Fort Niagara Rifle Range - Youngstown, New York
Posted by: BruceS
N 43° 15.656 W 079° 03.098
17T E 658136 N 4791634
Historical information sign about former rifle range on the former military fort now state park.
Waymark Code: WMB8QK
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 04/19/2011
Views: 6
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.