The railroads brought four presidents to Deming. Benjamin Harrison stopped in 1890, McKinley in 1901, Franklin Roosevelt in 1942 and Truman in 1948. Roosevelt’s visit was unheralded, due to wartime security.
Military encampments played an important part of the city’s history. Camp Brookes was a summer camp in 1914 for the New Mexico state guard and federal troops from Fort Bliss. Its success that year influenced the location of Camp Deming and subsequent site of Camp Cody during World War 1. The three encampments were situated northwest of town.
During the Camp Cody era (1917-1918), downtown Deming resembled a mini version of the Great White Way, with eight theaters along or near Pine Street. The Cody Theater, called “The Playhouse Beautiful,” was the elite of the eight. Unfortunately, it tenure was short, being destroyed by fire only seven months after opening. One of Cody Theater’s stage shows featured Stan Laurel, destined to become one of film’s legends. – C. A. “Gus” Gustafson was a historian and free-lance writer in Luna County. – Written by C. A. Gustafson
Camp Cody Rail Yard, North West of Deming, New Mexico, 1917-1918
The body of Lieutenant Colonel Mortimer Sanderson, supervision dental surgeon of the Thirty-fourth Division, who died Tuesday night at the Camp Cody base hospital, of blood poisoning, was shipped at noon yesterday to New York City for interment. It was accompanied by the window and three small children and the father of the deceased, who arrived in Deming from New York City Thursday night. First Lieutenant Roy C. Starr, dental corps, also accompanied the remains, having been designated by division headquarters for that purpose.
Colonel Sanderson was reared in Pennsylvania, and it is probable his body will be sent there for interment, though no definite funeral arrangements have yet been made. A widow and three small children survive. They have been residing in Deming.
Colonel Sanderson was not yet 33 years of age, having been born December 5, 1885 in New York. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1909, and appointed to the army from Pennsylvania. He was a regular army man, and came to Camp Cody last fall as a first lieutenant. With the passage of the new army bill by congress, and the creation of the dental corps Lieutenant Sanderson was automatically advanced to a lieutenant colonel.
Colonel Sanderson was a noted athlete, and while at the University of Pennsylvania was for two years captain of the swimming team and the rowing team. He was a famous swimmer, and he won many prizes and trophies. Since the natatorium has been constructed at Camp Cody, Colonel Sanderson was in charge of the swimming teams, organized and had charge of the Cody swimmers at the tournament with Fort Bliss.
Funeral services were held at 11 o’clock at the Mahoney mortuary, conducted by Chaplain H. H. Kilne. The 109th Sanitary Train band led the funeral procession, followed by the 134th infantry, under arms. General John A. Johnston, commander of the Thirty-fourth division and Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Coffin, division surgeon, led the delegation of staff officers that followed the casket. Officers of the medical department, including those from the base hospital and the entire personnel of the dental corps, were in the line of march. Hundred of enlisted men followed the officers. At the depot full military honors were accorded the dead officer. – El Paso Morning Times – August 3, 1918
Camp Cody Mess Hall, Deming, New Mexico, 1917-1918
Captain Edward M. Sheehax was born at Independence, Iowa, September 27, 1880, and died of pneumonia, in the base hospital at Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico, January 12, 1918. He spent his boyhood in Independence, attended school at Seminary Notre Dame, Independence, and the Independence High School, attended the Medical Department of the State University of Iowa for two years and finished his medical course at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, in 1905. He was connected for a time with St. Joseph’s Hospital at Denver, Colorado, later practiced medicine two years at Elkader, Iowa, also a short time at Lamont, but returned to his former home at Independence in 1909 and entered practice there. He began his military career by enlisting in Company E, Forty-ninth Iowa Infantry on February 5, 1900, and remained a member until it was mustered out May 10, 1902. On June 16, 1902, he enlisted in Company L of the Forty-ninth Iowa Infantry and was commissioned second lieutenant On February 12, 1907, he was honorably discharged, owing to his removal from the home station. On July 11, 1907, he re-enlisted and was commissioned second lieutenant and appointed battalion quartermaster and commissary officer of the Fifty-third Iowa Infantry. August 1, 1913, he was transferred to the medical corps as first lieutenant. When relations with Mexico became strained in 1916 he closed his office, abandoning a good practice, and joined his regiment at Brownsville. Returning home that winter he resumed his practice until the spring of 1917 when he entered service again,.and was promoted to captain. He was put in charge of the recruiting station at Fort Dodge, and also of the companies who were guarding bridges and other property in Iowa, at Boone, Fort Dodge, Madrid and Jefferson. In the fall of 1917 for a time he was on duty in the base hospital at Camp Dodge, Des Moines. In September, 1917, he went with his regiment to Camp Cody, being on duty there at the time of his death. – Camp Cody, Trench and Camp Newspaper – Date Unknown
The next day we reformed into a cavalry organization and all assigned new places and this necessitated having nearly everyone change his quarters – there is another job I’ll qualify for, mover – and I was placed a couple of tents farther down the line along with a bunch of my old comrades from the first squad and was beginning to feel real good about everything except the fact that I can’t seem to get any mail any more. I went to work and fixed up my corner, thinking we were settled for a few days when after an inspection it was found that we were “in wrong” and we had to move again and I am back in the same tent and same corner as I was before we started – just spent one night away. I saw a statement from an El Paso minister sometime ago, and he was deploring the fact that the men of Camp Cody, even the YMCA secretaries were so given to the use of profane language, but if we haven’t had sufficient provocation for the most liberal outpouring of billingsgate this week. I hope I never encounter any provocation. I as raised, practically in a print shop and those places am popular considered sinkholes of iniquity and breeding places for bad habits, especially fiery talk, but an army camp, especially this one will make the choicest epithets every hurled by an enraged foreman at the poor “devil” who has just pied a page of six-point sound as mild and gentle as the sweet whispered nothings of a lovesick couple, but even at that I find myself groping about, endeavoring to add to my vocabulary of invective in order to express my feelings. I know this is shameful even, disgraceful and should not be tolerated in any community, but until we can get to some Germans to take out our spite on, I suppose our pent up feelings will occasionally assert themselves in a manner more forcible than elegant.
I missed one day of our doings – that is, I missed telling about it. We all took another horseback ride and of all the rapid producers of violent and lasting pains, I believe this pastime is the most efficient. It is said that we get used to it and I’m not denying anything – maybe a man could get used to being run down by an automobile.
We have taken down our stoves and turned them in and our tents seem like they are twice as big as before. Days are very hot now unless a cloud happens to obscure the sun and when it does one experience much the same sensation as when the draft is suddenly closed after the fire has been burning fiercely.
Friday we had a check of all our equipment, so that we will not be short anything when we go across. Several trainloads have left Camp Cody in the last month and it is said that more are going. As Secretary Baker has announced that all National Guard divisions will be in France by the last of July we are figuring on leaving camp here in June, but then if you remember, we were going Christmas, New Years, and March, and we are still here, so don’t bid me “au reservoir” for awhile yet. Practically everybody in camp took an overseas examination last week and every once in a while some one would burst forth into vociferous jubilation whether because of acceptance or rejection. I’d not know, as it is really bewildering the different views held by different men on the question of “going over.”
Someone around there better get into the notion of writing me a letter once in a while.
Co. B. 109th M.P. W. A. Dundas
P.S. – The last word from Lieutenants Hull and Taylor is to the effect that both are getting along nicely, the latter being able to be up and around.
B Company has had a week of work of various kinds and varied variety. We started our week with a trip to the pistol range; that is, all except the ones who were on detail. Being stable police I was one to be left in camp along with three or four others and we proceeded to comb, brush and manicure the horses after which we led them to water and then hung them along the fence to soak up a little sunshine and then went to work on the stables. We finished about 10 o’clock and I was figuring on a couple of hours of perfectly good bunk fatigue when a corporal comes out with orders for everybody left in camp to eat dinner and hike for the range. Now as much as I like to shoot a gun I was in no mood for that walk having been on guard the night before, but we went anyhow.
It is about five miles out to the range and we walked it in an hour, through sand, yuccas and fences, where I found to my surprise that I am a much better shot with my automatic than with the .38 revolver, but understand me, that is not anything to brag about. Some very good scores were made considering that most of the men, like myself, had never handled an automatic before, an all feel that with a little acquaintance with their guns they could do some really commendable shooting.
Just before we started back we were informed that 800,000 Germans along with the crown prince had been captured, when we reached the base hospital it was 200,000, when we got to Yucca avenue it was 135, 000 and we were almost afraid to proceed into Cook avenue where we line for fear we would hear that the allied army had been annihilated, as was reported a couple of nights before. The story of the German prisoners was displayed on bulletins down town and great rejoicing was going on for a while.
Tuesday those who had not finished their course on the range went out again and I went to the stables again. After our horses were watered and hung on the fence as before we piled into the straw for a nap while waiting for some wagons. These didn’t come until late in the afternoon and we made another trip to the forage yard for feed. If there is a bushel of oats there, I’ll bet there are 2,000,000. There are four piles of sacked oats, each pile about a block long, twenty feet wide and twenty feet high, besides one smaller pile. There are several new buildings going up there, I suppose for housing this grain.
On Wednesday we all went to the barns again to finish up a street near our forth barn which was not worked on during our course of initiation into the Unimproved Order of Inefficient Road Builders. I was on a detail to burn up a pile of straw generously mixed with sand, one just about as fine as the other, but it made a nice job while it lasted. In the afternoon we were taken to the barns again and told to look around and if we saw anything that should be done to go ahead and do it. All I could see was a couple of bales of straw that needed holding down so that is where I worked.
Camp Cody Soldiers Waiting For Inspection, 1917-1918
Has Trained Force – The following men are employed in the Camp Cody post office.
O.C. Fisher, Superintendent, resides in New Orleans; 26 years continuous experience in post offices in Atlanta, Ga., Milwaukee, Louisville and New Orleans.
Roy R. Range, dispatcher-mailing division, resides in Dallas, Texas; six years experience in Dallas office.
Rex H. Anderson, dispatcher mailing division; resides in Dallas, Texas was sic years money order division in Dallas.
E. F. Serg. chief distributor incoming section; resides in Dallas five years’ experience in Dallas office.
Elmer Gustafson, distributor incoming section; resides in Minneapolis, four years experience in Minneapolis office.
Albert Carison, stamp clerk; resides in Minneapolis; six years experience in Minneapolis.
J. A. Hubbard, distributor incoming section; resides in St. Louis, Mo.; 11 years experience in St. Louis office. Charles Wilms, distributor incoming section; resides in St. Louis; 14 years experience in St. Louis.
C. G. Alger, correspondence clerk; resides in St. Louis; has had 16 years experience in St. Louis in postmaster’s office and money order division; served in bureau of information, World’s fair.
C. L. Barbazon, money order and registry clerk; resides in Dallas, Texas; eight years experience as distributor in city division, Dallas.
Bernamrd Herr, clerk outgoing section; three years experience in Minneapolis post office. Resides in Minneapolis.
E. F. Wickland, clerk outgoing section; resides in Minneapolis; three years experience in Minneapolis office.
H. A. Steinforf, clerk outgoing section’ resides in Minneapolis; two years experience in Minneapolis as distributor mailing division.
“The letters we get from irate correspondents! Great Scott! You ought to read some of them. They call us every name under the sun and then some. It is a common thing for us to get letters endorsed, “Deliver to addressee only”; when the addressed is in the trenches 11 miles away, and then have the writer enlist the services of his congressman in the effort to have us discharged for not doing so.”
Equal to City of 100,000 – “We do about the same amount of business as the average city of 100,000 inhabitants. Our stamp cancellations are about $700 per day on some 25,000 pieces of outgoing mail. The incoming mail is slightly in excess of this. Incoming registers average about 200 per day and parcels and papers about 250 sacks.” “With our small force we are compelled to work from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with an allowance of 30 minutes for each meal.” “No, the lot of the postal employee in a military camp is not a happy one, even if three representatives of the post office department have investigated us and declared this office to be a model one. But we are not complaining. We are out here to help Uncle Sam and his soldiers and we are not only doing it willingly but gladly.” – Camp Cody, Trench and Camp Newspaper – Date Unknown
Fitted to serve 100,000; Conveniences Modern; Work Never Halts.
A visit to Camp Codys’ post office was an incident of interest recently. The big building with its excellent Arrangement, full equipment and big detail of soldier assistants to the regular post office employees is one of the places in the camp where work never ceases and hurry is not the order of the hour but of the ever-present minute. Major Philpot’s office axiom, “for God’s sake hurry,” does not need to be visibly posted in this place of activity. They either hurry of their own accord or see themselves buried alive in a deluge of mail, outgoing and incoming.
Clerk in charge O.C. Fisber was asked about his office and its experiences, and he had this to say. “Contrary to general belief, mail to and from soldiers in Camp Cody is handled with all the dispatch and accuracy in distribution that obtains in the largest cities in the union, although the task is much more difficult by reason of the fact that the soldiers’ correspondents are often mistaken as to the units to which they are attached, and often address then by nicknames, which of course do not appear in the directory. We have to deal not only with all kinds of chirography, but with addresses in all languages of the civilized nations of the globe. The mother tongues of Xenophobe, Dante, Cervantes, Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, the Kaiser and others to numerous to mention appear in endless procession. Jokers address letters in the Morse and Semaphore codes and shorthand. However, we manage to translate them all. Some of them show a positive genius for misspelling the names of post offices, though as the average of education is higher in military camps than in the cities, this proportion is most great.”
Some Queer Addresses – “We have learned that ‘Neuva Yorka’ is New York; ‘Sn. F. Co.’ is San Francisco; ‘Norlens’ is New Orleans, and ‘Nieu Jersi’ is New Jersey. In phonetics we have ‘Albqkerki’, ‘Petti Looma’ and ‘She Cargo’. But these are the least of our troubles. Much of our mail is directed to Deming without anything to show that it is intended for a soldier. These are referred to the directory which contains the names and ranks of all assigned soldiers.”
“Unfortunately, we have no mind reader to supply addresses of mail simply addressed ‘Pvt. Johnson, Camp Cody’, ‘Corpl. Jones,’ or may be his name is Smith, and the hundreds that Sammy forgot to address and put is return card on.” “Many of the consignment are packed in flimsy containers. After travelling several days under a hundred sacks of mail they may confidently be expected to resemble pancakes composed of hash. Often they announce their arrival, if not in a dead language, at least in a decayed one.” – Camp Cody, Trench and Camp Newspaper – Date Unknown
Camp Cody Post Office, Deming, New Mexico, 1917-1918
Although in 1916, there was no planning effort being made to prepare the military for war, situations in Mexico made it necessary for troops to be placed along the border. Regular Army forces were placed along the border first, then turned over to National Guard troops. On March 9, 1916, Mexican forces under Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico, just thirty miles south of Deming.
The United States Government declared war on April 6, 1917, and realized that all military sources plus more would have to be put into action within a short period of time. Secretary of War, Baker, made the decision to establish thirty-two camps across the country. Existing military posts were unable to handle the number of men expected so camps were to be built within ninety days to house them.
Deming had the remains of the National Guard camp and was considered as a possible site for a national camp. On May 17, 1917, an examining board of Brigadier General Henry Green, United States Army; Lt. Colonel W.S. Walker. Corp of Engineers; Lt. J. Kennedy, Medical Corps; and Major S.V. Ham, Seventh U.S. Infantry, comprising the examination board for selection of camps. Meeting with prominent citizens and businessmen of Deming, questions were answered and blueprints of Camp Deming were studied. The group of men went to Columbus and on to Douglas, Arizona. On June 14, 1917, Joe Mahoney, prominent businessman, received word from Senator Fall of New Mexico that Deming had been chosen as the site for the camp and the name would be Cody in honor of Buffalo Bill Cody. Orders were sent that National Guardsmen from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota would be shipped to Camp Cody. If someone had set off a stick of dynamite in the street it wouldn’t have caused more excitement. Deming was suffering from the customary summer slump and the prospect of a camp made the future much brighter for everyone.
On Friday, June 1, 1917, the Deming Headlight printed a notice of draft registration and who should register. On June 5, 1917 all eligible males between 21 and 30 were to register in their precinct. With the cooperation of Sheriff Simpson hopefully the day would pass uneventful. Friday, June 8, 1917, 427 registered here Tuesday — headline of the Deming Headlight Mayor’s Proclamation, May 25, 1917. Tuesday, June 5, 1917, will be one of the historical days of the American Republic, and it is my desire that Deming shall establish a proud record in heeding President Wilson’s proclamation.
In order that every man between the ages of 21 and 30, inclusive, may be able to register between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., I hereby declare Tuesday, June 5, 1917, to be a holiday, and hereby urgently request all persons to assist Sheriff Simpson and his aides to have every eligible man duly registered according to law. M.A. Nordhaus, Mayor, Deming, N.M., May 25, 1917. (Copy of Mayor’s notice in the Deming Headlight.)
Camp Cody Soldiers Marching Down Town Deming, New Mexico, 1917-1918
It was my privilege and pleasure to visit the Plattsmouth boys at Camp Cody, Sunday, July 21st. I had written Corporal Malden Brown five days ahead, saying I would arrive on that date, but the mail service is so bad down there that the letter did not reach him until an hour after my arrival in camp.
Sergeant Matt Jirousek was at the train to get a glimpse of civilization. Well, when I hailed him to say he was “delighted” is putting it mildly. Matt escorted me to camp and the headquarters of Cass County Machine Gun Company. We started to locate the boys and the first one we found was Frank SMITH. Frank was busy reading the pages of the “Daily Journal.” Next, Dan COONEY. Dan had just finished a shampoo to get the sand out of his hair. Next was Carl WOHLFARTH, who was lying dreaming of the ice cream and soda fountain of Weyrich & Hadraba. BROWNIE was to the bath houses the boys said he had [print damaged] since their last hike, but had not yet removed all the sand. Brownie has lots of it left. LUTZ was over to the hospital to see a wounded friend, who fooled too long with a bullet intended for the Germans. The Larson boys were in town.
We finally located all of them and I assure you I would gladly make the trip again just to see how pleased those boys were to see some one from home. A finer lot of young men cannot be found than the boys from Plattsmouth and Cass county. Some have gained, some have lost, but all are as fine specimens of manhood as you could find. All are anxious to go across and do their bit and you can rest assured they will give a good account of themselves. They are getting restless and every day they are kept there is going to make it worse for the enemy.
I had dinner with the boys, Matt Jirousek on one side and Brownie on the other. The boys are certainly well-fed. There is one thing they do not get and that is pastry. If some of the many good cooks in Plattsmouth wants to do something, just make a batch of good cookies and send them to any of the boys and they will pass them around as they divide up anything that is sent them.
All of the boys requested me to remember them to all their friends. Several sent personal messages, which I will deliver in person. As I may not see all of their friends, I take this means of carrying out their wishes. – Plattsmouth Journal, Thursday, August 1, 1918
The 136th Infantry Regiment consisted of 3 battalions composed of the following companies:
1st Battalion – Company A, B, C and D (Weapons Company)
2nd Battalion – Company E, F, G and H (Weapons Company)
3rd Battalion – Company I, K, L and M (Weapons Company)
During World War I, the 2nd Minnesota was renamed the 136th Infantry but remained in the United States. Later, the 136th Infantry was assigned to the 34th Infantry Division. After completing its training at Camp Cody, New Mexico, the 136th Infantry, as part of the 34th Infantry Division, was shipped overseas. There is suffered the frustration of having its members dispersed to other units, rather than entering the war as a unit. Thus, while many members of the 136th Infantry saw combat in World War I, it was the fate of the unit simply to provide replacements.
Early Morning Roll Call At Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico, 1917=1918
Memories of Camp Cody Weblog 