In 1899 a public health hospital was established for tuberculosis patients mainly from the merchant marine at the old frontier post Fort Stanton. Many of those who died here were buried in the cemetery and it became a Merchant Marine Military Cemetery. In 1940 Fort Stanton became a POW camp and German POWs were placed here. The cemetery contains the remains of some of these POWS who died while incarcerated. There is also a monument to the Merchant Marines.