The Early Years
Since the early years of the 20th Century, Fort Benjamin Harrison has played an important role in the history of Indianapolis Indiana and the United States. In 1904, the U.S. Congress approved the purchase of land and the establishment of a military fort near Indianapolis . The commander, Lt. Col. Russell Harrison, convinced President Theodore Roosevelt to name the new fort after his grandfather, Benjamin Harrison. Construction on most of the buildings was completed in 1908. In the early days, travel from the fort to Indianapolis was via the interurban train station. During World War I, the fort became a mobilization center for national defense and a training center for 10,000 railroad specialists.
Between the World War I and II, the fort served as a Civilian Conservation Corps center for reforestation and soil conservation work. At the onset of World War II, the fort became a Midwest induction and logistical support center. In 1944, Italian and German prisoners of war from Rommels Afrika Korps arrived at Fort Benjamin Harrison. The Midwest Disciplinary Barracks ultimately housed 6,200 prisoners. The fort was abandoned in 1947, but soon reopened as the Fort Benjamin Harrison Air Force Base. In 1949, Fort Benjamin Harrison became the Administrative and Training Center for the Army. The Defense Finance Center was dedicated in 1953 and the Defense Information School in 1966.
Today
Although the fort now known simply as Fort Harrison and is no longer an active military post, it continues to serve as the location for Defense Finance and Accounting Services. It is also home to a state park where visitors can enjoy horseback riding, milies of public hiking trails, and a championship golf course. A total of 49 buildings in a portion of the fort have been designated as a complete district and listed as such with the National Register of Historic Places. Many of them are charming residences that for 90 years were home to soldiers and families who came to Indiana to serve in our country.
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FORT HARRISON INDIANA
Schone Field
FT Harrison
This military airfield was established in 1922 on the grounds of the Army's Fort Benjamin Harrisson,
an infantry training base The Indiana National Guard's 137th Observation Squadron (later redesignated the 113th Observation Squadron) relocated from Kokomo to Schoen Field in 1926, before moving again to Stout Field.
The field consisted of a pockmarked rectangular grass field, with a cluster of hangars with checkerboard roof markings on the east side of the field. It is not apparent if the field was still in use at this point, though, as there did not appear to be any aircraft on the field.
Schoen Field was evidently closed for some reason during the WW2 years (possibly due to the Fort having to use the land for other needs), as it was not depicted at all on the April 1943 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) or the May 1944 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Schoen Field was evidently reopened (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1944-48,
Schoen Field was evidently closed again (for reasons unknown) at some point after 1948.It may have been closed by 1951, when ground was broken for a new Finance Center.
