World War II P.O.W. Camp

During World War II, over 50,000 German prisoners of war were interned in over 70 Texas P. O. W. camps. Base camps were established at military bases throughout the state. The base camps operated a number of branch camps in their respective areas. Detailed from a base camp at Huntsville, about 140 German prisoners were housed in a U. S. Army tent camp near this site in 1944. Located on land owned by the Lutcher Moore Lumber Company, the camp was built with construction materials and labor provided by the Orange County Farm Labor Committee of the U. S. Agricultural Extension Service. Transported to their work details by army trucks each day, the German prisoners worked as laborers in area rice fields, helping to bring in the harvest of farmers whose employees had gone to war. The work of the prisoners became a crucial element in the area's wartime food production, and many of the prisoners enjoyed good working relationships with their employers. Although the original prison camp operated for only a short time in 1944, prisoners transported from camps in China, Texas, and Edgerly, Louisiana, were once again employed on Orange County farms in 1945.

World War II P.O.W. Camp is a historical marker in Orange, Orange County, dedicated in 1991. It is one of 66 historical markers documented in Orange County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 91 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.1116, -93.8001 near Orange. The nearest cataloged historic site is Absalom Jett (historical marker), about 0.7 miles away. Others within a short drive include Old First Orange Baptist Church, Dorman, and Winfree.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5361011557. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.