Welcome to Camp Barkeley, where the sounds of marching boots and roaring military vehicles once filled the air. This camp played a crucial role in training tens of thousands of soldiers during World War II, preparing them for battle in Europe and the Pacific.

Camp Barkeley, named after Private David B. Barkley, was one of the largest military training facilities in the United States during World War II. Spanning 77,000 acres—nearly twice the size of Washington, D.C.—this was no small camp. It was a city in itself. Imagine barracks lined row after row, mess halls feeding thousands, and chapels filled with soldiers praying before deployment.

The camp housed an extensive medical training center, producing about 12,500 officers for the Army’s Medical Department. It also held a German prisoner-of-war camp, and though most POWs worked without incident. The few who tried to escape were usually found asleep in the bandstand of an Abilene park!

And here’s a little-known fact: The camp was named after Private David B. Barkley, a World War I hero. But someone made a spelling error when naming it—adding an extra “e” to his last name—and it stuck!

Today, the land has returned to nature, but its impact remains. Camp Barkeley’s legacy also helped bring what became Dyess Air Force Base to Abilene.

As you leave this spot, imagine the sound of boots on the ground, the distant echoes of military drills.

Now, let’s step back even further to the days when Buffalo Gap was a booming frontier town.