,500 individuals which resulted in an annual operating budget exceeding $100,000 ($250 thousand in today's dollars). By 1850 there were 3 permanent structures associated with Fort Monmouth including two barracks-style buildings each housing up to 200 soldiers along with one large armory containing enough weaponry to equip 2 regiments totaling 2200 soldiers making it oneof largest armories westofthe Alleghenies.. In 1861 following secessionist riots throughout muchofNewJerseyUlysses S Grant ordered all federal troops stationed at FtMonmothfledand replacedby ConfederatetroopsunderthecommandoftGeneralPorter Barnard..On July 11th Uniontroopsreturnedandoccupiedthefortwithoutincident..FollowingtheCivilWarFtMonmothwasdeactivatedandsoldtolocalresidents..Itwasreopenedin1892asamilitarytraininggroundfortheNewYorkNationalGuard..ItbecameAmericalMilitaryReservationin1917andWasReorganizedAsFortMonmothIn1950WhenIt BecameAnArmyBase..TodayTheFortIsPartOfThe101stAirborneDivision(Air Assault)AndIsUsedAsATrainingGroundForSoldiersPreparingForOperations ThroughoutTheWorld