About 1,700 Puerto Rican Laborers Recruited for Camp Bragg Construction in 1918
In 1918, approximately 1,700 skilled laborers from Puerto Rico were recruited to North Carolina to assist in the construction of Camp Bragg.
Raleigh Durham, NC, October 15, 2026 —
In 1918, approximately 1,700 skilled laborers from Puerto Rico were recruited to North Carolina to assist in the construction of Camp Bragg, according to the available account. The brief description identifies the workers’ place of origin, their skilled-labor status, the year of recruitment and the construction project they were recruited to support.
The account does not specify who organized the recruitment, when during 1918 it took place or where in North Carolina the laborers worked. It also provides no details about the workers’ trades, the length of their employment or the conditions they encountered. The figure is approximate, rather than an exact count.
No further information is provided about how the laborers’ work was divided or what role they played in particular stages of Camp Bragg’s construction. The available details establish that a sizable group of skilled workers from Puerto Rico was recruited for the project, but they do not describe the recruitment process or the workers’ individual experiences.
The account also does not state whether all those recruited traveled to North Carolina or how many ultimately worked on the construction. It gives no information about pay, housing, transportation or what happened to the laborers after the work. Those details cannot be determined from the information provided.
As described, the recruitment connected Puerto Rican skilled laborers with Camp Bragg’s construction in North Carolina in 1918. Further information would be needed to establish the circumstances of the recruitment and provide a fuller account of the workers’ contributions and experiences.
Story summarized from the original created by Penelope Lopez on abc11.com, see more information here.
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