Camp Mabry began with an original eighty-five-acre tract donated by Austin citizens in 1892 as the site of annual encampments for the Texas Volunteer Guard, an elite militia constituted in 1876. As larger maneuver, parade, and drill areas were needed, the guardsmen worked actively to acquire more land, and through state and federal purchases the camp eventually grew to more than 430 acres. In 1898, by vote of the guardsmen, the camp was named for Adjutant General Woodford Haywood Mabry (1856-1899), who provided forceful leadership for the militia. In 1914, after the National Guard was created in 1906, the State of Texas built an arsenal there for stores formerly held in the Capitol. The site served as a campsite for the United States Army during the first World War and was the principal site for annual guard encampments until 1928. During World War II, it was an ordnance engine rebuild station for the United States Army. For many years, Texas Department of Public Safety patrolmen trained at Camp Mabry, and the Texas Rangers had their training command there until 1953. Since 1954, it has been the headquarters for the state Adjutant General, and other installations there include the Texas Army National Guard state officer candidate school and the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office and Warehouse.