Fort Niagara Rifle Range - Youngstown, New York - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Text of marker:

Thru This Archway Pass The World's Best Marksmen
Fort Niagara's
Rifle Range

In the 1870s the United States Army began training soldiers in marksmanship.  Prior to this, soldiers were not regularly trained to fire for great accuracy.  By the 1870s however, repeating action rifles and simplified ammunition made shooting a popular sport, necessitating a change in military tactics.  The National Rifle Association formed in 1871 to advocate marksmanship training nationally and counted many soldiers among its members.  In the 1880s the U.S. Army installed target ranges at many of its facilities.

Designed in 1883, Fort Niagara's rifle range was completed in 1886.  Troops trained at Fort Niagara for the Spanish-American War in 1898 and for the Philippine Insurrection from 1899 to 1901.  The range was also used in World War I and up until 1943, when the southest corner of the existing army post was converted to a prisoner of war camp.  In 1950, troops reoccupied the fort.  The last active units left the fort in 1963, and by the late 1970s, soccer fields had already replaced the range.

Group that erected the marker: Fort Niagara State Park Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Scott Avenue Fort Niagara State Park Youngstown, New York United States - URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   10/14/2015 jiggs11 visited it