**Camp Cody (N.M.)** was a World War I training camp near Deming, New Mexico, active from
Originally named Camp Brooks during the Mexican Border War, it was renamed Camp Cody for Buffalo Bill Cody and officially opened on July 16, 1916 [1][3]. Constructed during summer 1917 by 3,000 laborers, the 1,800-acre camp featured 120 mess houses, 1,200 bathhouses, and a modern sewage system with a 2,500,000-gallon septic tank [2][3]. It housed 45,000 troops, including the 34th "Sandstorm" Division, and published the newspaper *Trench and Camp* from October 1917 to December 1918 [4][2]. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed 426 soldiers in the camp hospital, with 60% of those deaths occurring in the last three months [2]. The camp closed in 1919, was converted into Holy Cross Sanatorium for veterans in 1923, and burned down in 1939 [1][3].
Sources
- Camp Cody, Deming's Forgotten Legacy (2024) ↗ · detailsDetailed history of Camp Cody as Deming's forgotten legacy. Covers the earlier Camp Brookes (1914 joint maneuver encampment); Camp Deming (1916, closed Feb 1917); the recession in Deming after Camp Deming closed; the War Department's 32 tra…
- Inside Camp Cody (1995) ↗ · detailsDetailed magazine article on Camp Cody from Desert Winds Magazine (February 1995). Covers the three phases of Camp Cody's existence: rise (July-Nov 1917), crest (Nov 1917-Nov 1918), and decline (Nov 1918-June 1919); construction of 1,800 ac…
- Camp Cody, New Mexico (2025) ↗ · detailsWikipedia article on Camp Cody, a US Army training camp near Deming, NM, active 1916-1919. Covers the camp's construction during summer 1917 with 120 mess houses and 1,200 bathhouses; 30,000 troops of the 34th "Sandstorm" Infantry Division …
- Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico - WWI History (2026) ↗ · detailsComprehensive Camp Cody website with extensive photo collections, historical documents, and detailed history. Covers the 34th "Sandstorm" Division; the camp's $2,000,000 construction cost; 3,000 laborers building the facility; 10,000 loaves…