Camp Merritt , New Jersey Camp Merritt was a military base in Cresskill , in Bergen County , New Jersey , United States , that was activated for use in World War I . It was from this camp that tens of thousands of soldiers were deployed to Hoboken , New Jersey before being shipped off to Europe . Approximately four million troops were sent to the Western Front during World War I , about one million of them passed through Camp Merritt . Camp Merritt was decommissioned in 1919 . Origin of the Camp . From Camp Tenafly to Camp Merritt . Camp Merritt was originally named Camp Tenafly . The camp was first named Camp Tenafly because all previous communication and negotiation concerning the building of the military base were completed in the town of Tenafly , New Jersey . The camp was later named in honor of Major General Wesley Merritt . General Merritt from New York State dedicated most of his life to the armed services . General Merritt served the United States throughout the Civil War , Indian campaigns , and the Spanish War . He participated in several major battles including Battle of Gettysburg , Battle of Yellow Tavern , Battle of Hall ’ s Shop , Battle of Winchester , and Five Fork ’ s . At the age of 27 he was made a full Major General of volunteers . After making his way through the ranks and receiving high positions including Superintendent of the Military Academy at West Point , Governor General of the Philippines , and other prestigious positions . Wesley retired from his long reign in the military in 1900 . Ten years later General Merritt died and was buried at West Point with full military honors . Selection of the Site . The United States army needed a location to assemble and for the deployment of troops to the Western Front during World War I . In 1917 , Brigadier - General William Wright , Commanding General of the Port of Embarkation , chose the location in Bergen County on Knickerbocker road and Grant Avenue . Camp Merritt was strategically situated approximately ten miles from New York City . The camp was located between Cresskill and Dumont , New Jersey . The camp was conveniently located between the Erie Railroad in Cresskill and the West Shore Railroad in Dumont . Some of the resourceful aspects of the area include the easy method of the sewerage , water supply , lighting , and railroad connections . The owners of the property on the site agreed to lease their property to the government on terms which the government deemed reasonable . The location of Camp Merritt was ideal because of the easy access to Hoboken where the soldiers would be departing from Troops were transported to Hoboken by railroad . In addition , some of the troops marched to the Alpine Boat Basin in the Palisades to take boats to Hoboken . From Hoboken the troops from Camp Merritt were deployed to Europe . Construction on the Camp . Construction of Camp Merritt began on August 20 , 1917 . The original plans called for seven regiments of infantry , six warehouses , miscellaneous buildings , and a base hospital with a capacity of five hundred beds . The plans were authorized four months later on December 20 , 1917 . The selected contractors for the job were MacArthur Brothers Company of engineers and contractors of New York . There were many local carpenters , electricians , and tradesmen who were hired to work on the camp as well . The camp cost about $ 11 million to build . Camp Merritt was 770 acres in size , and had a capacity of 42 , 000 men . There were approximately 1 , 300 buildings on the site . Buildings on the Camp . On the 770 acres camp there were a total of 1 , 302 buildings . The soldier ’ s barracks totaled 611 two - story buildings in which 60 men could reside in . Camp Merritt had 165 mess halls , 40 military officer ’ quarters , 27 administration buildings , 4 fire stations , 93 hospital buildings , and many more . Also on the camp were four Young Men ’ s Christian Association ( YMCA ) buildings and American Red Cross buildings . In the spring of 1918 the Liberty Theatre opened on the camp for the entertainment of the soldiers while staying at Merritt . In addition , Merritt Hall the large soldier ’ s club on the camp opened on January 30 , 1918 . Major General David C . Shanks called Merritt Hall “ the finest soldiers club in America . ” The Base Hospital . On January 9 , 1918 the base hospital was opened . The base hospital had a staff of about 300 nurses who treated over 55 , 000 soldiers . The nurses and doctors treated various cases including anthrax , pneumonia , measles , scarlet fever , mumps , and particularly the influenza virus . In the fall of 1918 the influenza epidemic reached Camp Merritt and caused devastation The Influenza Pandemic 1918 . The first person in New Jersey to be diagnosed with influenza was a soldier at Fort Dix . From Fort Dix , the disease spread across the state . By the end of the 1919 wave of influenza approximately 675 , 000 Americans were dead due to the disease . The influenza pandemic at Camp Merritt began in September 1918 . On September 19 fifty - eight soldiers were admitted to the base hospital due to influenza . Three weeks later , there were approximately 1 , 000 cases of influenza at Camp Merritt . In addition , there were already 265 deaths . Due to the increasing amount of cases some soldiers were sent to local hospitals . Many soldiers became sick during the time they left camp as they prepared to go to Europe . The Closing of Camp Merritt . Camp Merritt officially closed in January 1920 . The last troops to arrive to Camp Merritt from overseas while it was still active were on January 26 , 1920 . Following , the decision to close the camp the U . S . military ordered the camp to be dismantled . The remainder of troops was then sent to Fort Dix . The bidding process of Camp Merritt was opened at Washington , D . C . on December 22 , 1919 . There were many bids from various companies and corporations . The entire camp was eventually sold to the Harris Brothers Company of Chicago for $ 552 , 524 . Fire in Camp Merritt . After Camp Merritt was dismantled for almost a year the camp underwent a series of three devastating fires . The reason for the three fires are still undetermined although there were various rumors and speculations to how they were started . The fire started in Block 17 and destroyed over 150 buildings in that particular area . Over eighteen fire companies attended to the fire including three from New York City . There were two reports of dynamite explosion because there were dynamite stored for the use in the wrecking of the camp . There were no reported injuries due to the fire , but what was left of the Camp was destroyed . Camp Merritt Monument . To remember and honor those who were stationed at Camp Merritt a monument was erected . Bergen County purchased the land where the monument was to be built in 1919 . The monument is located in Cresskill , New Jersey at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Knickerbocker Road . The monument is a 65 feet tall granite obelisk , modeled after the Washington Monument in Washington , D . C . The 65 foot tall monument is inscribed with the names of fifteen officers , 558 enlisted men , four nurses , and a civilian who died at Camp Merritt during the war . The monument was constructed by Harrison Granite Company of New York with granite from the Stoney Creek Quarry in Connecticut . A former soldier and artist Robert Aitken commissioned the relief sculpture of a helmeted soldier on the one side of the base of the monument . Dedication of the Monument . The monument was revealed and celebrated on Memorial Day , May 30 , 1924 . General John J . Pershing was given the opportunity to head the dedication process . In addition , many prominent speakers addressed a large crowd in front of the monument . Of these prestigious speakers included the Governor of New Jersey , George S . Silzer . Also , Mrs . Laura Williams Merritt , the widow of Major General Merritt , was in attendance for the dedication of the monument . The current President Calvin Coolidge was also invited to the event , but declined due to other obligations . There was an estimated amount of 20 , 000 people at the dedication ceremony for the monument .