Camp Alto World War II Prisoner of War Camp
Posted by: 
jackrock
N 31° 39.023 W 095° 05.563
15R E 301565 N 3503586
This marker is located on Hwy 294 about a mile west of the intersection of SH 21 and Hwy 294.
Waymark Code: WM83HF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/20/2010
Views: 13
World War II had many affects in the US, one of which was the loss of many workers in the East Texas sawmills and paper mills when they joined the armed services.
As a result, seven camps were set up in East Texas to house German POWs to work in their places. This camp housed about a 100 German POWs who worked as loggers here.
Today, there are seven Texas historical markers placed near the former German POW camps at Alto, Center, Chireno, Huntsville, Lufkin, San Augustine and Tyler.
The area south of the marker is now wooded. This unfortunate marker has fallen victim to a paint ball gun but that should fade in time.
Marker Number: 13703
Marker Text:
The U.S. Army built stateside camps by early 1942 to house prisoners of war (POWs). Camp Alto south of this site was a small branch operation of the Camp Fannin base facility in Tyler. The military set up branch camps to address local labor needs brought about by wartime shortages. With approximately 100 German POWs living in tents, Camp Alto began operating in the fall of 1944. The majority of POWs cut pulpwood for the East Texas ice storm salvage project. With the end of the war imminent, branch camps sent POWs to larger base camps as a step toward eventual repatriation. Its mission accomplished, Camp Alto closed in the spring of 1945 under direction of the War Assets Administration. Texas in World War II - 2006
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