From the Archives
Branch Camps
Moorehead, MN
Camp Number: 1
POW Housing: Union Warehouse owned by the Moorehead Co-op Onion Growers on corner of 21st St. & 5th Ave.
Open: May 28th - Nov., 1944; Aug. - Nov., 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Blair & 2nd Lt. B.C. Davis
Number of POW: 85 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Drowning of Franz Hummer
Fairmont, MN
Camp Number: 2
POW Housing: 4H Building at the Martin County Fairgrounds Company Barracks North of Town Interlaken Inn Workers Barracks
Open: June 5th - July 1944; Sept. 2nd, 1944 - Dec. 14th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, eviscerating, construction
Commanding Officer: 2nd Lt. Jake M. Orf & Capt. Joseph Gaitskill
Number of POW: 568 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Issues with fraternization
Remer, MN
Camp Number: 3
POW Housing: Abandoned CCC camp in the Chippewa National Forest
Open: Jan.31st, 1944 - Jan. 1945
Type of Work: Logging
Commanding Officer: Capt. Richard D. Harding & 1st Lt. Jacob A. Yockey
Number of POW: 247 men (as of Feb. 1944)
Unique Occurrences: Fraternization and drinking with the locals
Bena, MN
Camp Number: 4
POW Housing: CCC Camp near Lake Winnibigoshish
Open: Jan.31st, 1944 - June 1944 - Oct. 1944 - Oct. 1945
Type of Work: Logging
Commanding Officer: Lt. Neal A. Broyles; Capt. Kenneth F. McMlintic; Capt. Clifford M. Jenner
Number of POW: 40 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Escape of two POWs; 6 trained dogs working under a Sergeant
Owatonna, MN
Camp Number: 5
POW Housing: The home of former State Senator T. Cashman
Open: March 23rd, 1944 - Dec. 21st, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, and plant nursery
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Basil W. Poytner, Jr.
Number of POW: 277 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: POWs resided in the house of a former Senator until it burned down, leading to the closing of the camp
Deer River, MN
Camp Number: 6
POW Housing: 4CCC Camp 707 near Squaw Lake
Open: . APril 5th, 1944 - Dec. 26th, 1945
Type of Work: Logging
Commanding Officer: Capt. Wayne Kennedy & 2nd Lt. Kenneth A. Brown
Number of POW: 136 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Issues with illegal hunting & lax control over prisoners
Camp Number: 5
POW Housing: The home of former State Senator T. Cashman
Open: March 23rd, 1944 - Dec. 21st, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, and plant nursery
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Basil W. Poytner Jr.
Number of POW: 277 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: POWs resided in the house of a former Senator until it burned down, leading to the closing of the camp.
New Ulm, MN
Camp Number: 7
POW Housing: CCC Camp
Open: June 7th, 1944 - Dec. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, brick and tile
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Arthur S. Roberts
Number of POW: 315 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Use of sugar to brew alcohol & sympathy from citizens of New Ulm
Montgomery, MN
Camp Number: 8
POW Housing: Wood barracks attached to hemp lant
Open: June 10th, 1944 - Oct. 9th, 1944; June 3rd, 1945 - Oct. 21st, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor & canning
Commanding Officer: Capt. Clyde W. Snider & 1st Lt. Robert T. Cumback
Number of POW: 427 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Pro-Nazi pamphlets thrown out of train windows en route to Montgomery
Faribault, MN
Camp Number: 9
POW Housing: Barracks built onto the canning factory
Open: June 20th, 1944 - Nov. 1944; March 27th, 1945 - Nov. 30th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, plant nursery
Commanding Officer: Sgt. Milligan, Lt. Robert Poynter, & 2nd Lt. Bertrand C. Davis
Number of POW: 412 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: 2 prisoners leaving camp grounds
St. Charles, MN
Camp Number: 10
POW Housing: Permanent buildings in Whitewater State Park
Open: June 30th, 1944 - Oct. 1944 & April 18th, 1945 - Oct. 10th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor & canning
Commanding Officer: Capt. Jack Elson & Capt. Kenneth McClintic
Number of POW: 255 men (as of Sep. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Group of POWs going on strike, supposed Swastika painting & Jewish Translator
Ortonville, MN/SD
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Camp Number: 11
POW Housing: Quarters next to the Big Stone Camping Company
Open: July 7th, 1944 - Sept. 24th, 1944; July 10, 1945 - Nov. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor and canning
Commanding Officer: Capt. Clifford M. Jenner
Number of POW: 244 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Camp was in two states, the headquarters were in South Dakota and the stockade was
in Minnesota
Howard Lake, MN
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Camp Number: 12
POW Housing: Wright County Fair Grounds
Open: August 7th, 1944 - Sept. 1944; July 1945 - Oct. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor & canning
Commanding Officer: Sgt. Carl Tishthammer
Number of POW: 109 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Anti-Nazi Camp
Eldora, IA
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Camp Number: 13
POW Housing: Hardin County Fairgrounds, former CCC Buildings
Open: August 10th, 1944 - Nov. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, plant nursery, miscellaneous industry, brick and tile
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Joseph Schwarakopf; Capt. HW Kreger; Capt. Charles Lawyer
Number of POW: 314 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Christmas Celebrations
Waverly, IA
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Camp Number: 14
POW Housing: Temporarily in Warburg College; YWCA Camp
Open: August 15th, 1944 - Nov. 1944; March 8, 1945 - Sept. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor & canning
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt Arthur M. Simpson
Number of POW: 314 men (as of Sept. 1944)
Unique Occurrences: Interacting with locals
Bird Island, MN
Camp Number: 15
POW Housing: Bird Island Fairgrounds
Open: September 16, 1944 - October 1944
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Not on record
Number of POW: Unknown
Unique Occurrences: Names and address of POWs given to a field foreman
Hollandale, MN
Camp Number: 16
POW Housing: Migrant Workers Bunkhouse
Open: Oct. 9th, 1944 - Nov. 1944; Sep. 16th, 1945 - Oct. 23, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Not on record
Number of POW: Unknown
Unique Occurrences: None known
Charles City, IA
Camp Number: 17
POW Housing: Wildwood Park Club House
Open: October 19th, 1944 - November 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor and canning
Commanding Officer: Sgt. Herman T. Hendrix
Number of POW: 66 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: None on record
Grand Rapids, MN
Camp Number: 18
POW Housing: 22 miles north of Grand Rapids
Open: January 1945 - April 1945
Type of Work: Logging
Commanding Officer: Werner Schmiedeberg
Number of POW: Not on record
Unique Occurrences: Not on record
Clinton, IA
Camp Number: 19
POW Housing: An acreage named Union Park
Open: February 2nd, 1945 - September 16th, 1945
Type of Work: Miscellaneous Industry
Commanding Officer: Lt. Sam Herman; Capt. Ray M. Davis
Number of POW: 49 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Originally opened under Camp Clarinda
Shenandoah, IA
Camp Number: 20
POW Housing: CCC Camp west of Shenandoah
Open: 1943 - July 1945; Oct. 24, 1945 - Nov. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor and plant nursery
Commanding Officer: Capt. Jon B. Glary
Number of POW: 100 men (as of Oct. 1943)
Unique Occurrences: The original Italian POWs were deemed unsuitable for work and were replaced.
Tabor, IA
Camp Number: 21
POW Housing: Tabor College Campus
Open: March 1945 - July 1945; Oct. 24th, 1945 - Nov. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor and plant nursery
Commanding Officer: Sgt. Carl Tisthammer; M. Sgt. Patrick B. Smith
Number of POW: 260 men (as of July 1945)
Unique Occurrences: None on record
Yankton, SD
Camp Number: 22
POW Housing: Yankton Airport
Open: April 2nd, 1945 - July 1945
Type of Work: Missouri River flood control
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Donald P. Copper
Number of POW: 100 men (as of April 1945)
Unique Occurrences: SS Troopers attempting to start a 'revolution' with Hitler Slogans resulting in their removal from camp
Muscatine, IA
Camp Number: 23
POW Housing: Fairport Fish Hatchery
Open: April 6th, 1945 - November 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, and brick and tile
Commanding Officer: Lt. Stephen V. Cope
Number of POW: 235 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: None on record
Wells, MN
Camp Number: 24
POW Housing: Old Hemp Mill north of town
Open: June 13, 1945 - October 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, field drainage, and eviscerating
Commanding Officer: Lt. W.P. Schmiedeberg
Number of POW: 405 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: POWs were sent to work without a guard; Italians and Germans working out of the same camp
Onawa, IA
Camp Number: 25
POW Housing: Government yards on the Missouri River west of Onawa by 7 miles
Open: July 4th, 1945 - November 1945
Type of Work: Missouri River Flood Control
Commanding Officer: Sgt. Allan Harris
Number of POW: 86 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: None on record
Storm Lake, IA
Camp Number: 26
POW Housing: A country settlement known for deplorable conditions coined "Hollywood"
Open: August 1, 1945 - October 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor a
Commanding Officer: 1st Lt. Donald P. Copper
Number of POW: 100 men (as of April 1945)
Unique Occurrences: SS Troopers attempting to start a 'revolution' with Hitler Slogans resulting in their removal from camp
Toledo, IA
Camp Number: 27
POW Housing: Indian Sanatorium
Open: August 11, 1945 - September 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor, canning, plant nursery, brick and tile
Commanding Officer: Lt. J. Boerlage
Number of POW: 121 (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Long process to approve the camp
Olivia, MN
Camp Number: 28
POW Housing: Tents near Rogers Brothers Factory
Open: Sept. 5th, 1943 - Oct. 25th, 1943; August 23rd, 1945 - Nov. 13th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor and canning
Commanding Officer: Capt. G.B. Howell; Lt. J.W. Kent
Number of POW: 46 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Locals took special interest in Italian POWs and even served them a meal of spaghetti
Sioux Falls, SD
Camp Number: 29
POW Housing: Unknown
Open: August 30, 1945 - Nov. 1945
Type of Work: Quartermaster Laundry, S. Falls
Commanding Officer: Not on file
Number of POW: 162 men (as of Sept. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Italian POW posing as a poor cripple, begging for money until he was caught by police
Crookston, MN
Camp Number: 30
POW Housing: Winter Sports Arena
Open: Oct. 7th, 1945 - Nov. 7th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Not on record
Number of POW: 365 men (as of October 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Only open for a month; weather causing delays in work
Ada, MN
Camp Number: 31
POW Housing: Coliseum on Fair Grounds
Open: Oct. 14th, 1945 - Nov. 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Not on record
Number of POW: 200 men (as of Oct. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Desperate need for labor; assisting with the "near miracle' crop harvest
Grand Forks, ND
Camp Number: 32
POW Housing: Armory
Open: Oct. 14th, 1945 - Nov. 10th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Capt. Jack I. Elson
Number of POW: 280 men (as of Oct. 1945)
Unique Occurrences: Assisted with the 'near miracle' crop harvest
Grafton, ND
Camp Number: 33
POW Housing: Not on record
Open: Oct. 17th, 1945 - Nov. 10th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Not on record
Number of POW: Not on record
Unique Occurrences: Assisted with the "near miracle" crop harvest
Warren, MN
Camp Number: 34
POW Housing: North Star College
Open: Oct. 7th, 1945 - Nov. 6th, 1945
Type of Work: Farm labor
Commanding Officer: Lt. Harry Wexler
Number of POW: Not on record
Unique Occurrences: Italian POWs assisted with the 'near miracle' crop harvest