Fort Brooke

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Fort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank (at the mouth) of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Convention Center currently stands at the site.

The fort was named after Col. George Mercer Brooke, who, on 10 January 1824, led four full companies of the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment from Pensacola to Tampa Bay to establish a military post. The intent of building the wooden fort was to hinder illegal activity around the area. Shortly after settlement, the adjutant of the War Department named the site Cantonment Brooke, only to have the name change a short time later. Fort Brooke would serve as a major outpost on Florida's Suncoast during all three Seminole Indian Wars and the Civil War. The fort also played a part in the development of the village of Tampa.

In October 1863, the small Battle of Fort Brooke was fought nearby. On 6 May 1864, both Fort Brooke and Tampa were captured by Union Forces. As Tampa slipped backward during the 1870s and early 1880s, so did Fort Brooke. The last roll call of soldiers occurred in 1882 and the post was decommissioned by the United States Army after a long period of inactivity in 1883.